(Washington Post illustration; iStock)

Suppose a Martian landed in Washington a couple of weeks ago, perhaps seeking clarity on Elon Musk’s intentions, and somehow happened upon House Republicans on their way to passing their Big Beautiful Bill, plotting the path into the future for the most powerful nation on Earth.

The Martian would have been intrigued by the outlandish claims by the puffy men in suits, that the BBB would not add to the gargantuan budget deficit — an affront not only to standard precepts of economics (equally valid on earth as on the fourth planet from the sun) but to arithmetic itself. What would have truly freaked it out, however, was what the debate over taxing and spending said about America’s priorities.

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