axelrod608

Who Is Really to Blame for the Deficit?

>> "The story of today’s deficits starts in January 2001, as President Bill Clinton was leaving office." >>

Oh I don't think so. Clinton's "surplus" was just another of our government's highly massaged numbers. Go all the way back to Eisenhower building the Interstate highway system with money we didn't have and you get much closer to reality. Then consider that every administration and every congress since Eisenhower has spent more that it took in and you get a better idea of who is to blame.

In my mind, the mindset that emerged from WW II is to blame. We "learned" two things in WW II - one, we could conquer the world if we set our minds and backs to it and two, problems - no matter how huge - can be solved by throwing massive amounts of money at them. And those two "learned responses" created a mindset that has eventually crippled our economy.

American political fiscal practice has been dysfunctional for two generations. Ron Paul excepted, we now have a congress with ZERO fiscally responsible members. Same goes for this and every previous administration since WW II.

The two foundations of American poitical thought are 1) spend more and 2) cut taxes. Together they are a recipe for eventual disaster.

Or, as Pogo so correcttly observed, "We has met the enemy..... and he is us".

Who is to blame ? I have never voted for the winning President. I voted for Goldwater. People who think that national elections should be decided on borderline issues like abortion and gay rights rather than on fiscal integrity are to blame. The fiscal health of the country is absolutely THE most important national issue, if you want the country to survive. Based on a couple generations' voting results, I'd say most Americans couln't care less whether the nation lives or dies.