I Like This

It’s one of the few times I have to disagree with Fareed Zakaria. He pointed me towards this article by Joe Klein in Time magazine by saying he disagreed with Mr. Klein (during Fareed’s show GPS.)

I like the article. In addition, I like that Mr. Klein scored a triple -- a great article, a great point and a great phrase.

Obsessed with the Deficit — and Ignoring the Economic Mess

”One imagines that if Hubbard was so concerned about deficits, he might have resigned in protest from an Administration dedicated to creating them. But, no, he's here to speak truth to the powerless — to the middle-class folks whose major asset, their home, was trashed by financial speculators, thereby wrecking their retirement plans and creating the consumer implosion we're now suffering. Hubbard is telling them they now have to take yet another hit, on their old-age pensions and health insurance, for the greater good.”

Every writer likes to be able to turn a phrase -- or turn it around: “truth to the powerless”. I like it.

Part of this conversation was started when The New York Times put up an interactive web application that allows you to decide how to balance the U.S. budget.

I found it surprisingly easy to balance the budget. I think you will to. Which leads me to believe that it isn’t the decisions that need to be made are so tough (they are consequential) but that it’s the political process that is difficult. As always, it is difficult to find the political compromises.

Here’s Fareed Zakaria’s budget solution.

And here’s mine.

Give it a try.


Don Brown
November 21, 2010