I've seen a lot of this over the last few days, especially from GOP talking points robots like tan-in-a-can John Boehner. The idea that "our children and grandchildren" will be paying for the stimulus package.
Follow below the fold for a smackdown of this GOP talking point.
If you need a refresher on how republicans (and others) are using this talking point, you can catch up on the news via Google News.
But - speaking as a father of young children - I have to say this all rings hollow.
John Boehner expects more tax cuts. How can people who have no jobs benefit from tax cuts?
If we don't have a nation, our children and grandchildren will have nothing to pay back in the future.
Boehner and Limbaugh and their ilk don't seem to realize that this is a desperate situation. We either make the ship right, or there is no ship to right. Even Obama economic advisor Summers attempted to explain it to David Gregory, and Gregory still didn't seem to get it: If people don't have jobs, it doesn't matter what kinds of tax cuts you throw at them.
Remember the old song, "nothing from nothing leaves nothing"?
As mentioned in the lead-in to this rant (nee diary), I have children. I want them to grow up healthy and strong. I want them to be able to enjoy all the fruits of this country that I enjoyed growing up in the 1970s.
But, dammit, if there isn't a country to leave to them, there won't be anything for them to pay back!
So spare me the lectures about the debt we are leaving to our children and grandchildren. There are parents who are losing their jobs, houses and retirements (not to mention their health benefits) right now. If we don't insure that those citizens maintain themselves, what is the hope for our children?
Many times, the question is "but what about the children?" Right now, the question should be "what about the people who are trying to provide for their children?"
None of which means that we shouldn't attempt to be fiscally responsible in the future. But we've just seen eight years of fiscal mismanagement and policies that let the looters have their way. Now is not the time to "tidy up." We need jobs. We need a leader. And we need the GOP to stop their shenanigans about "individual rights."
My blood absolutely boiled the other day when I heard Rush Limbaugh wish that Barack Obama would fail. You're talking about my children who will suffer for that, Limbaugh. We've already had over 4,000 families suffer from the policies of your failed ideology, Rushbo, don't you think that's enough. (not to mention those who have now found themselves laid off, etc.)?