Republican Promises

As best as I can comprehend it, yesterday the Republicans retook control of the House of Representatives and strengthened their minority power in the Senate by making the following promises:

• Cut spending (“waste,” not “essential”).
• Reduce the debt/deficit.
• Repeal health care reform.
• Increase military spending.
• Cut back on regulations.
• Cut taxes.

To make clearer the self-contradictions in these promises, let’s put them in the form of an analogy well-used by many Republicans (“If American families have to live within their means, then why can’t government . . .” etc.). For each American family, you should:

• Cut your spending (not shelter, food, transportation, clothing, just a little of the 10% or so of the “nonessential” spending).
• Pay off in full your mortgage, car loans, school loans, and credit cards.
• Cancel your medical insurance.
• Expand your home security system.
• Don’t use fire alarms, seat belts, etc.
• Take a cut in pay (bigger the better).

The Republicans’ message seems to be something of a warped paraphrase of JFK’s most famous line: Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you won’t do for your country.