Thing1
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I consider myself a progressive in many ways (and I'm sure many on here consider me the same way) - but I have always contended that you can advance progressive ideals and still advocate for small government and lower taxes, and that these are not mutually exclusive concepts.
It bums me out to see progressives & liberals actually celebrate the idea of bigger government and higher taxes, but I think many on the left have become that way. Desh is the extreme example of that. Our government is incredibly bloated and inefficient. I was in my glory during the Clinton years when he publicly called for "smaller, smarter government," and Gore was overseeing an initiative called "reinventing government" which really looked at the bigger picture on the way programs and agencies are run. The latter was making real headway in eliminating waste & improving efficiencies, but was unfortunately abandoned.
And the GOP - my goodness. The one silver lining I always consider when they're in power is that MAYBE they'll curb spending intelligently - but do they ever love to spend.