Say what you will about the negative personal aspects of
Donald Trump, conservatives are generally pleased with the Administration’s
policy pronouncements, from a budget tilted strongly towards national defense
to stern warnings to North Korea.
As is the president’s manner, there was nothing conciliatory
or placating in his budgetary assault on liberal favorites. As examples, money for the National Endowment
for the Arts was eliminated entirely as was funding for a preschool breakfast
program which had not been shown to result – as backers had claimed – in improved
school performance.
The howls of protest from the left were seemingly heard
from coast to coast … “no compassion”, “enemy of culture” and so forth.
My, My, My! How the
role of the federal government has changed in nearly two hundred and thirty years
since it was supposedly constrained by the U.S. Constitution.
Where is it written that the Federal Government should
provide money for theater productions?
If private funding isn’t available, why should tax payers foot the
bill? And if a program does not produce
desired results, why shouldn’t be money for it be cut off?
Of course, arts can be supported by those who patronize
them and hungry children should get breakfast.
But why are these tasks federal responsibilities? What about state, localities and private
sources? It’s as if the general
Washington consensus – often accommodated by Republicans afraid of liberal disapproval - is being
upended. Is it no longer true that when
there is a perceived need or problem, only Washington can solve it?
And think about national security: the President, the Commander in Chief, has no
greater role than to provide for the common defense. Simply put, if the nation does not survive
nothing else does either (like food aid programs). Yet, under the Obama Administration,
Congressional Democrats and Republicans agreed to a budget sequestration program
putting domestic and military expenditures on an equal footing. In effect, defense needs were treated as just
another interest group vying with, say, the EPA for a limited pool of federal
money.
The absence of sensible priorities is just the sort of
foolishness that led to Trump’s popularity.
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