Deconstructing the US Government
The government is not your friend
Bush II has presented the first budget (for 2008) of a bipartisan government in 10 years. Thus maybe it is time to shine some light on where we are headed. Let’s look at three guiding realities about the US Government.
1) Debt is bad, especially at the current high levels. Why? Because it is spending now and saddling the next generations with the bill, thus large unsustainable debt is immoral in that we are limiting our children’s future without their say in the matter;
2) The USA is a military machine, until we give up our fatal conceit of military intervention overseas and protector of last resort the taxpayer is stuck paying the bills (17% of the budget). There are US troops everywhere from Saudi Arabia to Germany to South Korea and Japan, constructs of post-war situations long over with and now placed in countries where we are not wanted and countries who are now able to take care of themselves. Thus, to force yourself on others is also immoral; and,
3) There are changes needed to the non-discretionary programs. Medicare and social security each take up 20% (thus a total 50% of the budget is non-discretionary as 10% of budget is interest payments) are increasing exponentially; health care costs are rising at least 10% per year, or three time that of inflation, and the number of workers per retiree is quickly decreasing as the birth-rate decreases and people are living longer. We are therefore promising payments to people at unsustainable levels (eg program spending must go down or taxes must go up to cover the payments), again promising what you cannot delivery is also immoral.
So what will the new leaders do about this situation? Who wants to live in an immoral society, let alone contribute to (pay for) it?
Bush II has presented the first budget (for 2008) of a bipartisan government in 10 years. Thus maybe it is time to shine some light on where we are headed. Let’s look at three guiding realities about the US Government.
1) Debt is bad, especially at the current high levels. Why? Because it is spending now and saddling the next generations with the bill, thus large unsustainable debt is immoral in that we are limiting our children’s future without their say in the matter;
2) The USA is a military machine, until we give up our fatal conceit of military intervention overseas and protector of last resort the taxpayer is stuck paying the bills (17% of the budget). There are US troops everywhere from Saudi Arabia to Germany to South Korea and Japan, constructs of post-war situations long over with and now placed in countries where we are not wanted and countries who are now able to take care of themselves. Thus, to force yourself on others is also immoral; and,
3) There are changes needed to the non-discretionary programs. Medicare and social security each take up 20% (thus a total 50% of the budget is non-discretionary as 10% of budget is interest payments) are increasing exponentially; health care costs are rising at least 10% per year, or three time that of inflation, and the number of workers per retiree is quickly decreasing as the birth-rate decreases and people are living longer. We are therefore promising payments to people at unsustainable levels (eg program spending must go down or taxes must go up to cover the payments), again promising what you cannot delivery is also immoral.
So what will the new leaders do about this situation? Who wants to live in an immoral society, let alone contribute to (pay for) it?
posted by Cameron Weber at 10:47 AM
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