David Brooks

Dear Friends,

I very seldom agree with David Brooks, and I must admit that for awhile, I stopped reading his columns.  I have been chastised by several friends for not reading his columns, and as a result, I am trying my best to read them.  This morning I was glad that I read his column in The New York Times entitled "Death and Budgets" (here).

He addresses the issue of end of life medical expenses, and our country's focus on extending life regardless of the quality of the life being extended.  He very nicely combines the financial and emotional impacts of the end of life issues.  The last paragraph reads:

My only point today is that we think the budget mess is a squabble between partisans in Washington. But in large measure it’s about our inability to face death and our willingness as a nation to spend whatever it takes to push it just slightly over the horizon.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal

President Obama and Excessive Budget Cuts

Dear Friends,

I just wanted to be sure that you all read Paul Krugman's column in The New York Times today (here) entitled "Getting to Crazy".  Here is one paragraph that says it all.

President Obama has made it clear that he’s willing to sign on to a deficit-reduction deal that consists overwhelmingly of spending cuts, and includes draconian cuts in key social programs, up to and including a rise in the age of Medicare eligibility. These are extraordinary concessions. As The Times’s Nate Silver points out, the president has offered deals that are far to the right of what the average American voter prefers — in fact, if anything, they’re a bit to the right of what the average Republican voter prefers!

There is nothing that I can add to that analysis.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal

Iraq

Dear Friends,

For reasons beyond comprehension, there appears to be a debate about keeping troops in Iraq after the end of this year.  As Barney Franks said last night, that is longer than President Bush was going to keep troops in Iraq.

According to President Obama we must cut spending even on really important social programs at home, yet we have money to keep troops in Iraq indefinitely in contradiction of his promise to bring them all home by the end of this year.

Another promise broken.  Another attempt to out Republican the Republicans.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal