And so we're being treated to the absurdity of conservative activist groups such as Americans for Prosperity -- whose sole purpose is to argue for cuts in government spending -- complaining about the practical effects of those very cuts on which they insisted.

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Conservative Royston Smith said the approach should be "sharing services, outsourcing where practical and modest pay cuts to protect jobs".

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Any realistic, practical plan to limit tax expenditure cuts to a high-income group would require a phase-in of the cuts or other accommodations, which would add to marginal tax rates, reduce the potential revenue gain, and make the resulting tax change more regressive.

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He says the worst can be avoided, but his only practical suggestion is for politicians to stand up against defence cuts.

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