Yglesias on why we need to raise taxes

In response to an Ezra Klein analysis of the Senators Conrad and Gregg’s proposed debt commision, Matt Yglesias once again highlights the rational inexorability of tax increases. To illustrate his obvious, logical point, he whips out this favorite graph of his:

As he explains, the Republican mindset just will not tolerate any direct increase in the tax rate, and that makes any real reform that would really tackle our deficit much less possible:

A Republican Senator agreeing, even in the most general sense, that the long-term fiscal gap should be closed in part through higher taxes would be a huge step forward even if there were no agreement whatsoever on the specifics.

But it doesn’t seem that the Conrad/Gregg commission is being proposed in good faith because the bar for its success is being set so high that it will be nearly impossible to reach.  I’ve got a thousand words below explaining why any Republican’s profession to be a deficit hawk must only be believe until there is a Republican president or the Senate is abolished:

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