fashion coupons

Dupuy: Soldiers are at war, we're at the malls

Americans used to buy savings bonds to support the country's war efforts. These were securities liquidated after the war was over, which ideally would spur an economic boom. During World War II, various bonds offset the massive costs. The gush of liquidity after that war created the middle class, the suburbs and the baby boomers.

Buying war bonds has been a tradition in the United States since before we were the United States. That's how the Revolutionary War was funded. That's how we raised money to "wage" war. We taxed, rationed and pitched in. It was part of patriotism.

The Iraq War? Afghanistan? Now, Libya? How are we paying for it? With the deficit.

During Bush's "bullhorn moment" after the towers fell on 9/11, when stunned Americans desperately needed the commander-in-chief to tell them what they could do for their country, he told them to go shopping. Americans put something shiny on their personal credit cards, and Bush put a couple of wars on our collective one.

Now "deficit" is the GOP's doomsday buzzword. Veep Dick Cheney famously told the Treasury "deficits don't matter." Of course, that was while they occupied the White House.

But now, deficits will destroy the country. Ed Gillespie, counselor to the president during the Bush administration, said President Obama has "deficit attention disorder." They pretend the GOP never voted to compound the deficit by approving unpaid-for tax cuts, spending increases and corporate welfare during the Bush administration. But now everything distasteful is pinned to Obama - the Republicans will tell you they're the only ones serious on this deficit issue, and by the way, it will kill us all.

Last week every House Republican (except Ron Paul and three in purple districts) voted to privatize Medicare, cut taxes further on the rich and hope this will magically reduce the deficit - even though the Congressional Budget Office reported it wouldn't.

"Fiscally responsible" has become code for "tax cuts for the wealthy." "Adult conversation" means "poor people pay up." Throw in a misplaced "socialism" or