Why We Are Stuck

From a new CBS/NYT poll:
"Most Americans continue to want the federal government to focus on reducing the budget deficit rather than spending money to stimulate the national economy, a new New York Times/CBS News poll finds. Yet at the same time, most oppose some proposed solution for decreasing it.

Fifty-six percent of respondents said that they were not willing to pay more in taxes in order to reduce the deficit, and nearly as many said they were not willing for the government to provide fewer services in areas such as health care, education and defense spending."

TW: Putting aside the issue of folks wanting to cut federal spending amidst a demand contraction which would every chance to stimulate GD 2.0. The part about strong majorities wanting to do so whilst not increasing taxes or cutting "services" is of course unsurprising if utterly contradictory. I understand Americans like most human beings want everything while paying for nothing but it just does not work.

As I have said before the clusterfug in California with their budget really is a metaphor for the rest of the country. Raise taxes, cut defense/prisons/homeland security, cut social security, or cut health care spending. Those are the options they never change.

This nation will lose its international pre-eminence if we are unable to sort out choices. The rest of the world due to our demographic strengths (1800's expansion), major wars (WWI and II) and poor governance (i.e. Soviets) used to follow us and not because we waved our flag so vociferously. Now they have do not need to so much, we need to be COMPETENT. Instead I guarantee you tomorrow will be spent on more important topics like which beer Gates/Cowley and Obama shared.

The answer btw from my view is- "all of the above". Instead we get "none of the above".