Every election time provides excellent opportunity to think of changes to status quo. Unless you are under the age of last election cycle, you already know what status quo is. It is exactly the the same as the last election cycle, with a lot more debt added to the government. The debt is not just at the central level, but it goes, country, state, district, county, town, village and even perhaps your home. It is incredible that we keep increasing the debt ceiling at every level, at every given opportunity. I have lived long enough to see that my government/s (any governing body with the power to increase debt) can't stop spending money they don't have.
In 2024, I am trying to hear anyone run the election on platform of ZERO borrowing. I know many years ago we had some years of surplus revenue at the country level, but we have really never managed to elect a government based on fiscal discipline.
This year (and perhaps many years to come until 100% debt happens) will be no different. The rich don't care as they have the resources and have the ability to avoid huge tax burden, and the large group that takes money from the local/state/central government only want more handout's and only the hard working, middle income folks keep paying more.
I had to come-up with an example of the fallacy of the handout's and the impact on the real tax payers. A Illinois family gets free food assistance of say "$1500.00" a month in SNAP benefits. This means that they get a debit card with this money every month and can spend it on anything they can but with the card, and not pay the 10% tax that a normal shopper pays to buy the same. Essentially what the handout is doing is: Pay a lot more money to the recipients (more than any normal family spends on food per month), take the money from those who are paying taxes. I have no complaints about helping the needy, but why not create food banks to the needy, and provide the same instead of debit cards with huge money?
It is an interesting dynamic as politicians keep harping about development and poverty elimination, and at the same time, hand out to their vote banks. I guess if all people of the nation are gainfully employed and are not dependent (sort of spoiled on freebies) they will start to think of appropriate policies to vote the deserving party to power.
Double edged sword, is to give away freebies and add to the debt politics allow for each of the parties to throw political satires at each other, every election, and keep spending to pander to their vote banks. Recently the great political flights in Washington is how much more money we send to aid wars abroad. Before I write the next sentence, I am all for "PEACE ON EARTH" but why I am waiting for fixing potholes on the road to work, but my government is fighting to spend trillions on war which I have no concern.
I am going to deviate about this war business. If two countries want to go to war, let them fight among themselves, until either one can't fight anymore. We have the historic examples of "Alexander the Great" who we address as such for his conquests. For example if Russia wants to go expand let them expand as we all know that it's the local people who will ultimately decide on their exist. It goes for all nations and all communities. We need to remember that you don't just conquer the land, it comes with people and their governance, and also the Darwinian theory of "survival of the fittest". Perhaps it is best with one people and one world, and let everyone fend for themselves.
The who essence of politics and democratic government is just being elected and living on borrowed money. It's depressing to even think of surviving retirement with the piling up of debt, which is not sustainable.
We the voter still choose a party or candidate, despite the unimaginable debt burden, with a promise of a better tomorrow. It is not possible with borrowed future. Although I choose a party and it's candidate every election cycle, I am certain that we can't sustain the spending. At some point of time my government can't pay its bills. The irony is I will also not be in a position to afford the normal things in life if the government goes bankrupt and civil infrastructure is unsustainable. With every dollar I earn, I pay whatever the tax burden that's mandated, but if the handout's, wars, pork and politics make it untenable to basic life, it's a future that is uncertain.
At this mother's day morning, I thought first of my mom in heaven, and then started worrying about what will I do with the future as every thing that I can think of seems not in my control. I woke up thinking of Mother's Day, and within a couple of hours of the future that beholds me, and everyone that follows.
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