The Populist Dilemma: More Jobs But Not On My Dime
As I read comments by frustrated Americans about the economy, I recall fondly that great cinematic masterpiece, Caddyshack, the 1980 movie written and directed by Harold Ramis. Specifically, I love this interchange between the bratty teenager and his snobby grandfather:
Spalding Smails: I want a hamburger. No, cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake. I want potato chipsIt seems that everyone wants something from the government, but nobody wants to pay for it. This is essentially the populist dilemma. We want a health care system that is more inclusive, but we don't want health care reform; we want more jobs, but we don't want any stimulus spending; we want consumer and small business lending, but we HATE bank bailouts.
Judge Smails: You'll get nothing, and like it!
In Reality Check, Jack Otter and I remind folks to be a bit more careful in spewing their economic likes and dislikes.
