Brad DeLong's Semi-Daily Journal: A Weblog

Are you saying that Franks is incompetent because he didn't have enough troops? It's not like he forgot to file the requisition form or something; it was a decision made by higher-ups.

So Larry, Moe, and Curly can expect their medals next year?

More Froomkin:

Jonathan Weisman and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum wrote in The Washington Post two weeks ago that the Bush administration was considering paying for cuts in investment taxation by eliminating the deduction of state and local taxes on federal income tax returns and scrapping the business tax deduction for employer-provided health insurance.

Today, Weisman explains that the theoretical reasoning behind that proposal can be found in this year's Economic Report of the President.

"There, White House economists assert that the [health insurance] deduction unfairly subsidizes employees of some companies while encouraging overly generous health policies that focus on routine medical care" and "that the deductibility of state and local taxes -- especially property taxes -- 'lowers the price of local public services' and unfairly favors local government services over privately provided services."

Weisman writes that Bush supporters say people don't appreciate that "[i]n crafting a broad agenda for his second term, Bush is trying to adhere strictly to economic theory, perhaps even more so than during the Reagan administration's early battles over deregulation and taxes."

And yet, Weisman notes: "Critics say the White House's theoretical arguments may fly in the face of empirical evidence."

I'm just thinkin' that for the vast majority of services provided by state and local government, there's no private entity that tries to provide anything comparable.

BA NA NA NAAAAAAAA
RE PU BL ICAAAAANS

This reminds me, at least by superficial appearance, of how all those "Communist" leaders awarded various kinds of medals and honorary titles to their functionaries in their respective party hierarchies, and to each other.

Understanding American government is now just like Sovietology was in the bad old days. Is Andropov dead? Is Stalin really dead? Is Bush really a genius with a homespun folksy facade? Remember Phil Hartman's Reagan, who was ditzy in public but was really running things when the camera was off?
What happened to America?

Awarding medals is easy. It's the earning and thus being deserving of one that is difficult.

It seems to me that awarding medals is pretty easy. It is the earning of a medal so that it is deserved that is difficult.

I see in this the beginnings of the end of government services in general.
No wonder they are against public funded health care.
They want you to do what ? get private firms to fix your streets and pay from your pocket?
This is the way to private police, private schools, and Lord alone knows what else.
Thomas Soul(sic) says he favors public education only up to third grade " just enough so they can read the KEEP OFF sign on my lawn" Really!
Hopefully these clowns are exposed before they can ruin the nation.