What part of "broke" don't you understand?

And everyone wants it fixed at the expence of others.
No one wants to give up anything but they can sure come up with suggestions on how the other person could cut back.

The spending will never stop. The republican controlled congress allowed the current administration to add how much more to the national debt?

Here is one I like... Well not really "like".

That is an interesting question. So as not to hijack this thread, I'll start a new one.

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"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.

I suggest those states look into improving their financial situations on their own.... its not in the federal governments job description to look after public services.

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

No one should like that one.
It is the truth.
People don't seem to mind letting their children pay for their mistakes.

This is exactly why the founding fathers created a republic instead of a democracy. They knew that as soon as the people figured out they could vote themselves money from the public treasury that politicians would destroy the nation by handing tax money to individual citizens in exchange for their votes. Its also why the placed limitations on what the federal government could do with tax money.... and if you will notice those limits were restricted to things that did NOT involve a citizen receiving direct payments from the government other than as compensation when they provided a service to the government.

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

I saw this a few months ago elsewhere. Thought about posting it, but I've changed my thinking about the debt. There is no debt, because we are all paying for it every time we buy stuff. Any shortfalls in revenue are covered by the FED printing money, which results in higher prices. Since few understand what is going on, we don't complain.

I went to buy a Snicker bar the other day, and my memory was they were around 50 cents, but are now 74 cents. So the difference is what we're contributing to deficit spending and bailing out Europe, etc. We are paying as we go and covering the debt.

In reality, prices should be going down because of increased efficiency, but instead they go up. The difference in where they should have gone down to, and where they went up to, is what is being robbed from us.

So we don't need to worry about debt - spending can be unlimited. We can have all the social programs and wars we want, and bail out anybody who needs it. Which is why the Constitution, designed to limit government, is outdated.

As I've mentioned before, former FED chairman Alan Greenspan said we can always print more money to pay or debts.

The other part that is baffling is that many who claim to care about the debt oppose the guy who is serious about dealing with it, calling him a nutcase.

Ron Paul has opposed the money printing for decades, and is proposing a trillion dollars of cuts his first year, with more to follow. Eliminating 5 departments, bringing troops home, etc. I keep asking how much the other guys will cut, and get little information. Yet those who call themselves conservative support those who will keep government growing. Some may mention cuts, but only cuts in the rate of increase - it will continue to grow.

The fearmongers proclaim our demise should any war or welfare be eliminated, even if they didn't exist a few years ago.

Unfortunately, the greatest threat to our survival is our spending. I said the debt will be paid for, however, the question is whether our dollar can survive all the money printing. If the dollar becomes worthless and collapses, we're screwed.

The strategy by the central planners may be to continue stealing from us at the maximum acceptable rate that we'll tolerate. Seems that most of us don't care as long as we barely have enough to eat. We just want to be cared for, and feel safe.

We have no idea how much is being taken, and don't care.

Comments such as this are why we really need a sarcasm smiley around here... some folks might actually believe this kind of nonsense!

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

You do realize that is politician talk. It doesn't mean what you think it does.
That is the same as promises made by other politicians who were elected. After being elected they have no need to keep their promises.

Yes, we are paying over and over, once at the grocery store and again in lost services, taxes and then our kids will pay again and again. That is the reason I am getting tired of every one saying the welfare ptograms are for the kids. More like the parents are making their living off the kids.

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squashnut & bassketcher

Champagne D Argent, White New Zealand & Californian Cross Rabbits

Huh? So why support any politician? Should you support those who promise to grow government over those who promise to cut it? Wouldn't there be a better chance of cutting government by the guy who says he'll do it?

The difference with Ron Paul is he's preached a philosophical argument for decades against the spending and money printing. And his voting has backed it up. These decades he's been ignored, marginalized, laughed at, but stayed the same.

Yes, we won't know until he's elected, but I'd give him a much better chance of keeping his word than anyone else.

My point is that when you press many who claim to be conservative and for smaller government, they really don't want to cut much. I found that when I handed out a survey at a Tea Party rally.

Most people only care about supporting their team/party, even if it is just as bad.

It's just a sport - go team!

Most people already believe it.

Most people already have no idea that there needs to be a limit on government. Most people figure if it's a good idea, why not do it, since there's always money available.

That is the federal government. Local governments are not allowed to print money, so if they come up short, they can petition the federal government for grants, etc.

For example, we couldn't educate our kids locally, so we had to create a federal dept of education which had unlimited money. Doubled in size under Bush, and I'm sure it's still growing.

Eventually everything will go federal. Central planners handing out the loot, with strings attached, of course.

Actually a pretty slick scam.

I've lately been asking people why prices are generally higher than they were twenty years ago, and you get some pretty interesting answers.

Some say it's because the stores are trying to make more money. But if one store raised prices arbitrarily, other stores would get the business. So prices go up for all the stores, and eventually they have to pass costs onto the consumer.

Somebody, somewhere is getting the loot.

You'd think a kid getting a diploma would understand some basic economics, but then they are getting educated by beneficiaries of the system.

I have met very few who actually believe it, and those with those few I have little faith in their overall judgement anyway. Most of the folks I have talked to are well aware of the problem with printing money we cant back up, and most are opposed to spending more than we actually have available. The problem I see is that they are convinced that whatever pork spending they are wanting can be paid for with existing funds... that happen to be in someone elses pocket.

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

Now you are getting the idea.
Why support anyone you know is lying to you.
That would be all politicians.