Comment on Frum

As a big aside on the Obama/Ryan fanciful budget planning commentary going on, I've got something to say about this David Frum piece. It's a fine piece for what it is, but this caught my eye. Frum writes:

Those of us on the political right have different preferences. We believe that low rates for high earners accelerate economic growth. We believe that the cost of Medicare must be restrained. And I think we have a lot of good arguments on our side.

This paragraph is interesting for a couple reasons. First he states pretty much straight out that tax cuts for the rich and spending cuts that will negatively effect everyone else (specifically the elderly in this case) is the GOP ideal. This isn't really insightful or surprising, anyone who's been paying attention for the past 20+ years knows this. But the second bit here is very compelling.

He says that he thinks they've good arguments on their side. Not evidence. The thing is, that there is quite a bit of actual, honest to goodness evidence on whether higher taxes and more social services or lower taxes and fewer social services produces a better society. The evidence is very, very strongly against them. All they have to support their preferred policies are arguments. That should be devastating. The right has arguments, the left has evidence.

The evidence (from our own history, as well as taking a look at the many examples provided in countries throughout the world) is that higher taxation along with more government provided services produces a healthier, happier society. They can argue all they like. I have evidence on my side and evidence wins.