tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2283876274950645902.post8133302380599011608..comments2020-01-15T04:10:26.249-05:00Comments on The Political Doctor: The long-awaited return of The Political Doctor!PoliticalDoctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004730229112746172noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2283876274950645902.post-45095486448630729052011-09-07T11:37:58.966-04:002011-09-07T11:37:58.966-04:00Whatever your definition, it's not possible to...Whatever your definition, it's not possible to eliminate the deficit without going beyond these 3 things, no matter how nebulously they're defined. I agree with many of the things you suggest, but they only add up to a drop in the bucket, and even these things aren't pure "waste/fraud/abuse", as each are not entirely worthless.PoliticalDoctorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01004730229112746172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2283876274950645902.post-86331994723872950072011-09-07T11:25:20.725-04:002011-09-07T11:25:20.725-04:00The definition of "Waste, Fraud, and Abuse&qu...The definition of "Waste, Fraud, and Abuse" is so nebulous as to be practically meaningless. <br /><br />"Abuse" - People under 40 paying for old people to have their 2nd home in florida for the winter. Perhaps we could cut the folks with a net worth > $1 million SS benefits, for starters? As an aside - for nearly all of known history, children were socially expected to take care of their parents when they got old. Why is it the government's job all of a sudden?<br /><br />"Fraud" - Politicians giving ~$20 billion in kickbacks to the agricultural lobby in the form of subsidies. Defense contractors selling the pentagon all sorts of things that they don't even want because an infulential congressperson decided that the pentagon should have it anyway, since it is manufactured in that congressperson's district. Civil Service unions getting people salaries and benefits that far outshine the private sector.<br /><br />"Waste" - locking up nonviolent drug offenders for years. <a href="http://biggovernment.com/bmccarty/2011/05/26/usda-rabbit-police-stalking-magicians/" rel="nofollow">federal bunny inspectors</a>. Military bases overseas in allied countries - England? Japan? Germany?<br /><br />My point is that polls such as that are meaningless, since everyone has a different idea of what Waste, Fraud, and Abuse are.nybhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06111907939712607618noreply@blogger.com