I am a Republican. I do not like Bush, however the Democrats haven’t exactly “Wow’d” me either. Until we all join together and stand up to our Representatives it’s going to be business as usual.

The division that is going on in this Country is bull and it’s taking our attention away from the real problems that need to be discussed. Enough is Enough!

”Eric:”

David

”I’m not sure how deficit spending “allows more capital to remain in the private sector, creating more tax revenue,” if, as you agree, it crowds out private borrowing. Also, if this is true, there is nothing to stop corporations from investing the money overseas instead of here.”

Deficit spending doesn’t crowd out private borrowing, but it does make private borrowing slightly more expensive. Many investment opportunities make financial sense almost regardless of the interest rate charged to borrow capital. However, as interest rates increase, marginal opportunities will no longer be viable. Government borrowing definitely has an effect on private investment, but so does taxing. The long term effect on the economy is about the same.

Deficit spending allows more capital to remain in the private sector two different ways. First, the money is not removed from the private sector through the paying of taxes, and second, the money that is borrowed by the government is spent by the government and becomes part of the money supply that is traded in the private sector.

Corporations can and should invest their capital wherever the likelihood of a return on investment is possible and wherever the greatest return on investment is most likely. The taxing policy of foreign government will also dictate part of the investment decision. The money supply of the American dollar is international in scope. There are negative aspects to this and positive aspects, but the aspects of foreign investment are irrelevant to whether or not it is better to tax and spend or borrow and spend. I haven’t given this a whole lot of thought, so I could be convinced otherwise if you know of any reasons.

”Also, the Fed controls the money supply, and its expansion is not always a good thing (as in Weimer Germany). “

The Fed controls monetary policy and the government controls fiscal policy. The money supply is controlled by both. Rapid expansion of the money supply is never a good for an economy. Most economists believe it is the responsibility of the Federal Reserve to help keep inflation under control, but that some inflation is better than any deflation. I like it when prices come down, but I understand the fear of a recession.

But prior to all that, you could definitely see well-argued posts that could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered left-wing. In one of his comments somewhere he said that the libertarian label probably comes closest to fitting him.

Well, that is certainly how I identify politically, and the NSA matter has my ‘tarian hackles all raised. And the fact is, there just are not that many right-of-center sites that will be terribly interested in promoting strong critiques of Bush on that issue.

I’m reminded of how I was horrified by the GOP response to Schiavo, and for the duration of that debacle had to avoid many of my favorite pro-Bush sites, because I’d just end up in flame wars (and opted for that a few times). For good or ill, except for John Cole at Balloon Juice, the voices of strongly articulated sanity on that issue were largely found at left-of-center blogs (and at Reason), and so for a time I read those more than I did right sites.

It can be hard to be neither progressive left nor populist right, in a sharply dichotomized political world in which the only two real parties make those the de facto only choices.

Mona, I don’t begrudge Glenn posting at Huff’n'Puff at all – hey, he’s turning into a star of the left, and I grant him that…I just hate to see him turn into yet another Bush-slamming leftie who is totally predictable – haven’t we got 87 of those already at Huff’n'Puff?….

I’m not sure how deficit spending “allows more capital to remain in the private sector, creating more tax revenue,” if, as you agree, it crowds out private borrowing. Also, if this is true, there is nothing to stop corporations from investing the money overseas instead of here.

Also, the Fed controls the money supply, and its expansion is not always a good thing (as in Weimer Germany).

What could better demonstrate Greenwald’s thesis?!

Over at QandO I’ve been supporting the boys there, especially Jon Henke, and they and I have been accused of being “Kos without obscenity,” all because we are deeply critical of Bush’s warrantless NSA program as well as wrt some info Jon found relating to who is actually in Gitmo. One commenter advised me that I love Cindy Sheehan!! (I have no idea where that came from, I never mentioned or alluded to her, and in fact think she is deranged, albeit from grief.)

Oh sure, one can disagree about court appointments, and the Schiavo mania — and merely be dissed as a RINO. But go anywhere near Bush on national security issues in a seriously critical way and — presto! — you are a moonbat Kossack.

Really, go take a look at the QandO fellows having to post angry defenses of themselves as some of their Bush-supporting regulars turn on them, all because they are posting about what they argue is Bush malfeasance and Bush lies. You can’t make such arguments, and still be in the “conservative” fold.

If Greenwald is over-stating his case, it ain’t by much. And if he is postng at HoffPo, well, where else is he going to get a platform that large? Certainly not at NRO or RedState.