The Deficit

So now according to the election, the Tea Party, the Republicans and even a reluctant Obama the greatest issue facing this country is the National debt.

It is a problem, a major problem. But for the most part this is just posturing from the Republicans. For a party to campaign on adding more than a trillion dollars to the debt in 10 years by extending the Bush tax cuts, rule out any tax increases and call for a balanced budget is just foolish.

Of course Americans get the government they deserve. Independents and moderates also are spooked about the debt. Rightly so.

But in regards to the debt we have a huge case of NIMBYism. Social Security cannot touch that I retire in three years, Farm subsidies no, cut defense well what if the shipyard in my state gets cut.

The truth is without defense and entitlement reform you will not fix the budget. Our military budget amounts mostly to a profit making institution for defense contractors and a jobs program for the towns and cities that make the products. Everyone wants America out of Afghanistan ( rightly so) but they do not want them out of New Haven, Bath or Long Beach. It is a farce what we spend on unneeded weapons in todays world. As Bill Maher says the Russians of 1982 will not be attacking anytime soon.

Social Security will be in the black until 2037. That in itself will tell you that Social Security concern is just a stalking horse for cutting entitlements across the board. You could extend that 10 to 20 years by raising the cap amount that can be taxed for social security. This is not a problem. Plans to fix social security are a hoax being perpetrated on a public that should know better. Reagan, Reagan of all people fixed social security for 50 years with a payroll tax adjustment and if Reagan can we can.

Medicare is a problem as is Medicaid. Let us not forget however that the one way to fix all this is with single payer. Clearly that is not happening anytime soon.

Here is the fact. Americans have an all volunteer military, over the last 20 years our brightest minds have gone to Wall Street to make a quick sleazy buck and not into science, medicine and technology as they have in the past. We are selfish. It is not just us, Europe is fighting this same fight only they have a huge safety net that is being trimmed. We had a modest safety net that is some would like to gut.

Can this be fixed. It would seem likely it will. Thomas Jefferson said that once citizens learn that they can vote themselves the treasury a country is in trouble. We are in trouble.

The average American thinks not of his country or his state or his town. There is no shared pride and no shared experience and certainly no shared sacrifice.

It is a worry