What if the T Party Won

Lets assume America undergoes a radical shift in politics and suddenly the T Party wins.  They get everything they ever wanted.

American military gets a budget cut of 50%.   Medicare and Medicaid vanish away to be replaced with private insurance - if you can afford it.   Social Security stops taxing us, everyone over 55 gets the old plan, everyone under  that has paid money into it gets that amount back (let's be generous - with interest), instead of what the current plan says they get. 

The Bush tax cuts (done during a war) are made permanent.

We  still have a deficit.  OK, let's give them their remaining cuts.  Away goes the National Weather bureau, the EPA gets' its budget cut, the Department of Education goes away, etc etc.  (and there are  LOT of etc.).

Well, first of all, America is no longer a Super Power.  In fact, China now becomes not only the fastest growing country, but also the one with the biggest military.  We still are richer than them, but not for long.  We can still use the threat of existing nuclear weapons to protect our actual territory, if not stop threats from growing.  Eventually we may have to nuke North Korea or Iran, but screw them.  Who cares if we get hit by trade sanctions, terrorism and have to suck up to China to protect us.

You see, we will more important stuff on the mind.  There will be homeless old people wandering the street, begging for food.  Or just eating cat food in group homes.  That will lower property values, of course, but the poor will need place to live.  At least the seniors are healthy - because those that get sick die slowly in crappy hospitals.

Those are definite.  We know they happened before - they were why we created those programs in the first place.  But there are a bunch of maybes.

Maybe our education standards don't go to crap.   Maybe we don't run out of scientists and doctors because people that believe in creationism don't pass college level biology.   They certainly don't get hired by Monsanto to genetically design plants to withstand Roundup.

Maybe the death rate for asthma skyrockets - not to mention cancer rates.   Maybe we don't overtake China - as having the most polluted cities in the world.   Maybe the corporations deny they are responsible and never have to pay for the damage that they do.  We just get a bunch of sickly poor people - because the rich move away from the states that let people pull that crap.

But all that is small potatoes.  The real problem won't be pollution, or low education, or even the international situation.   Eventually, we will have a civil war.  Because the world I am describign is a world where America is no longer a super power in any way shape or form - and that won't sit well with the proud Americans I know. The people that raised me, raised me proud.  Immigrants don't come here to be second best, they came to be the best.

We don't want to live cheap we want to live LARGE.  We want to be the heroes. We want to be betters, stronger, smarter and richer than other countries.

That COSTS MONEY.  Being a world power is not cheap - but it is worth it.  Ask the Italians dreaming of Rome, the Iranians so desperate for Persia they put up with psychotic leaders, the British lusting for their lost Empire. 

The T-Party wants to turn back the clock, restoring America to roaring 1920s - without America's social programs, civil rights, or strong military. But we can't turn back the clock, even if women, Jews, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics were willing to do it (and we are not).  We can however go forward. 

Forward may not increase military spending, but it won't drop it significantly.  The same goes for social programs.   Just maintaining the current budget will be tough.