Everywhere I look today, I’m seeing the national budget and debt being talked about  in the news. There are about 200,000 monthly searches on Google, with over 49.5 million results for “national debt”.

Under the media’s consistent stories that all is improving; that the worst is over; and things are getting better, there is an undercurrent of unrest.  We want to believe them.  There are signs between the clouds that there are  improvements in some things.  One of the issues has to do with how accurate are the systems in place to really accurately measure things like unemployment or housing sales? At the same time,  Bernanke is getting ready to try QEIII (Quantitative Easing III)  – after all, QE I did not work and it appears that  QE II won’t work either. Three’s the charm??  

All this adds to the national debt. Any time you spend more than you make, you are unbalanced. That’s just basic economics, pure and simple. The belief that you can spend your way to solvency is by definition, unbalanced. Therefore, the trust and belief many people still have that the government knows what they’re doing and can spend it’s way to solvency is totally illogical.

The last time the national debt was under control was with the Clinton administration. Really.

“Clinton and the Budget Surplus

The Republican takeover of Congress in 1994 led to a push for a balanced budget as part of the Republican Contract with America campaign, continuing deficit reductions by President Clinton consistent with his 1992 campaign promise. Despite political conflicts with President Clinton, the Legislature and the Chief Executive reduced the deficit.

At this time, Americans viewed reducing the deficit one of the most important public policy objectives.[15] In March 1995, a Balanced Budget Amendment passed the House of Representatives and came within one vote of passing the Senate.[15]

Out of office, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called for continued payments toward the debt with a view to paying it off entirely. Ross Perot’s1996 presidential bid was in part evidence of the declining significance of the deficit, and hence the Balanced Budget Amendment, as an issue.[citation needed] less effective

In his final State of the Union, President Clinton said the United States should continue to balance its books and pay off the debt entirely.

~ Wikipedia,  under the Balanced Budget Amendment,  http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_Budget_Amendment

So, what’s happening today with the budget? Did you know that on Feb. 17, 2011, the national debt stands at

$ 1 4 , 1 3 3 , 8 8 1 , 0 1 3 , 4 7 6 . 3 6

The estimated population of the United States is 310,050,550
so each citizen’s share of this debt is $45,585.73.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$4.14 billion per day since September 28, 2007!
Concerned? Then tell Congress and the White House!

~This information above is taken directly from the US National Debt Clock

So, what happened? Did you know that there is no balanced budget amendment for the US government, yet they have been proposed several times but not passed all the way? Did you know that all states except for Vermont has such an amendment? Jeesh, seems like every family SHOULD have a balanced budget… meaning that you shouldn’t spend more than you earn.That’s what you teach your kids, isn’t it?

Over the last few decades, the people of the United States have been lulled into believing that their former hard work ethic and save now was not necessary. The belief changed to following the example of modern day leaders, that being, spend, spend, spend, pay back the minimum payment (if you can) and things would be fine. Look where that has gotten us.

We are still a country that has had generations of families on Welfare. Can you imagine living a life where you are not expected to do anything but take? Never have to pay anything back – ever – not you or your parents or your children.

Perhaps that works OK in a society that is healthy and where most of the people are working regularly. But in times where the official unemployment is around 10% and the unofficial numbers are probably MUCH higher, the ship we are on called the United States is sinking and there’s not enough of us able to scoop water out fast enough to keep us afloat. What does this mean to you?

The citizens are just a small part of the problem; not the major one, by any stretch. People are waking up out of a trusting apathy to their future financial stability in tatters. The debt keeps climbing, moment by moment. The huge banking and financial institutions where most of our dollars have gone, are infested with uncontrollable greed. These banks and insurance companies have become the power behind the government: the black hole of the global economies – continuing to siphon dollars out of the citizenry and using the monies to continue to feather their bloated nests.

What is the solution? I don’t honestly know - other than to pay attention to what is happening around you and figure out ways to increase your self-sufficiency.

  • Explore other sources of your news besides the major networks.
  • Don’t believe everything you hear.
  • Do you own fact checking. If people are telling you a particular piece of legislation is good or bad, go get a copy and read the darn thing.
  • See for yourself.
  • The out of control national debt is just a symptom of the global illness.
  • To be aware is to have options.
  • Grow as much as your own food as possible

Would love to have your comments on this one.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • •

Filed under: Politics

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!