“Why not cut spending, “BobL”? “
Because we CANNOT, that simple.
I’ve had more than enough arguments with old people on THIS SITE that insist on taking what they consider THEIR money from my kids, under the pretense that my kids somehow owe it to them.
When I tell them that they don’t have a claim on the earnings on my kids and if they keep pressing the country will collapse under the debt, they tell me they could care less.
I estimate that (non-scientifically) to be half of the FReepers in that age group. These are people that are otherwise conservative. If we cannot get off the government gravy train, why the heck should we expect today’s welfare recipients to sacrifice?
In other words, the issue is settled. People of this country DEMAND a 4 trillion dollar federal government, and we’re not even bringing in 3 trillion dollars. That is the problem - and NO ONE, not even FReepers, will give up their share of their ‘government goodies’.
So we might as well start paying for it, or we will be worse-off than Mexico, and not that long from now.
Bobble,
We don’t need a VAT. The best thing we can do for your kids and my kids is keep spending like drunken sailors so that we default.
It will hurt a whole lot of people, but our kids will recover.
But man, a VAT is just obnoxious, and would live beyond a government default.
I’m feeling your rant though. Don’t let the “conservative” government dependents drag you down. Your heart is in the right place but we’re gonna go down in a spending inferno.
I predict you’re right, and that the Welfare/National Security State will never regress. But so far as that’s true it is equally true we cannot tax ourselves out of the problem, if only because, as a previous poster said, Washington will treat any extra revenue as license for more spending. That’s assuming it would actually result in extra revenue, rather than retard economic growth.
Tell you what son, send me a check for forty-five years of FICA payments taken without my consent with 3% interest compounded and we’ll call it even.
Well, yes. I understand what you say.
Medicare and SS, however, are touchy subjects. The so-called conservatives have paid into them [under the force of law] and, so it's not unreasonable to expect that money back with the promised 1.9% [I think] of interest.
I am not defending those programs, but they do exist and promises were made and money was paid.
SS and Medicare spending must be addressed but there is also the larger problem of Welfare, Food Stamps, and Disability. Those could be cut. They are prime examples of people getting something for nothing.
It's a tough, tough situation. And, yes, you're right. We've come to the point where people do want a $4 trillion government. But to tax that much out of the economy will destroy us.
It'll take a very special and peculiar person to lead us out of this mess. I don't hold out much hope that person exists.