In the decades following most American Wars the national debt grew by 3-5 times that of prewar levels. The increase is understandable but the fact that with only one exception, it never receded to anywhere near prewar levels is somewhat curious. After the Revolutionary War our debt was about $75 million but in the following 35 years it was actually reduced to zero.
Starting with the Civil War the debt increase has never been reduced following the many Wars we’ve fought. Without questioning the validity of any of the Wars I do have to question why we have the need to sustain such high debt levels. If it is truly the result of the cost of War can we justify financing any future conflicts considering our largest creditor was also on the opposite side of the battlefield in one of our most contentious conflicts?
I think it’s more likely the justification and high cost of War has been leveraged to increase the size, scope and cost of government. It should be evident to all Americans that none of our elected representatives are authentically concerned with any serious reduction in our national debt, they’re currently involved in paranoia-mongering with an artificially created debt ceiling and using it for posture in the 2012 elections. If you look at how many times the debt ceiling has been raised in the last ten years you will see this so called debate is merely a political reality show, with very bad actors.
The real debt ceiling will only be hit when we are no longer able to borrow money (I’m sorry sir you card has been declined) but a credit downgrade is a likely possibility very soon. Considering about 50% of all government spending is on credit a loss of borrowing power would mean an immediate reduction in how much we spend. Instead of debating how much we can appear to cut from any party’s pet projects so we can artificially reduce our debt over the long term we should be looking at how we can immediately eliminate any and all unnecessary government spending, if we are downgraded this will happen automatically.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Birthday America
As we celebrate the birth of the greatest nation in history I can’t help but think the rest of the world is celebrating too. The seeds of freedom planted by our forefathers not only yielded the bountiful harvest we now enjoy but profoundly and positively affected all corners of our planet like no other nation that came before. July 4th 1776 was the determining factor between two possible courses of world history and I believe the world is generally as thankful for America as we are.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
My exploding head!
My head exploded today; actually it was just a little hole on one side so I think I’ll be OK. It happened while channel surfing the news, so I bought some media patches and vowed to at least cut way back on the daily barrage of crap emanating from all the news outlets.
I’m thoroughly disgusted and repulsed with all the moronic babble from the Rs and Ds about how “their guys” are the best thing since feminine napkins and how “their way” will be the salvation of America. The truth is that the majority of them are nothing more than greedy socialistic elites that have comprised the ruling class for generations. Very few give a tinker’s damn about the future of our country and we can’t put our trust in any promises any of them make.
If we really want to make the upcoming elections as transforming as we’d like, regardless of your views, we need to let them all know we think they are nothing more than steam rising from the dung heap that is the current political system; we need to send them a message they’ll have to listen too.
Regardless of which party you’re affiliated with I’m sure you’ve heard the line “if the elections were held right now we’d win”. This is based on their manipulated polls of “registered likely voters”. If there were suddenly no “registered likely voters” in either party, neither party would have any indication as to where they stand in the upcoming elections.
I think that all Democrats should change their voter registration to Republican and all Republicans should change to Democrat, or everyone change to Independents, or Greeners, or Libertarians – pick one! Just think - neither party would know how many left for protest or how many would come back and vote for them in November.
They would all have to try to figure out how to make their new base happy! This may lead to consultations with the other party, and who knows, maybe they would all find something in the middle we could all agree to vote for! Yeah I know, everybody is so ate up with the dumbass notion that their party is the best so this will never happen, but it would be fun to watch! Oh well, I need to go bandage my head, it’s starting to leak again.
I’m thoroughly disgusted and repulsed with all the moronic babble from the Rs and Ds about how “their guys” are the best thing since feminine napkins and how “their way” will be the salvation of America. The truth is that the majority of them are nothing more than greedy socialistic elites that have comprised the ruling class for generations. Very few give a tinker’s damn about the future of our country and we can’t put our trust in any promises any of them make.
If we really want to make the upcoming elections as transforming as we’d like, regardless of your views, we need to let them all know we think they are nothing more than steam rising from the dung heap that is the current political system; we need to send them a message they’ll have to listen too.
Regardless of which party you’re affiliated with I’m sure you’ve heard the line “if the elections were held right now we’d win”. This is based on their manipulated polls of “registered likely voters”. If there were suddenly no “registered likely voters” in either party, neither party would have any indication as to where they stand in the upcoming elections.
I think that all Democrats should change their voter registration to Republican and all Republicans should change to Democrat, or everyone change to Independents, or Greeners, or Libertarians – pick one! Just think - neither party would know how many left for protest or how many would come back and vote for them in November.
They would all have to try to figure out how to make their new base happy! This may lead to consultations with the other party, and who knows, maybe they would all find something in the middle we could all agree to vote for! Yeah I know, everybody is so ate up with the dumbass notion that their party is the best so this will never happen, but it would be fun to watch! Oh well, I need to go bandage my head, it’s starting to leak again.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Dear Mexico
About 500 years ago a bunch of English speaking Europeans that now call themselves Americans invaded the big fat middle part of North America, about the same time a bunch of Spanish speaking Europeans that now call themselves Mexicans invaded the southern skinny pointy part of North America. Both of these groups of foreigners pillaged this so called “New World”, the natives they didn’t kill they enslaved or put on reservations. Not a part of history either group likes to mention, but how else were they supposed to build fine upstanding nations.
With two new countries expanding in the same region there was bound to be conflict, a war was fought in which the Americans defeated the Mexicans and the border between the two countries was defined. The new form of government the Americans chose proved to be very beneficial and America became the strongest nation in history, and the American people reaped the rewards of freedom. People from all over the World immigrated to America in record numbers.
The form of government the Mexicans chose proved to be very beneficial to a small group that controlled the economy and reaped all the financial rewards, the Mexican people however, were not so fortunate. Seeing how successful the Americans were, the people of Mexico decided to challenge the border between them and abscond the freedom and prosperity they desired. In an effort to garner sympathy they purported that they were indigenous to the American Southwest and therefore had a right to occupy the region. Enough Americans were duped by this fabrication and for decades the Mexicans were allowed to enter America illegally.
The number of Mexicans that entered America illegally became so large there was no way for the Americans to affectively account for them and it was impossible to make them return to Mexico, so in an act of generosity, they declared all of them American citizens. This act of kindness made entering America illegally even more attractive and since the Americans failed to follow through with border protection millions more made their way to America.
Decades later the Americans realized that the vast number of Mexicans in their country illegally was creating a drain on their economy, altering the American culture and compromising their security. They had also learned that protecting their border and controlling how many people were allowed to enter was paramount to correcting this problem. In light of this the Americans made a concerted effort to enforce longstanding laws pertaining to legal immigration to their country.
Even though this legal process had always been applied to people entering America from other countries it didn’t bode well with the Mexicans already in America illegally, the ones planning to enter America illegally, nor the ones that controlled Mexico. Those in control of Mexico made financial gains for every dollar made in America as long as their people could go and then return, but if they became American citizens they stood to lose a significant revenue stream. Unfortunately for the Mexicans, they found that their complaints regarding this legal process fell on deaf ears, as the majority of Americans wanted them to respect their border, their sovereignty and their culture.
In closing, let me summarize:
We both conquered the Indians and took their land so don’t claim you were here first.
America wound up with more Indian land after the war in which your ancestors conceded defeat and agreed to the alignment of the border - get over it!
America could have annexed your entire country, but we didn’t – you’re welcome!
You allowed your leaders to force you into poverty - do something about it!
We won’t allow America to resemble Mexico or any other country. If you’re an American citizen with ancestry of Mexico or any other country then stand up for your country - America!
Americans are trying to reverse a slide into the same type of socialistic control that destroyed the economy of Mexico and many other countries. We’re trying to take it back and we sure as hell aren’t willing to give it back!
Respectfully,
America
With two new countries expanding in the same region there was bound to be conflict, a war was fought in which the Americans defeated the Mexicans and the border between the two countries was defined. The new form of government the Americans chose proved to be very beneficial and America became the strongest nation in history, and the American people reaped the rewards of freedom. People from all over the World immigrated to America in record numbers.
The form of government the Mexicans chose proved to be very beneficial to a small group that controlled the economy and reaped all the financial rewards, the Mexican people however, were not so fortunate. Seeing how successful the Americans were, the people of Mexico decided to challenge the border between them and abscond the freedom and prosperity they desired. In an effort to garner sympathy they purported that they were indigenous to the American Southwest and therefore had a right to occupy the region. Enough Americans were duped by this fabrication and for decades the Mexicans were allowed to enter America illegally.
The number of Mexicans that entered America illegally became so large there was no way for the Americans to affectively account for them and it was impossible to make them return to Mexico, so in an act of generosity, they declared all of them American citizens. This act of kindness made entering America illegally even more attractive and since the Americans failed to follow through with border protection millions more made their way to America.
Decades later the Americans realized that the vast number of Mexicans in their country illegally was creating a drain on their economy, altering the American culture and compromising their security. They had also learned that protecting their border and controlling how many people were allowed to enter was paramount to correcting this problem. In light of this the Americans made a concerted effort to enforce longstanding laws pertaining to legal immigration to their country.
Even though this legal process had always been applied to people entering America from other countries it didn’t bode well with the Mexicans already in America illegally, the ones planning to enter America illegally, nor the ones that controlled Mexico. Those in control of Mexico made financial gains for every dollar made in America as long as their people could go and then return, but if they became American citizens they stood to lose a significant revenue stream. Unfortunately for the Mexicans, they found that their complaints regarding this legal process fell on deaf ears, as the majority of Americans wanted them to respect their border, their sovereignty and their culture.
In closing, let me summarize:
We both conquered the Indians and took their land so don’t claim you were here first.
America wound up with more Indian land after the war in which your ancestors conceded defeat and agreed to the alignment of the border - get over it!
America could have annexed your entire country, but we didn’t – you’re welcome!
You allowed your leaders to force you into poverty - do something about it!
We won’t allow America to resemble Mexico or any other country. If you’re an American citizen with ancestry of Mexico or any other country then stand up for your country - America!
Americans are trying to reverse a slide into the same type of socialistic control that destroyed the economy of Mexico and many other countries. We’re trying to take it back and we sure as hell aren’t willing to give it back!
Respectfully,
America
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Another Shot Heard Around The World
In the late 1700s it was said there was a “shot heard around the world”, but that was grossly understated. What actually occurred was an explosion, which in magnitude can only be compared to that of the mythical “Big Bang”, it was the birth of America. The vision of our founders and the sacrifice of those that fought and won our independence allow us to look back with pride at what we are a part of. But sadly, looking back we also have to accept the fact that there were those that did not share the dream of America.
From it’s inception there were those that were opposed to our independence and the freedom it offered. Though not completely content with living in bondage of foreign tyrants some chose inaction with the hopes that they would be allowed to continue living their structured lives without repercussion, others chose to aid the tyrants in their attempt to quash the promise of freedom. Once the smoke cleared, a strong America stood where once the flags of tyrants waved, and in the generations since, the posterity of those that would have seen freedom defeated has reaped the benefits of being Americans.
In the history of all nations there is internal turmoil and War, usually between dictators bent on totalitarian rule and people seeking freedom from that rule, in the 1800s America suffered such a catastrophe. There were those that wanted to dissolve the greatest nation in history after just 100 short years of it’s birth, forgetting that only united did we defeat the greatest tyranny that existed at the time. Tragically Americans shed American blood, but once again the United States remained the greatest nation in history. And once again the posterity of those that would have seen America broken into what would now be separate third–world countries, has reaped the benefits of being Americans.
America is once again facing the threat from internal forces that seek to weaken her. There are powerful groups that deem America as overbearing and undeserving of the status of the greatest nation in history. They plan to remake America so it more closely resembles some of the very countries we have opposed in the past because of their views and treatment of their people. They have already started the process of growing the government as necessary to control every aspect of life, much like the tyranny we originally rejected in favor of freedom.
As before, it will take a united effort to defeat this threat, but this time the battle can be waged and won through the power of the vote, starting in 2010 and the final battle in 2012. Some of the change enacted by these tyrants is not easily reversed so it may take decades to make a full recovery, but America will be restored from where she is bound, and once again America will stand before the world as the greatest nation in history. And once again our posterity, along with the posterity of those that currently wish to defeat her, will reap the rewards of being Americans.
From it’s inception there were those that were opposed to our independence and the freedom it offered. Though not completely content with living in bondage of foreign tyrants some chose inaction with the hopes that they would be allowed to continue living their structured lives without repercussion, others chose to aid the tyrants in their attempt to quash the promise of freedom. Once the smoke cleared, a strong America stood where once the flags of tyrants waved, and in the generations since, the posterity of those that would have seen freedom defeated has reaped the benefits of being Americans.
In the history of all nations there is internal turmoil and War, usually between dictators bent on totalitarian rule and people seeking freedom from that rule, in the 1800s America suffered such a catastrophe. There were those that wanted to dissolve the greatest nation in history after just 100 short years of it’s birth, forgetting that only united did we defeat the greatest tyranny that existed at the time. Tragically Americans shed American blood, but once again the United States remained the greatest nation in history. And once again the posterity of those that would have seen America broken into what would now be separate third–world countries, has reaped the benefits of being Americans.
America is once again facing the threat from internal forces that seek to weaken her. There are powerful groups that deem America as overbearing and undeserving of the status of the greatest nation in history. They plan to remake America so it more closely resembles some of the very countries we have opposed in the past because of their views and treatment of their people. They have already started the process of growing the government as necessary to control every aspect of life, much like the tyranny we originally rejected in favor of freedom.
As before, it will take a united effort to defeat this threat, but this time the battle can be waged and won through the power of the vote, starting in 2010 and the final battle in 2012. Some of the change enacted by these tyrants is not easily reversed so it may take decades to make a full recovery, but America will be restored from where she is bound, and once again America will stand before the world as the greatest nation in history. And once again our posterity, along with the posterity of those that currently wish to defeat her, will reap the rewards of being Americans.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Put the Tea bag down and slowly back away!
David Axelrod blurted out the half naked truth that the recent "Tea Parties" are unhealthy, what he failed to mention is that they are only unhealthy to his party and the administration he is obligated too. In an attempt to save face he came back with a remark that to me clarified his honest position on the matter.
When Mr. Axelrod said "Well, this is a country where we value our liberties and our ability to express ourselves, and so far these are expressions," it sent a Chris Matthews like thrill someplace other than my leg. What this statement told me is that it’s OK for a few recently defined "Right-wing extremists" to express themselves but they had better not in any way try to affect change in the Holy Grail that is the Obama plan.
From the $3.5 trillion dollar budget to the numerous pieces of legislation that have been shoved in our out-doors, we have seen unprecedented exercise of the "We won" mentality by the Obama administration in the way they have awarded themselves the spoils of War in the form of massive government expansion the Democrats have dreamed of for decades.
Now we have been told that expressing our opinion is a novelty afforded us by an antiquated document, the US constitution, and that actual public involvement in trying to guide the policies set forth by those that obviously know better is unhealthy.
In light of this I would like to offer all of you Right wing, Tea bag toting extremists a little advice. Put the Tea bags down and slowly back away, forget any notion you may have of this administration giving any consideration to your pathetic unfounded concern over the direction of the country and just "Get with the Program"!
Matt Welch
When Mr. Axelrod said "Well, this is a country where we value our liberties and our ability to express ourselves, and so far these are expressions," it sent a Chris Matthews like thrill someplace other than my leg. What this statement told me is that it’s OK for a few recently defined "Right-wing extremists" to express themselves but they had better not in any way try to affect change in the Holy Grail that is the Obama plan.
From the $3.5 trillion dollar budget to the numerous pieces of legislation that have been shoved in our out-doors, we have seen unprecedented exercise of the "We won" mentality by the Obama administration in the way they have awarded themselves the spoils of War in the form of massive government expansion the Democrats have dreamed of for decades.
Now we have been told that expressing our opinion is a novelty afforded us by an antiquated document, the US constitution, and that actual public involvement in trying to guide the policies set forth by those that obviously know better is unhealthy.
In light of this I would like to offer all of you Right wing, Tea bag toting extremists a little advice. Put the Tea bags down and slowly back away, forget any notion you may have of this administration giving any consideration to your pathetic unfounded concern over the direction of the country and just "Get with the Program"!
Matt Welch
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