| Re: (PR&C) I really wish the US would go on a serious financial diet ...... |
Subject: Re: (PR&C) I really wish the US would go on a serious financial diet ...... by DaleD on 2011/2/8 20:29:20 The root cause is the debt, and the deficit. There are lots of reasons it's bad, from being mortgaged to potentially unfriendly nations, as you pointed out, to the huge amount of income, that is, taxes, needed simply to service the debt. The fixes aren't simple, in some cases painful, but not rocket science. Cut foriegn aid. Cut military spending. Draw down Iraq and Afghanistan. Cut entitlement programs. Reduce regulations, (it costs money to enforce all the stupid regulations we have). Eliminate Federal oversight departments, for example, does the Department of Education really do anything that can't be done, or isn't done on a state level? Means testing for SSI... etc. The thing that blocks any progress or an attempt at fixing the problem is self interested politicians. Of the 535 members of congress, 535 have one thing as their number one goal, to remain one of the 535 members of congress. Spending tax dollars buys influence which gets them votes. Additionally, look at the list of cuts, everyone will find something objectionable there. A Congress that takes on things on that list will be rewarded by being booted out of office. The average American isn't well informed, and when a cut touches them, they'll reflexively vote for someone else. Look at what happened in 2010. I think this is a case where nothing will be done until we crash, and crash hard. |
