Guns, Butter and the Deficit

www.msnbc.com ^ | Feb 11, 2004 (Feb 16 Newsweek) | Fareed Zakaria

[Akira]

In the past two years, the united states has rediscovered the world. We've seen large increases in funding for all the instruments of American policy—military, political, economic and cultural. Spending on AIDS/HIV, tuberculosis and malaria initiatives has gone from $840 million in 2001 to a projected $2 billion in 2004. Whether you like or dislike specific aspects of George Bush's foreign policy, there's no denying he has outlined an ambitious role for America in the world. Except that within a few years this policy is likely to collapse.

No, the problem isn't Iraq, or Afghanistan, or the French...

[Akira]

Yep, we "cannot afford this orgy". If we don't do something about this soon, Dems might very well be in power again one day (WH and legislatures) and we know how they'll try to address this.

[luckydevi]

beat me to it

[Republic Rocker]

sounds like a fatalist...I am a baby boomer and the wealth of my country has enriched me...i will take care of myself for life...Not my government.

[trebb]

We couldn't afford to keep up the spending that ended the Cold War either; except we did...

[Akira]

I'm glad to hear that. I assume the bulk of your retirement will come from means other than social security?

As for being a fatalist, I disagree. The numbers are scary, when looked at from any angle. Social security is going bankrupt. The government has taken countless thousands of dollars from me (I'm 33) for SS, and I won't see a dime of it unless significant changes are made. The Dem idea on how to fix this is to raise taxes sky high or raise the retirement age. But concern for where this is headed makes me (or anybody else) a "fatalist"?

[Destro]

History has an example. When Democratic Athens reached an impasse and needed to live outside its means it turned its alliance into an empire and made her former allies pay her tribute - and sent in the marines if said tribute was slow in coming.

I do not think my nation has the capacity to say no to itself any longer and what nation on earth will be able to say no to us when we tell them to pay their annual protection dues?

Until we meet our Syracuse, enjoy.