Cantor's cuts should begin with Defense Spending!

Raising the debt ceiling appears to be the big objective in Washington D.C. these days. Both the republicans and the democrats agree, for the most part, that it should be done. But they disagree on how it should be done. Essentially, each party is arguing a continuation of its same old rhetoric: The democrats are arguing for taxes increases and the closing of tax loopholes; they are suggesting that these two issues need to be discussions concerning the reduction of the national debt. The republicans are arguing against tax increases and in favor of reductions in government spending. They contend that our economy is too fragile at the present time to allow taxes increases. Moreover, they argue, this is right time to restructure our government by reducing government spending and reducing the size of government.


First, it’s important to note that most Americans are in favor of tax increases and the closing of tax loopholes. The argument by the republicans that these measures will hurt the economy is unproven. Moreover, tax loopholes, which have existed in the United States for decades, have never played significant roles in reducing employment. And the same can be said for tax reduction ― especially the Bush tax cuts, which hasn’t worked, even though they have been in place from 1992 to the present.

Second, the Republican Party’s arguments belong to an interesting and very profound set of assertions ― particularly when these arguments are being made by Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA). Cantor leads the charge of republicans who are calling for deep cuts in spending, and reduction in the size of government, but only for the set of spending and size-reduction that includes entitlements and benefits for the old, poor, and middle class. However, there is a second set of spending and size-reduction that the republicans never discuss. This set is defense spending or the hidden stimulus packages in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, Missouri, Alabama, Louisiana, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Utah. Defense spending is a wasteful cash cow that is out of control in all of these states ― and especially in Virginia (Cantor’s state). Each week these states get the lion share of the billions of dollars that we’re spending on the War in Afghanistan, for these are the states that have the military forts, military bases, and military contractors. It is in these states that weapon systems (rifles, artillery, tanks, missiles, etc.) are made.

In reference to the budget stalemate, Rep. Cantor, in a press conference today, said, “We want to go home and let the people know that we are not going to allow these kinds of spending to continue.”

Dear Rep. Cantor,
We, the people of the United States, want you to go home and let your people know that we are not going to allow your types of spending to continue― either!