The Good (lots) and Bad (lots else) of Paul Ryan's Plan

As you have no doubt read and heard, Paul Ryan has submitted a plan to deal with the deficit.  It is being hailed as "realistic" - since it attacks entitlements, at least Medicare and Medicaid.
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And in that it is realistic.  And so, yay.  But remember - this is easy.  Republicans hate taking care of people (look at their crazy fight against health care dollars to provide for others).  When it comes to other cuts, he's not so realistic. (Full plan is here if you want.  Appendix 2 has the "details".)

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Let's look at where the saved money goes - tax cuts.  The plan says lowering taxes raises revenue.  Based on George W Bush burning through Clinton's Budget Surplus to turn it into the largest deficit in history (until Obama) should disabuse anyone that Cutting Taxes raises revenue.  Even Saint Regan raised taxes because tax cuts didnt' raise revenue (memories of the Gipper to the contrary).

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How about Defense?  The plan assumes that Defense spending and everything else (bar Social Security and Medicare) falls from 12% of our GDP now to less than 3% - which is - of course, less than 1/2 of what we spend on Defense alone now.  So Republicans, those people who scream TRAITOR every time you mildly ask if we really should be in Afghanistan, are going to cut Defense 2/3s.  Really? 

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And, even if they do manage somehow to cut Defense, that leaves no money for anything else. While that is (or might seem) fine for Planned Parenthood - they dont' address things the government actually does.  National Parks, Environmental Protection, FDA Drug management, Education loans, Treasury, well the list of things it really does do goes on.

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So, it's an easy plan for Republicans to trumpet, because it only attacks what they hate.  I would have more respect for "honest broker Paul Ryan" if he laid out, in the same detail, what else he'll do besides cut medical support and cut taxes.  Maybe he'll give a block grant to people and we can each donate to our own little National Parks in the backyard.  Because really, people aren't "entitled" to nature, or healthy food or safe drugs.  These are simply government make work programs that can be done off.
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PS - This isn't a post about government (remember I have decided the government is a sucker's game), it is about the fawning coverage given to this "realistic" proposal.