The magnitude deficits we’re discussing here are in no way beneficial for anyone. Keynesian economics only go so far. Sooner or later, this money needs to be paid and if people aren’t responsible, it can put everyone in a bind.
I never said that the war tax would’ve prevented the war. I said that the war tax would put a realistic perspective as to what it means to be involved in this and thus might make people act like better citizens and want concrete answers to difficult questions. It would put a lot more people in a position where they want the government to be held accountable for where their money is going. This would thus have an impact on the popular support for a given action. Taxation with representation and all that crap. Furthermore, it would put the government in a situation where it wants to form REAL coalitions, not like the last one, where the government will want other nations to actually shoulder a large part of the expenses, like in the first Gulf War. In the end, that would make people and governments behave in ways that would benefit everyone.
As things stand, every year, Congress makes its budget then a couple months later Bush comes and says “hey I need about 100 billion more” and people just let it happen.
