what programs or general areas of spending would you cut in?
Just thinking aloud... I would end the Iraq war immediately, if I had the authority. That is, if I were King of the World. That alone would save us a couple hundred billion dollars per year. I would also decrease the salaries of public officials, if I had the authority. Senators, representatives, the president, and their staffs earn about 20 billion dollars per year, if you include perks. And of course I think we could also divorce the government from health care. If all drugs became available without prescription, we'd save on the policing required. And if health care companies were able to compete freely in the open marketplace, the cost of all drugs and services would naturally decrease, according to Price Theory. I'd also legalize prostitution and marijuana, which should provide relief to state governments, most of whom tax commercial exchanges in the 5 to 9 percent range. This relief could be coupled to an equal-value reduction of federal-to-state grants. That's another fifty billion dollars per year.
We're up to about 300 billion a year. I'll let you know if I think of anyting else. There probably is quite a lot to cut, but I hesitate to start slashing welfare, education, transportation, and housing, since I think such radical changes may cause more problems than it solves. I think that three hundred billion should go in equal parts to paying off the national debt, research and development of alternative fuels, public transportation, and aid to poor countries and tribes from whom anti-US terrorists are recruited.
