decot@cwruecmp.UUCP (Dave Decot) (02/10/84)
America is the only place where we applaud when someone digs a hole,
falls in, climbs halfway out and says "Look at the great thing
I've done."
I think it's perfectly obvious that things got worse before they got better,
just as he claimed. Reagan didn't dig the hole, he just fell the rest of
the way to the bottom. We *are* climbing out. Inflation is *way* down,
and unemployment is also coming down (finally).
But it isn't *better* than it was when he started, even yet. And we are
climbing out by stepping on a lot of heads, in a lot of countries, including
our own.
The one thing that worries me a lot at this point is the deficit.
That's one of the many things that worry me a lot. That is an issue that
will be unfortunately ignored by most voters, because it doesn't seem to
affect them as much as inflation, unemployment, and taxes. Another important
issue that voters don't normally care much about include foreign economic
and military policy, on which Reagan has a very poor record. I'll say this,
he knows what to say and what to emphasize to get reelected. No wonder he
wants to kill education while claiming to make it a priority: they'll believe
anything! What ever happened to that? Not a single program. Is education
improving now that we have stopped throwing money at it?
But the apparent economic gains are entirely offset by the largest deficits
and budget we have EVER had. How can he say he's for an Constitutional
amendment requiring balanced budgets when such a requirement has never
successfully been approximated?! He says "Down with Big Government!" Voters
like that, because it implies lower taxes. Taxes will rise suddenly in
December, that's my guess. Don't say it's an unfortunate but necessary
step; negotiation with "hostile" foreigners costs much less than weapons
systems, and works better, too. Save money and anxiety that way, and you
won't have to borrow from tomorrow.
Dave Decot "Republicans are people, too."
decvax!cwruecmp!decot (Decot.Case@rand-relay)