Strange Currencies

Yglesias points out the curious mindset of Americans believing that even with an almost 10% unemployment rate keeping Americans employed in the public sector is evil welfare but having no problem keeping the money faucets on full-blast in, say, Afghanistan.

This is the oddity of American politics in 2010. To appropriate funds to give to state governments to keep the public sector operating is also politically untenable. But to appropriate the funds to build facilities for Americans but located in Afghanistan is easy.