Who is John Galt?
The news the last month or so has been pretty bad. Greece is bankrupt, and the European Union experiment is threatening to collapse as countries fret and wring their hands over the falling Euro. All of Western Europe's fates are combined as their currency is being undercut by the failed budgeting practices of most in their number.
Citizens in Greece, apparently inept at budgeting themselves, are striking and rioting (or were rioting) over the budgetary cuts that their government is having to impose to balance their budget sheets. They are the socialist experiment gone bad. And we are not far behind. Greece's deficit is 12% of total GDP. Ours? 10%. And rising. Especially if Cap and Trade, and the other programs that the Dems have on the table this summer make it through.
My mother and mother-in-law both recently read Atlas Shrugged. Both said the exact same thing: it is scary how so much of something that was published in 1957 is happening, right now. Over 50 years later.
The Producers and the Innovators are shrugging. And what we have left are those with their hands out. Those who want 5% wage increases year over year for doing the exact same job. Those that want health care that they don't have any responsibility or obligation to pay for.
I am not smart enough to understand all of the subtle nuances that led us to this problem. Or led Greece to this problem. That's leading Portugal, Spain, Germany and the United States to this debt problem. But I do know, that nothing is ever free. You can not get something for nothing, nor should you expect to.
This administration was elected because they promised to put a chicken in every pot. Regardless of whom they had to steal the chicken from. When that check comes due, when those that pay the bill stop paying, where will we be then?
"When people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin.
Citizens in Greece, apparently inept at budgeting themselves, are striking and rioting (or were rioting) over the budgetary cuts that their government is having to impose to balance their budget sheets. They are the socialist experiment gone bad. And we are not far behind. Greece's deficit is 12% of total GDP. Ours? 10%. And rising. Especially if Cap and Trade, and the other programs that the Dems have on the table this summer make it through.
My mother and mother-in-law both recently read Atlas Shrugged. Both said the exact same thing: it is scary how so much of something that was published in 1957 is happening, right now. Over 50 years later.
The Producers and the Innovators are shrugging. And what we have left are those with their hands out. Those who want 5% wage increases year over year for doing the exact same job. Those that want health care that they don't have any responsibility or obligation to pay for.
I am not smart enough to understand all of the subtle nuances that led us to this problem. Or led Greece to this problem. That's leading Portugal, Spain, Germany and the United States to this debt problem. But I do know, that nothing is ever free. You can not get something for nothing, nor should you expect to.
This administration was elected because they promised to put a chicken in every pot. Regardless of whom they had to steal the chicken from. When that check comes due, when those that pay the bill stop paying, where will we be then?
"When people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin.
Comments
I would argue that we have a much different debt problem than the EU nations. Sadly, that doesn't make it much better though.
Clinton's balanced budget was a lot of budget smoke and mirrors, but it was far closer to "balanced" than we can ever hope to be in the near future. So I don't know if it's worth arguing over how he got it balanced. I've always been weary of his budgeting because he was one that sent the military all over the place, but closed a lot of bases and cut a lot of funding. But that was where I viewed things from.
How would you say it's much different? Because of the military spending? I really don't think Western Europe would like the outcome very much if we didn't spend on defense. Countries like China and Russia and Iran spend on defense.
I agree nations would pay if they had to. And I think the idea has merit in that fictional, perfect satirical world kind of way. But it's not who we are. We're like Superman. If you need us, we're there. No matter what.