Planet Of The Congressional Jack-An-Apes

I know. I know. In these perilous economic times I should be perpetually outraged about the awful governance coming out of Washington. But sometimes the sheer nuttiness, the utter incompetence, the astonishing lack of understanding of basic economics that motivates the actions of those who our failing political system raise up to positions of power, just can’t help but reduce me to helpless fits of laughter.

Here’s the day’s choicest example in this regard (though the day is still early and I may be rushing things). In a debate in the House over cutting mega-billions from this fiscal year’s federal budget, these words were uttered by House Speaker John Boehner: “As part of our effort to liberate our economy from the shackles of out-of-control spending, the House will soon vote to cut discretionary spending by over $100 billion over the last seven months of this fiscal year.”

This short column is of course not the place to discuss the necessity of government spending cuts, their size, or where they should be focused. Let us simply consider here the relationship this Washington worthy sees between spending and economic activity — that what he terms “out-of-control” government spending shackles our economy.

Spending, Mr. Boehner, is what animates an economy, The more out of control it is, the more animated is an economy. Reigning it in doesn’t remove economic shackles unless that reduction is made good by other spending, which won’t be the case here any time soon or maybe anytime ever. In the near future, without question, these spending cuts will only generate unemployment among government workers whose own spending power will be reduced along with the spending power of those no longer receiving the discretionary benefits.

This is not even a case of taking from the poor to further enhance the wealth of the rich. It’s just a straight-forward economic dampener. It no more “liberates” economic activity than removal of a glucose feeding tube from the vein of a weak patient liberates that’s patient’s ability to function better.

What you and your caucus are engaged in, Mr. Boehner, is radical experimental surgery without an anesthetic. It’s ideological-based dadanomics. It’s…

Oops. There I go again. Taking Washington seriously instead of viewing it as the world’s leading comedy club. Gotta keep laughing. Gotta keep laughing. Gotta. Gotta.

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