There’s quite a bit being written about austerity these days viz. here, here, and here.
Please define austerity. Does the term apply to what’s being done in Greece? The United Kingdom? Here in the United States?
Yes, I’ve looked at Wikipedia’s definition. It clearly does not apply here at least.
Whether or not austerity is taking place in the US is at least somewhat dependent on which level of government you’re looking at. Florida has been cutting some benefits recently, and I hear (but don’t know) that Arizona has aggressively cut back on benefit programs in the last few years.
Here in Illinois despite all of the squawking whatever we’re doing it certainly isn’t imposing austerity. A quick check suggests that California, New York, and Florida are following much the same path as Illinois while Texas is actually imposing austerity.
I strongly suspect that if you go state by state while it’s almost undoubtedly a mixed bag most states are actually spending more than they did two years ago.
Like deficit-cutting the definition of austerity that’s being used appears to be a second derivative phenomenon which I think makes a hash of any intuitive notions of what the word means. That’s why I’m looking for a definition.
Dave, Florida spending may be up, but the new governor is sure as hell making certain it doesn’t go to “those people” – he’s cut unemployment benefits (our UE was already amongst the worst in the nation), made it easier to for employers to deny UE compensation to laid-off workers, made the UEC process (especially the appeals process) more and more difficult for anyone to use, etc. There have been cuts in programs to help the elderly, the disabled, poor children, etc. The man’s made the sterotypical Republican look like Scrooge AFTER the visits from the ghosts. It’s sure as hell austerity for the people at the bottom of the pyramid. Of course, he has tried to make it necessary to get drug tests to get any welfare benefits. That’s a program that will only benefit the drug testing companies. Did I mention that his wife owns the one company that could accomplish all the testing the governor wants? (Actually, I believe she was forced to sell, no doubt to one of their friends.) Welfare for the rich, nothing for the poor.
I’m not sure there is a single definition, but IMO it means real, forced reductions in spending and/or expected benefits. It means that government is not able to keep promises it made.
@Icepick- You guys elected someone who was a crook before he was elected. What did you expect?
Steve
You guys elected someone who was a crook before he was elected. What did you expect?
I didn’t vote for him, asshole. And he’s out of your industry. No wonder he’s a crook.