<I just point out that Republicans since Reagan have been the undisputed kings of overspending. And that it looks like GW is returning to that tradition.

One would like to think that the Democratic congress (Tip O'Neill) may have had something to do with the Reagan budgets. Again, the phrase "dead on arrival" comes to mind. I heartily agree that the current Republican crew is not distinguishing itself very well as the Party of Smaller Government.

If you have to start quoting Keynes to stay in this argument, you have lost it.

I personally think Keynes blows goats, but I wasn't the one quoting him for the last twenty years. The Left was, which was my point.

All you need is a decent chart with some of those facts you were referring to. Some are here.

Good link. Gives good information on both revenues and outlays. On the pretty-colored spending chart, note which curves are mostly flat, and which are climbing steadily.

You have a tendency when cornered, to skip to an ultra-intellectual-sounding argument full of dropped names and non sequitor quotes. The real world (in this case budget statistics) is the final arbiter of which quotes are true and which are bs.

Not sure what you mean by this. I linked to some informative papers, but I wouldn't really regard The Atlantic as "ultra-intellectual." Their comments on entitlements are critical to the argument. Over half our budget is currently mandatory income redistribution, or entitlements, and unless this is dealt with, we are fighting a losing battle. In the "real world" our Federal spending has doubled in constant dollars since 1974. This is ludicrous, and can't continue.

You should start a utopian Randian community where everyone can do just as he pleases and everyone has veto power over the use of any community resources. When you've shown what an incredible economic success your community is, come back and start quoting your quotes and we will listen.

A "Randian" community wouldn't HAVE any "community resources." ;)

I think the economic experiment between centrally-planned and free-market communities has been done enough times already for any rational person to draw a conclusion.