President George W. Bush and the Republicans cuts taxes during his administration and people were happy. The Bush administration also gave people "rebate" checks and once again, people were happy. The problem with the tax cuts and "rebates' is that they occurred at the same time the Bush administration increased defense spending. Fighting a war in Iraq and a war in Afghanistan cost money and increased government's expenses. However, tax cuts and rebates decreased the government's income. While people were enjoying their tax cuts and rebates, they never thought about who was going to pay for them. Perhaps they simply didn't realize that the tax cuts and rebates would have an impact on the deficit. But one thing is certain: no one who benefited from tax cuts and rebates should be complaining about the deficit now. The time to have complained was when Bush was ensuring the deficit would continue to rise by cutting taxes and giving away money. But, of course, no one was going to complain when they were receiving money, were they?
Alexis de Tocqueville said "The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money."
Conservatives have been sharing this quote on Facebook to describe President Obama and the Democrats suggesting that the Democrats bribe Americans through handouts from the government. However, the quote more accurately describes the Republican insistence on tax cuts as the solution for everything. While President Bush was giving away money, he and his administration were "bribing" Americans into accepting a growing deficit, a declining economy and a war in Iraq that was unnecessary.
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