他她話題:美國共和黨議員言不由衷?

During the past few weeks in the FT, the "Right Thinking" warriors of the Republican party have laid out their manifesto in broadly appealing principles rendered so gauzily as to nearly erase from history the hard-edged specifics that some of these same authors have sworn allegiance to.

在過去幾周的英國《金融時報》上，美國共和黨的"右翼思想"鬥士們發表了自己的宣言。他們的宣言涵蓋了一些具有廣泛吸引力的原則，但他們對這些原則闡述得極其模糊，彷彿這些原則的冷酷無情的細節根本不曾在歷史上出現過。在這些作者中，有些人曾宣誓擁護這些原則細節。

But then the memories of GOP dogma kick in: vast, unaffordable tax cuts; evisceration of social welfare programmes; deep cuts in spending on practically everything else, from food stamps to national parks; steadfast opposition to gay marriage; intimations of harsh treatment of the US's 11m illegal immigrants.

但隨後人們慢慢記起了共和黨的政策主張：推行財政上難以負擔的大規模減稅；砍掉社會福利計劃；大幅削減幾乎所有其他支出，從食品券到國家公園撥款；堅決反對同性戀婚姻；暗示要嚴厲對待美國的1100萬非法移民。

And on and on. The contrast between the high-minded commentary that appeared in these pages and pre-existing policy proposals could not be starker.

這樣的主張還有很多。報紙上那些佔領道德高地的評論與這些早已存在的政策主張形成了再鮮明不過的對比。

Proving that his silver tongue is matched by a silver pen, Congressman Paul Ryan issued a call to "restructure" entitlements so "important programmes can succeed well into the 21st century".

國會議員保羅•瑞安(Paul Ryan)呼籲對福利進行"重組"，以使"重要的計劃能在21世紀晚些時候取得成功"。這證明他的出色口才與非凡文筆不相上下。

In fact, what he has proposed in his draft budget is to transform Medicare from an entitlement programme in which seniors receive the care that they need into a voucher plan in which the elderly would receive a fixed allotment to buy their own insurance. If that amount proves insufficient or the insurance does not deliver adequate coverage, well, tough luck!

實際上，他在自己起草的預算案中提議的是，將聯邦醫療保險計劃(Medicare)從一個爲老年人提供其所需的醫療服務的福利計劃，改爲一個爲老年人提供固定金額補助以讓他們自行購買保險的醫療券計劃。如果這些補助不夠或保險承保範圍不夠全，那就自認倒黴吧！

Medicaid, healthcare for the poor, would suffer a different, but equally disabling fate. It would be turned over to cash-starved states, the fiscal equivalent of being sent to the knacker for execution.

爲窮人提供醫療服務的聯邦醫療補助計劃(Medicaid)的命運雖與聯邦醫療保險計劃不同，但它同樣會受到嚴重削弱。它將被交到資金緊張的各州手中，這在財政上等於被判了死刑。

Meanwhile, Glenn Hubbard says the US needs to fix its riddled tax code and get its fiscal house in order. Well, of course it does; every sentient American knows that. But Mr Hubbard blithely ignores the plan put forth by Governor Mitt Romney, who he is advising: 20 per cent across the board tax cuts costing $2.8tn over the ensuing decade, to be paid for by closing loopholes that Mr Romney has refused to specify (apart from two minor items.) Even in a cynical age, that is cynicism of mind-boggling proportion.

與此同時，格倫•哈伯德(Glenn Hubbard)表示，美國需要修復其漏洞百出的稅法，整頓好財政狀況。美國當然需要這麼做；每一位有認知能力的美國人都清楚這一點。但哈伯德心不在焉地忽略了馬薩諸塞州州長米特•羅姆尼(Mitt Romney)提出的計劃——羅姆尼提議：在接下來的十年裏對所有美國人減稅20%，由此造成的2.8萬億美元虧空將通過堵住一些漏洞（他拒絕點明到底是哪些漏洞，除了兩個小項目）來彌補。即便是在一個玩世不恭的時代，這種程度的玩世不恭也超出了人們的想象。

The Romney/Hubbard tax plan would not result in net additional revenues, which means reducing the deficit would require spending reductions on a massive and – I believe – politically unacceptable and socially undesirable scale.

羅姆尼/哈伯德稅收計劃不會產生淨新增稅收收入，這意味着削減赤字要依靠大規模地減少支出——我相信，如此規模的減支在政治上是不可接受的，也不會受到社會的歡迎。

Finally, Mr Hubbard offers up the thoroughly discredited argument that deficit reduction can spur near-term economic growth. He should ask the British (or the eurozone members) how that austerity stuff is working out for them.

最後，哈伯德提出了一個完全不可信的論點，即減赤可在短期內刺激經濟增長。他應該問問英國（或者歐元區成員國）緊縮努力的效果如何。

Amid all the disingenuousness lie a few hopeful wisps.

在所有這些不誠實的評論中，也有一些鼓舞人心的聲音。

Maine Senator Olympia Snowe's cri de coeur for the GOP to retreat from its extremism to a centre right position is welcome – even coming on the eve of her retirement – as is the estimable Jon Huntsman's call to embrace the progressivism of Theodore Roosevelt, a giant widely admired across party lines.

緬因州參議員奧林匹亞•斯諾(Olympia Snowe)強烈呼籲共和黨從極端主義退到中右翼立場，這一表態值得歡迎——儘管她即將退休。同樣值得歡迎的是，受人尊敬的洪博培(Jon Huntsman)呼籲接受西奧多•羅斯福(Theodore Roosevelt)的進步主義。羅斯福是一位受到兩黨普遍尊重的偉人。

But that same Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to espouse national healthcare, while Mr Huntsman, a former Utah governor, advocated repeal of ObamaCare during the Republican primaries. Now he says full repeal of ObamaCare is "unlikely" and wants the "pointless sound bites" dropped.

但西奧多•羅斯福是首位支持全民醫保的美國總統，而曾任猶他州州長的洪博培在共和黨初選期間卻曾主張廢除"奧巴馬醫改"(Obamacare)。如今，洪博培表示，完全廢除"奧巴馬醫改"是"不太可能"的，並希望放棄"毫無意義的政治口號"。

Barack Obama mostly escaped a direct lashing. Instead, Republicans were sure to include code words to subtly identify the incumbent's alleged failures: "defeatism", "crony capitalism", "ad hoc responses", "bureaucrats" and the like.

巴拉克•奧巴馬(Barack Obama)通常不會遭受直接的抨擊。相反，共和黨人肯定會用一些代名詞隱晦地指出現任總統的所謂失敗，比如"失敗主義"、"裙帶資本主義"、"特別迴應"、"官僚"等等。

In fact, Mr Obama is far closer to the right approach than his Republican nemeses. Putting in place a long-term deficit reduction plan is an urgent priority but it should be balanced between tax increases and spending cuts and phased in gradually, just as a speeding car should be decelerated slowly.

實際上，奧巴馬的路線比他的共和黨對手們靠譜得多。出臺長期減赤計劃確是當務之急，但該計劃應當在增稅和減支之間找到平衡，而且應當緩步推進，就像一輛高速行駛的汽車應當緩慢減速一樣。

US spending on social welfare programmes can be curbed humanely, without gutting the social safety net. And of course policy certainty would benefit business and consumers alike. But let's put the blame for the current drifting where it belongs: on Congress.

美國可以溫和地抑制社會福利計劃方面的支出，而不致破壞社會保障網絡。政策明確顯然會讓企業和消費者等羣體受益，但當前政策的搖擺不定應當歸咎於國會。

By all means go back and read the Right Thinking series, just also be sure to read the transcripts of the Republican presidential debates and the policy papers of Mr Ryan, Mr Romney and others who form the true core of the Republican party.

務必要回過頭來讀一讀"右翼思想"系列文章，也一定要讀一讀共和黨總統競選辯論的文字稿、以及瑞安、羅姆尼和其他共和黨真正核心人物的政策文件。

The writer is a former counsellor to the US Secretary of the Treasury

本文作者曾任美國財政部長顧問