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Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Brokeback Budget

When cowboy poets can't get federal funding, can we finally say enough with the draconian budget cuts?!

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to decry what he called a "mean-spirited" Republican plan to drastically cut government spending, arguing the bill would eliminate important programs such as job training, health clinics and ... an annual cowboy poetry festival in his home state of Nevada.

In a massive federal budget deficit, with relatively minuscule cuts proposed so far, one of the examples of the earth-shaking impacts of those tiny cuts is the demise of the annual Nevada cowboy poetry festival?

Are you freaking kidding me? One, I have serious doubts as to whether real cowboys have poetry festivals.

Two, the Senate Majority Leader really finds that example a compelling case for adding mountains of debt to our nation?

Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be government-subsidized cowboys.

UPDATE: More on the budget insanity. It is frightening how quickly the "temporary" stimulus and rescue of the economy after the 2008 financial crisis has become the new normal spending level for our government class. How can they pretend this isn't an obvious problem?

UPDATE: Really?

At some point these acts of brazen viciousness are going to lead to a renewed philosophical interest in the question of when acts of political violence are morally justified.

The brazen viciousness is cutting budgets in Pennslyvania and limiting bargaining for public employees in Wisconsin. Really.

Ah, pining for a civility war, I see.