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It’s that time again. Yesterday, the MMQB column of vacationing Peter King was turned over to First Sergeant Mike McGuire for some July 4th, rah-rah boosterism about America’s activities in Afghanistan.

Criticism of this, particularly on our most exuberantly patriotic, flag-waving All-American holiday, would no doubt be very poorly received by many, were they to read any such remarks. Despite the fact that the very document which makes this day a holiday, as the anniversary of its adoption, objects repeatedly to the government of the day’s expansion and elevation of the army within American society. America’s founders were indeed, like much of the nation throughout its early decades, suspicious of and opposed to standing armies in general, British or American. Hardly much precedent for an obligatory “support the troops” sentiment, then.

All the same I’m sure that King, who has sort of “adopted” McGuire as a patron hero during the past several years, would probably at least question my timing in making critical comments, if nothing else. Which is fine, since I’ve long questioned the active and energetic embrace by King, and many others, of “the troops” as a sort of all-purpose, all-weather, nonpartisan, unifying cause for unequivocal celebration. (more…)

I don’t want to talk about the curious timing and hypocrisy of America’s current shitfit about deficit spending, not just now at any rate. Most of what could be said is self-evident anyway. I would, instead, like to propose a good, common-sense plan for reducing America’s federal budget deficit, as a sorely-needed alternative to the non-substantive posturing and shouting which surrounds the issue.

1. Starting in, say, 1986 when oil prices were largely recovered from the oil “shocks,” implement a very small nonrenewable tax on oil, coal and other fuels which involve depleting a finite stockpile (in addition to their various other flaws). Slowly but steadily raise the tax over time. A bit of this revenue could be applied to promoting renewable energy research, though the mere fact of the tax would draw greater private investment to that area and thus most of the revenue could be left in the general budget. (Over time, revenue would presumably peak and go into decline as financial incentives promoted a shift to renewable energy, but by that point the tax should have contributed substantially to the treasury’s coffers, and the economic impact of replacing expensive, imported oil with domestically-produced renewable energy would likely have a generally positive impact on tax revenues as well.) (more…)