Frank Stephenson over at Division of Labor is referring to NPR’s Marketplace as “MarxistPlace.” Kicking myself that I did not think of it. In any case, here is a terrific observation …
Marxist Place: “non-defense spending has already been pared down”I almost ran off the road this morning when I heard Marxist Place’s Nancy Marshall Ginzer utter that “non-defense spending has already been pared down.”
It’s been pared down about as much as a morbidly obese person making a fifth pass at the buffet line. CBO data (here, p. 7) indicate that non-defense discretionary spending increased to $655.9B in 2009 from $306.1B in 2001. For the mathematically challenged, that’s more than a doubling in less than a decade.
Nor has spending been “pared down” in 2010. CBO data (here, p. 2) indicate that non-defense and non-entitlement spending (labeled “Other Activities” in the table) is up 9.1% so far this year.
HT to Mike Hammock for “Marxist Place”
UPDATE: See also Chris Westley’s take on “Marx’s Place.”
Comment: maybe it’s “pared-down” because “only” spending $600 billion out of a total exceeding $3 trillion just doesn’t feel like that much? Or that compared to the (unwritten) budgetary impact of ObamaScare and Financial Reform and Entitlement growth and Pension obligations and what ever else is lurking around the corner, $600 billion is but rounding error.
Haha.
If $600 billion, plus or minus $100 billion is small change, then what does it tell us of the value of our paper currency?
Our Treasury Secretary tells us that inflation is not a problem, crossing his fingers.
If inflation is not a problem, then how do you explain the price of gold?
Or do these guys still believe you can create wealth by digging holes and filling them up?
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