December 08, 2008
Looking into the Kristol Ball

I know I shouldn’t do it, but it’s like gawking at an awful wreck on the Interstate. I just can’t help reading William Kristol. Here he is, once again getting everything completely topsy-turvy in his poor little head:

Similarly, if you’re against big government, you’ll oppose a huge public works stimulus package. If you think some government action is inevitable, you might instead point out that the most unambiguous public good is national defense. You might then suggest spending a good chunk of the stimulus on national security — directing dollars to much-needed and underfunded defense procurement rather than to fanciful green technologies, making sure funds are available for the needed expansion of the Army and Marines before rushing to create make-work civilian jobs. Obama wants to spend much of the stimulus on transportation infrastructure and schools. Fine, but lots of schools and airports seem to me to have been refurbished more recently and more generously than military bases I’ve visited.
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Posted by Jerome Doolittle at December 08, 2008 01:43 PM
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Okay for you maybe, but a trillion wasted on national defense is a trillion well spent. I love fear itself.

Posted by: Aitch Jay on December 9, 2008 9:33 AM

Time to prime that old pump. Obama should turn Congress into a WPA project, and fill it from the ranks of the unemployed.

Posted by: SallyQ on December 9, 2008 9:45 AM

National defense is not a public good, it is an unfortunate necessity. As such, we should spend what is necessary, but not more, and military force should never be used otherwise than when absolutely required. We should certainly spend appropriately to care for our service men and women, however.

Green investment is a true public good and should be made a priority, moreover it serves the purpose of national defense inasmuch as it reduces or eliminates our dependence on foreign sources of energy and reduces conflict in the world, improves our environment and makes for a healthier and happier population.

Posted by: Mahakal on December 9, 2008 12:51 PM
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