> I don’t trust republicans in Congress to actually do it. But it could be a historic opportunity for democrats to call their bluff and support the cuts.
I think there’s a huge natural reason for both parties to get behind significant and aggressive cost cutting, which is the accumulating debt and wasted spending on interest payments. Reductions in costs, even outside mandatory spending, will have an effect on reducing the amount of debt and burden of financing. They will also make the economy more resilient since it will be less sensitive to interest rates. This is critical to retaining a stable economy even when other countries, such as China, are in difficult economic positions.
> A once in a century opportunity to end the age of American empire and reorient America for the inevitable multipolar future.
If there is a multipolar future, I hope the other superpowers are countries that are relatively peaceful and share values like free speech. I don’t trust China to be that country as long as it is led by the CCP, as long as it continues to hold onto (or threaten) territories that aren’t rightfully a part of China (like Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan). It’s in America’s interests to prevent a multipolar future since the only other competitor is China. Maybe that will change - I’d be more willing to accept a future where the other superpowers are Europe or India or whatever.
But any multipolar situation requires the US cut spending and fast. If there is a true competiting power, it will mean America will have to live with the realities of a weaker dollar, high debt, and other headwinds (like low growth, high interest rates, inflation).