U.S. now on pace for European levels of austerity in 2013

U.S. now on pace for European levels of austerity in 2013

But after the fiscal cliff deal, the United States is now on pace to engage in at least as much fiscal consolidation in 2013 as many European nations have been doing in recent years — and more than countries like Britain and Spain. 
A back-of-the-envelope calculation shows Congress has enacted roughly $355 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts for the coming year, an austerity package whose total size comes to about 2.1 percent of GDP.

 WTF? Now austerity is tax increases with a weak economy? Definition version 24? We've been in a recovery for THREE years. We should be according to Keynes running massive surpluses to undo the drag of past overspending and saving for the next downturn.