voodoo republicans

Sebastian Mallaby gets into the GOP's renewed attachment to voodoo economics. Mallaby lists a series of quotes from Republicans, about how cutting taxes raises revenues.

The de facto President George W. "Liar" Bush: "by cutting the taxes on the American people, this economy is strong, and the overall tax revenues have hit at record levels." And he also said, eloquently as ever "You cut taxes and the tax revenues increase."

De facto vice president Dick "Shotgun" Cheney: "tax cuts have translated into higher federal revenues."

Senate Majority Leader and Presidential wannabe Bill "Skeletor" Frist: "Many people in Washington have long known a dirty little secret about tax-cut measures: When done right, they actually result in more money for the government."

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley: "There is a mindset in both branches of government that if you reduce taxes you have a net loss, if you increase taxes you have a net gain, and history does not show that relationship."

Pennsylvania Senator and notorious godboy Rick "I believe in intelligent design except when politically inconvenient" Santorum: "We've put these tax provisions in place and they've raised money."

Voodoo economics, indeed. In any cases, all of these quoted morons (maybe they aren't morons. In that case, they are liars. Your choice. I pick both -- lying morons.) are simply wrong. As Harvard economist Gregory Mankiw (a former Bush Administration official) points out, cutting taxes does NOT raise revenue -- using the most generous assumptions he could, Mankiw said you get about half the foregone tax revenue back through additional growth. Everybody is just repeating a fucking lie, pure and simple. They are literally making this shit up.

But Republican shenanigans about taxation will ultimately only ruin our nation's financial wellbeing. GOP voodoo science, especially on climate change, threatens to ruin our entire civilization and the lifes of humans, plants, and animals all over the planet, in OUR lifetimes. Remember that when voting.