[jimmar]

Conservatives want to cut taxes to force liberals to cut spending. Liberals want to increase spending to force the conservatives to increase taxes. But voters don't like increased taxes (on themselves) or decreased spending. So we end up with the worst of both worlds--higher spending without the tax revenue to afford it. Then we get to watch each side win the war of opinion on cable news. They throw each other under the bus, eventually come to a deal, and both sides claim victory. Rinse. Repeat.

[ryan_lane]

> Conservatives want to cut taxes to force liberals to cut spending. Liberals want to increase spending to force the conservatives to increase taxes.

This is straight propaganda. Both parties increase spending. One party cuts taxes for the rich, the other increases taxes on the rich.

Conservatives haven't been "small government" and haven't cut taxes for folks other than the rich in a long, long time. Even calling them "small government" is a misnomer, because that propaganda is about privatization, not reducing costs (private services are less efficient and more costly than the government service they replace!)

Let's stop calling the problem "both-sides". One side is considerably worse for the economy, and you and I know it's the conservatives.

[anon291]

A 'cost' paid for by a private service directly translates into prices and salaries. Whereas a government wealth transfer program appears as taxation and handouts. Everyone likes the former. No one likes the latter. Why this is still confusing in 2025 is beyond me

[marcusverus]

> Conservatives... haven't cut taxes for folks other than the rich in a long, long time.

This is a lie:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/14/business/economy/income-t...

> private services are less efficient and more costly than the government service they replace!

Yes, this is why capitalism famously collapsed in the 90s, and all of the formerly capitalist countries socialized their economies!

[anon291]

The underlying belief of both is that America is exceptional thus will magically be saved from debt.

Now America is exceptional for many reasons, but if we don't fix our debt we will meet the same unexceptional fate as many empires before us.