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Unfortunately, we won't see. While I certainly think this administration is doing better than a McCain-Palin administration would have, that doesn't mean I think this administration is doing all the right things. Short term spending can lead to long term gain, but that doesn't mean that money should be thrown at everything and anything. Every dollar spent on unemployment insurance benefits leads to approximately $1.60 in stimulus - a net gain - while dollars spent on tax breaks for the already rich lead to a net loss (I forget the exact figure, but it's somewhere between 30 and 60 cents stimulus per dollar spent). Combine the two, and you end up negating the positive effects that extending unemployment benefits is supposed to bring. This is just one example.
As much as I'm upset at the Obama administration for "compromises" like this one, I'm also keenly aware that these policies are brought on by Republican obstructionism and gamesmanship - a focus on what can score political points over what benefits the country. Nevertheless, in 2012 you can bet the Republican party will complain about the deficit even though they spent the last months of 2010 demanding more spending on top of the president's agenda.
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Le temps détruit tout
"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling
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