"Paul Ryan is no Ronald Reagan" by Matt Miller at the Washington Post

Paul Ryan is no Ronald Reagan

By Matt Miller at the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/matt-miller-paul-ryan-is-no-ronald-reagan/2013/03/14/bf1bddfc-8ca2-11e2-9f54-f3fdd70acad2_story.html

"SNIP................................................


Did I mention that Ronald Reagan ran the federal government at 22 percent of GDP when the country’s population was much younger, and health care consumed about 11 percent of GDP?

Now Paul Ryan says we can run the federal government at 19 percent of GDP as the massive baby-boom generation retires and when health costs (largely for seniors) have already soared to 18 percent of GDP.

Sorry, but Ryan is either deeply confused or doing his best to snooker us.

In the sandstorm of commentary on what’s wrong with the Wisconsin Republican’s budget, its easy to lose sight of the few central facts that should make people of all political stripes scratch their heads. The most important is that Ryan wants to shrink government precisely when we have an unavoidably costly demographic tsunami bearing down on us and when per capita health costs have spiraled. (These costs must be challenged, but the medical industrial complex’s current level of loot has to be the starting point for the debate.)

..............................................SNIP"