Most “Fiscals” Neither Conservative or Progressive

Career politicians often feel comfortable calling themselves “fiscal conservatives.”  Avoiding deficit spending sounds as though little is actually taken away from the voters.  Balancing budgets and reducing overall government spending has a nice ring while on the campaign trail.  Even tax-and-spend progressives have plans to somehow pay for their excessive social programs.

      State governments are full of Democrats and Republicans who are more like business owners.  They want to make as much money as possible.  Growth and progress are synonymous.  Bigger is always better.

      Give customers what they seem to want at a cheaper price.  Isn’t this what the profession of engineering is all about?  Efficiency must be calibrated to properly fit the masses.  The illusion of durability is enough.

       Both political parties are for growth-based big government in this sense.  They are former Generation Xers who hold that material well being is what it’s all about.  Money and comfort and security.  These are the only absolutes worth worrying about.

       What’s missing from the equation are the absolutes dealing with religion, morality, history, tradition, values, and the like–though welcomed as lightweight packing in campaign speeches.  Absolutes smack of ideologies, it seems.  Best to align with the numbers people in the moderate center. Just as the term “gay marriage” is a contradiction, so too is the phrase “fiscal conservative” or “fiscal progressive.”  Just call them “fiscals” to avoid confusion.