The common wisdom now spreading like a cancer is that we cannot afford to be who we are and must become fiscally responsible or go bust. This is of course complete poppycock, it's because we refuse to distribute the wealth we have all created fairly.
What needs to be balanced is revenue versus expenses to some degree and we can also borrow wisely to invest in our nation and create wealth. We have done so in the past when faced with the ravages of the Great Depression and the cost of WWII we raised taxes and financed a boomby being intelligent.
The last time the nation's debt was this big compared with gross domestic product — 70.4% of GDP — was immediately following World War II.
How did the Greatest Generation pare it down? It didn't.
It grew the economy faster than the debt, pushing down the debt-to-GDP ratio and making debt payments easier to manage. But that generation also did some things that U.S. citizens and politicians don't seem willing to do today. It paid higher taxes, and it had a smaller government — and, at least until the 1980s, it kept annual budget deficits small.
The argument that lower taxes keep the economy rocking is a myth from the era of St Ronnie, its how you use the tax revenue that counts.
Our dear leaders have cut taxes and the fight next year will be to make them permanent despite all the evidence to the contrary of their efficacy.
Here we are on the verge of cutting social programs essential to so many to save pennies, hidden within these minimal cuts are ideological programs.
1] The anti-women crowd are looking to promote their agenda by cutting Planned parenthood.
2] The anti-regulation crowd want to slice up the EPA so as pollution costs even less than it does now.
3] Removing workers rights.
4] Increase the sale of mega yachts so that the rising waters are not a problem via ridiculous and inefficient tax cuts.
The lessons learnt in the last few decades.
1] Tax cuts don't work even St Ronnie had to raise them again.
2] If you want to fight a war raise taxes before you start one.
3] Collect the taxes that are due.
4] Create fair trade deals not free trade outsourcing.
The taxes are evil meme seems to have won the day even though the mess has been caused more by:
1] Greed.
2] Greed
3] Greed
Taxes are a reinvestment in our nation as a whole, if you want shared sacrifice they are the fairest method of doing so; and if your investments are wise and not blown away on senseless wars and macho posturing.
Wise investments include:
1] Education and preparation for the future
2] Making sure the population is healthy by investing in affordable health care for all.
3] Securing Social Security for when our work is done by a simple fix of financing it adequately.
4] Renewing our infrastructure so that it becomes worthy of the word.
5] Generating a booming economy by embracing the green revolution
To do this raise taxes, end stupid wars and cut the over-bloated look at our weapons military.
Slash and burn Austerity may make good headlines and hand wringing soundbites but do we really need to be so shortsighted?
I'm tired of the mememememe mine crowd, either you are a great society or you are not; we appear to have chosen the second option.