Wow, no moderates on this issue. I guess our current political system DOES reflect the voters. You are either one side of the isle or the other ...
First of all, the "national debt" is more a reflection of our current fiat based currency system which equates money to debt. Currencies used to be based on standards, but not anymore! Now our system is based on thin air, controlled by the Federal Reserve Board which is not a government agency but a corporate banking cartel. Any time the U.S. needs to print money, we have to borrow it from the Fed with interest, of course. Add to that the fractional reserve system, and you have a recipe for debt. Going off of the gold and silver standards put the nails in the coffin.
It doesn't matter how you juggle the math, the debt will continue to grow. 4 billion dollars? Really? That is not even a drop in the bucket, it is more like a wisp off the stench of of a government fart. It is amazing to me how well the issues have been served and delivered to us via corporate controlled media, aka propaganda, so that we argue belligerently on the sidelines and ignore the central issues. However, for now, let's argue on the sidelines regarding "entitlements" like food stamps, SS, etc.
Most entitlement benefits in this country go to the elderly and children. That is a FACT, look it up. Social security is a system you pay into; you cannot receive SS or SSDI if you have not worked enough, and benefits are proportional to your contribution. I personally have paid many 1000s of dollars into this system, and that is MY (and YOUR, if you work) money. Are there abuses? You betcha. But there are plenty of abuses on the corporate side too, including keeping huge profits off shore in tax shelters like Bermuda. By the way, most companies don't really do any business there, they have an office with one or two assholes sitting there for tax purposes. Also, why do companies with big profits like Halburton or AT&T not only pay ZERO taxes, but get so many tax credits that the government owes THEM money. It's easier to pick on the poor because we can point at them and yell "LOSER!"
Abuses need to be stopped on both ends of the spectrum, but if I was being pragmatic, I would go after the big money first. It simply makes sense, just saying ...
For every case of "abuse of the system" there are 10 other families of WORKING poor (or very low middle class), who struggle each and every month to keep their head above water. I see more and more friends and family members struggle as the years march on, while corporate profits are at all time highs, and the DOW is breaking records. People that were doing pretty well 10 years ago are totally screwed now, and many have lost their homes (and no, they did not buy some opulent palace they couldn't afford because of easy credit). Meanwhile, the gap between rich and poor is growing faster than ever, and the middle class is being marginalized. But, hey, let's beat each other up while a priviledged class walks away with most of the pie. I am not thanking anyone who is rich for paying their taxes. I pay mine too, and they are much more painful for me than they are for the wealthy. Also, let's be real. While most wealthy people's tax rate might be higher, most loopholes are custom built for them, and they pay a LOWER percentage than you or me (e.g. Mitt Romney).
My point? If the tide rises, we all should rise; if the tide ebbs, we all should share the pain. However, during our big recession, I felt a hell of alot of pain, but my wealthy brother made out big time. Am I willing to pay a little more in taxes to feed our poor children and elderly? You betcha. However, we should crack down on able bodied adults who collect government benefits; I have seen that too, and it needs to STOP. Am I willing to pay more taxes to bail out the banks again? Hell NO! Corporate America wants a deregulated pure capitalist economy? Let's give it to them including the possibility of failing like any other business.
By the way, I am a Republican, so suck on that!
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