No, look at it again. I think the point Arkh is making, is that just because some people call a turd a rose, its still a turd. Just because some people call Spain program austerity... well, the numbers on total govt expenditure say its still a turd, and not austerity.

Maybe Spain was allocating funds improperly, not actually cutting overall, and using "austerity" as a smokescreen?

Just using Spain as an example, it was the first "Austerity" nation that I looked at.. and low and behold. OECD figures state that Spain has not, in fact, cut spending. So the proponents of "Austerity" moniker must, therefore, be using the label to justify *shifts* in funds, as opposed to cuts in funds.

Leftists are seemingly arguing against *cuts* in funds, so we have a pretty large impudence mismatch in the conversation.

For who could be free when every other man's humour might domineer over him? - John Locke (2nd Treatise, sect 57)