As The Debt Turns
For those of us that lean fiscally conservative the following headline was meant to give solace to the frighteningly steep rise in our nation’s debt;
House votes to deny Obama more borrowing authority
The borrowing refers to the need to yet again raise our debt ceiling and allow politicians the ability to spend more by borrowing more. I, unlike the article’s author, used the term “politicians” rather than just Obama when referring to the one(s) doing the borrowing. This story is should be primer on how the political class (both right and left and middle) play the game to ensure that they stay in power while seeming to play to their bases.
About two years ago I wrote a post about what “poor” really means in America and what amenities many of those below the poverty line have. I don’t want to delve back into that because you can
Having a car that is nearly eight years old with almost 150,000 miles makes the annual inspection a likely costly adventure. My appointment was Monday so I dropped the car off Sunday night and anxiously awaited the news. I got the call in the early afternoon and Ed, our mechanic, started going through the list; A/C check, battery, tire rotation…little stuff really. Ed hesitated and I said “okay now for the bad news.” The bad news was repairs to the tune of $1,400 (a big part was brakes all around) and that my car would not be ready until the next evening. The real bad news is that Ed did some checking and told me that my vehicle is showing its age and miles. Some of the hidden stuff will probably need to be replaced next year and maybe I may not want to spend that kind of money. Essentially telling me that I’d be paying a lot more money for an old vehicle…or getting diminishing returns on my investment.
“Top Democrats and Republicans in Congress prepared new proposals to avert a government debt default and a potential global financial crisis.”
Politicians succeed by engaging us with truths (usually only half truths) to get us riled up for their cause which is ultimately about getting them reelected. Few politicians care about anything more than achieving this goal. They avoid the tough decisions while decrying that the other side won’t make the tough decisions. The good news for American citizens is that we have a free press that sorts out complex issues and will not let politicians get away with the half truths. Okay that was dripping with sarcasm, but I am a dreamer and that is the way our country is supposed to work.
