Richard Carstone has unusual logic regarding how he spends his money. Say Richard wants to spend 10 pounds on something he doesn't need, but his friends Esther and Ada (all three wards of the benevolent Mr. Jarndyce) stop him from wasting his money. Later on, he may waste 6 pounds on something else he doesn't need. However, as he repeatedly insists to his fellow wards, he has really saved 4 pounds, because earlier on he did not spend the 10 pounds. Richard carried this unusual logic further and further until eventually, he ends up deeply in debt.
Obama and the Democrats argue that, by getting out of Iraq, they will be saving over a billion dollars annually, which is a generous estimation on their part. Somehow, "saving" a billion dollars somehow makes it fiscally sensible to spend over a trillion dollars, which is now their annual budget. The Democrats are actually carrying the financial insensibility of Richard Carstone a step further then that poor fictitious soul ever could.
By not spending billions, we can now afford to spend trillions? Never mind that it was thanks to the surge (and George W.) that we were on the path to a successful withdrawal from Iraq, already. Never mind that over nine thousand earmarks in the new stimulus bill will easily erase these perceived savings.
The logic behind this argument is fundamentally flawed, and certainly does not make such massive spending fiscally responsible.
Richard Carstone came to an unfortunate fate at the end of Bleakhouse. Time will tell if the Democrats will lead America's economy to a similar end with their fiscal policies.
