“There’s nothing more popular than a tax on someone else,” Mr. Bateman said. 
    ...Except a pox on someone else.

No. No. Just kidding.
 The actual real fact of politics is there's nothing more popular than a bomb on someone else.
  Why destroy enterprise and jobs with a tax when you can create enterprise and jobs with bombs.
     Hey, build a better bomb and the world will beat a path to your door.

Maybe folks have become a little too competitive.
Try a little tenderness.
lol.