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The Republican party is generally claimed to be the party of fiscal responsibility. Note the term "claimed" here; I do not think the record of Republican governance proves this claim at all well, but nonetheless the default expectation seems persistent. When I was younger, this was certainly a selling-point of the party to me, and I voted for Bush II in the hope that he'd get government spending under control. Then 9/11 happened, and he wasted trillions wandering our military through the middle east.
Now the debt is very bad, and people are once more raising the banner of Fiscal Responsibility. Is it in Republicans' interest to enforce "fiscal responsibility", and if so, how? If we were to seriously cut spending and raise taxes, as people claim the fiscal situation demands, this would almost certainly cost us the next election. In the best possible case that I can see, we would be expending our political power to create stable economic conditions for our opponents to then rule. The more likely case would be us expending our political power to ameliorate spending that our opponents increase to gain power for themselves, resulting in a much shakier economy and our complete political irrelevance.
Why not offer the Fiscal Responsibility mantel to the Democrats? The economy is very complicated after all, and they are at this point clearly the party of Expert Opinion: who better to determine and implement the hard-nosed measures necessary to right our economic vessel? When I was younger, the obvious rejoinder would have been that they would do a bad job of it and disaster would result, but it seems to me that we have not done all that much better, and disaster seems likely in any case. If disaster cannot be meaningfully avoided, then why expend limited resources demanded by a serious political conflict on an unfixable resource-sink of a problem? What's the actual plan, here?
Behold the thirdworldification of American politics. “If we make the country better off, our political opponents will probably benefit more from it than us, so better for us to continue looting and pillaging from our common legacy until the country dies.” The reason you balance the budget is because you actually care about your country and its long-term well-being.
In the first place, it is not obvious to me how implementing "fiscal responsibility" measures actually results in the country being better-off in any meaningful sense. What can be implemented by one government can be overridden by the next government.
In the second place, it does not seem prudent to maintain a commons that others have no interest in maintaining and benefit greatly from depleting.
In the third place, "my country" is a phrase, not a reality. We are well into the "voting on our rights" stage of the split. Large portions of the country are places I will not willingly visit, much less consider moving to. Increased state capacity is not a benefit to me if I believe that state capacity will be used to violate my rights as a human.
Presumably you disagree. How does balancing the budget improve the country's long-term well-being, in concrete terms? Why is securing this long-term well-being solely the responsibility of the Republican party? If one actually lives in a third-world environment, what is the benefit of pretending otherwise?
...I appreciate that I am not exactly breaking new ground here. In my defense, it seems that neither are you, and of the two of us, it seems my position has more of a connection to bedrock reality. You are appealing to ideals. What evidence do you have that these ideals are workable, and that pursuit of them is likely to lead to an improvement of our actual situation? Do you think implementing Fiscal Responsibility will improve Republicans' electoral chances? Do you think Democrats, having won the subsequent elections, will scrupulously maintain those measures?
Scott once described how Conservatives were valuable, because they serve to moderate Progressives' worst impulses and bad ideas, thus smoothing out the road to Progress. To the extent that this role is legibly valuable to at least some progressives, why should Conservatives see it as valuable? We fight you to make your victory over us smoother, yay?
[EDIT] - I'm reminded of an old joke my father taught me once:
Three French convicts are scheduled to be guillotined. At the appointed hour, the first is brought forward to the apparatus. The presiding officer inquires:
"Would you like to face zee blade or zee floor?"
"The blade. I do not fear death."
The man is affixed within the fatal machine, the blade is raised, released, and flies downward, only to jerk to a halt three inches above his neck.
Shocked, the officer releases him from the machine.
"By zee laws of France, zee Guillotine's failure is a sign of divine pardon. You are free to go."
The Guillotine is carefully inspected, the tracks oiled, the blade polished. Then the second victim is brought forward.
"Would you like to face zee blade or zee floor?"
"The blade. One should always act with courage."
Once more the man is locked down, the blade is raised, released, and flies downward- and once more, it jerks to a halt two inches above his neck. Flustered, the officer releases him as well.
"By zee laws of France, zee Guillotine's failure is a sign of divine pardon. You are also are free to go."
The Guillotine is once more inspected, the senior engineer summoned, the machine partially disassembled and every part examined in the minutest detail. The machine is carefully reassembled, the tracks sanded and re-oiled with the most tender care. Several test-runs are performed, and the machine works flawlessly.
Finally, the officer summons forth the third unfortunate.
"Would you like to face zee blade or zee floor?"
"The blade, please."
His neck secure in the stock, the man watches as the blade is raised to the point of release-
"Hang on, I think I see the problem!"
Because taking on sovereign debt is borrowing from your children and incurring a obligation upon generations yet unborn for your personal benefit.
If great men are those who plant trees who will shade those long after they are gone, then the weak man consumes those fruits, and leaves the future to the harsh light of the unforgiving sun.
Goya: Saturn Devours His Son
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By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill.
Man, I recognized that quote instantly, even after more than 25 years.
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