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Thursday, July 12, 2012

While Rome Burns …

By Sam Huntington

When people borrow money, they incur debt against future income. In the near term, this means that the borrower must apportion a percentage of future income to liquidating that debt. It also means that should the borrower suddenly die, his survivors or estate is obligated to pay that debt, unless dismissed by a federal court. A responsible person understands that while some debt is inevitable, they should avoid debt whenever possible because debt has a diminishing effect on wealth.

When government borrows money, it incurs debt against future revenues in the name of its citizens, who must ultimately discharge that debt. President Reagan once observed that government has never seen a tax it didn’t like … and this is because the more money government can seize through the power of taxation, the more powerful it becomes. This power of taxation, when combined with government’s ability to control how people think, combines to form a heady elixir; one that encourages government to find new and clever ways to maintain that power.

Still, we must recognize there are some things government must do for us. Indeed, only government can do some things, such as build and maintain important infrastructure. Airports, highways, bridges, fire departments, public safety agencies, and so forth serve as good examples. We do not generally object to the taxes demanded of us to maintain infrastructure, but we must call into question government’s decision to undertake extra-constitutional projects. In the sense that our founding fathers insisted on a limited government, the enumerated powers, we can only conclude that our federal government is an utter failure. In spite of this, the federal government conspires to increase our debt, and our taxes, even more. By this time, we should begin to wonder at what point the government has sated its appetite for power. We should wonder how taxing companies to the point of driving them out of business (and increasing unemployment) serves the interests of the people.

The United States is on the path of socialist Europe. Progressive mentality has convinced too many Americans to believe in the socialist panacea. Our elected officials are leading us down a path of utter economic collapse, while 49 to 51% of us stand around waiting for more free stuff. We can only conclude that politicians of both parties are guilty of malfeasance. Indeed, they are guilty of treason; they have betrayed their country.

The effect of $15 trillion of debt is so severe we must wonder why our citizens aren’t flooding congressional representatives with letters of outrage. Why aren’t millions of our citizens marching on the nation’s capital? You see, money is like any other resource: it has limitations. There is only so much money. Whenever the availability of money limits government’s ability to spend, that is to say, their ability to tax us into oblivion, then government begins to select which expenditures most benefit the politicians. Spending money on “free stuff” is always a high priority with socialists; they believe that if you give stupid people enough free stuff, you can always count on their votes. But then we must wonder about our highways, and bridges. If Americans fail to wake up to this rape of America by politicians, there will be more disasters such as the I-35W Bridge outside Minneapolis —or have we already forgotten that horror?

Or do we even care?

29 comments:

  1. The effect of $15 trillion of debt is so severe we must wonder why our citizens aren’t flooding congressional representatives with letters of outrage. Why aren’t millions of our citizens marching on the nation’s capital?

    They don't believe that "the bad thing" can happen -- never mind what recently happened in San Bernardino, Mammoth Lakes, and Stockton, all cities in California.

    I have a family member who lives in San Bernardino. For at least two years, this family member has been screaming, "There is no opportunity here!" The mortgage is under water -- never mind that this family has lived in a Spartan manner: no vacations, no big purchases, only two children (now adults or nearly so), no using the home as the ATM, no debts other than the mortgage and, perhaps, a car payment when the vehicles HAD to be replaced, no designed clothes, etc. What took this family under, mostly, was the fact that both members of the couple lost their jobs -- one in the private sector and one in the local public sector.

    I now wonder if they will cut their losses and head our way to live with us. That would be okay with us on several levels -- except that I'm not sure that this small house would hold more than two of them. The county won't allow me to add on here because of the nonsense about a carbon footprint. Never mind that this old house is the smallest house for miles and miles around and on a bigger lot than most homes in the area.

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  2. To question the Democrat Administration, you will first have to file an application, provide proof of id, a list of your questions and then wait 8-10 months.

    To vote, you sign here and vote.

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  3. I wish Romeny would tak ehis message to California. I know it is a lost cause on the surface. But their must be a bunch of folks like your relatives and surely they would grasp as something that would help their situation as simple as voting instead of moving cross country. There are tens of thousands of other like them. Maybe Romeny cant win California but the strategy would be brilliant. Obama would be flyiong to California and in defense mode spenging money in California. And if the polling starts moving toward ROmeny...you can bet the rest of the Nation goes in a landslide toward Romeny. Already the gap in places like NH down from 11.5% to 2.7%, and Wisonsin, Ohio, Minnesota all tettering toward Romeny and the conventions have not even started. Of course ROmeny can screw it all up with a bad VP pick or a bad debate against the teleprompter

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  4. Okay, THIS is weird:

    Caloplaca obamae is a species of lichen in the fungus genus Caloplaca. It is the first species to be named in honor of United States President Barack Obama.

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  5. Well said, Sam. If government could even do its basic tasks efficiently then maybe we could talk, but they've even screwed that up.

    And AOW, it is so depressing to hear what is going on in the state of Virginia. I thought they had their heads screwed on straight there?

    Unfortunately, the Californication is marching on here in Colorado as well.

    We still have a taxpayers bill of rights and a balanced budget amendment that keeps the state politicians pretty much in line, but the progressive rats and cockroaches are busy eroding the foundations...

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  6. What people seem not to understand is the cumulative effect of taxes after factoring in all federal, state, and local government revenues. It is nowhere close to what it is in Europe, but have yet to realize the burden associated with Obama Care. The Supreme Court recently told us that government has the unquestionable right to tax us into oblivion. Obama and Democrats in Congress intend to do exactly that, which is additive to federal excise taxes, school and property taxes, and the penalties assessed by police officers who ticket you for not wearing a seatbelt —and which has nothing whatever to do with public safety. Now let’s see if Americans think these outlays, which detract from a family’s ability to spend money in the economy (you know, fueling employment), intend to go meekly into the night.

    ~Louie

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  7. This comment is off point perhaps, but why did Romney go to the NAACP and trash obamacare? That is the only headline. My point is does he want to lose? His he interested in saving our country really or just another plant.

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  8. The news today compared the cost of national debt between Spain and the USA. In Spain, the average citizen owes $18,045. In the United States, the average citizen owes $50,050 and the average voter owes $139,288. This data tells us we’ve already arrived in socialist Europe.

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  9. Silverfiddle,
    I'm not sure when the Californication really took hold here. I got whomped with if over zoning violations, which are changing all the time.

    In 2007, I went to the county zoning official about this property. The restrictions were strangling! To top it all off, to get a hearing at the zoning board, I had to pay a fee of some $10,000 -- a fee "to be heard" and zero guarantee of approval, which cost more money, I'm sure.

    I'd love to build another shed to store some of the material under the carport (on the side and neatly stacked so that a car can still get inside the single-car structure).

    At one point, the county told me that storing in that manner was a-okay ("in compliance"). Lo and behold! Less than 2 years later , zoning ordinances changed AGAIN and made that storage illegal. I balked. Big time. Called a litigation attorney, a scum-sucking bottom feeder that never loses a case); I keep him on retainer at all times. Once the county officials heard that attorney's name, they backed off.

    They won't even let me build a fence without a permit and approval ($$$). Exact words ring over and over again in my auditory memory: "We will tell you exactly where you can build that fence and how high"!

    BTW, there is an already an existing fence as of my uncle's fencing efforts IN 1948 (chain link, but it is not a privacy fence and "screening," to use the county's terminology).

    The county doesn't come after me now for any of the so-called zoning violations (Added on a nearly a monthly basis!) for one reason: the handicapped ramp out front. The ramp was built in November 2009.

    BTW, I am a lifelong resident of this county -- as my father was before me.

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  10. Bunkerville,
    This comment is off point perhaps, but why did Romney go to the NAACP and trash obamacare?

    Yes, Romney made a very foolish move by even using the term "Obamacare." Sheesh.

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  11. "President Reagan once observed that government has never seen a tax it didn’t like"
    --------

    And Reagan borrowed heavily from China and raised taxes 13 times.

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  12. Our monstrocity of a federal government is broken and I don't believe it can be fixed without dismantling it and that is a political impossibility today.

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  13. I have no disagreements whatsoever with the diagnosis, but have little idea how to effect a cure.

    The cancer of liberalism has metastasized to such an extent as to be impossible. OR so it seems to me.

    "What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

    ~ Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

    The time for some significant bloodletting appears to be drawing nigh once again.

    "When will they ever learn?"

    Apparently, NEVER.

    So sad!

    ~ FreeThinke

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  14. Mr. Reagan and Mr. Obama share two important things: both were born white, and both inherited serious economic recession. Jimmy Carter nearly destroyed this country with stagflation, double-digit contraction, double-digit inflation, and double-digit interest rates.

    Reagan lowered taxes and implemented supply-side economics, an argument that tax cuts encourage economic expansion. Tax cuts will eventually produce a stronger economy that will offset the tax cuts. At this time, taxes under Carter were so high as to be prohibitive: the tax rate on wealthy Americans was as high as 70%, which is utterly ridiculous. At the same time, Reagan increased spending. We literally outspent and outpaced the Soviet Union. American technology and industrial production defeated the Soviet Union, which is preferable to having to defeat them with bullets. We cannot trivialize this too much, no matter what the neo-communists tell you today.

    How shall we remember these men? Reagan was far from perfect, but he turned the economy around. Obama only made it worse.

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  15. I don't think many people are able to comprehend or wrap around the harsh reality of the $15 trillion dollar debt.

    Or believe it is not going to effect them, but it has and it will continue to effect the next generation.

    The Tea Party and Americans for Prosperity are in the fight to enlighten and wake up America that we are in serious trouble.

    I make the calls, I e-mail letters and I go to the rallies when they are in my town.

    We don't want to wind up a socialist nation, and it must be stopped now.

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  16. Americans don't think things can get tougher; And they ain't seen nothin' yet, I fear.

    Sam, I'm with you; I watch what's happening and think WHERE IS EVERYBODY? WHY AREN"T THEY MARCHING ON WASHINGTON, BESEIGING THE GOV"T WITH EMAILS... The left's made Americans used to entitlements and that's the beginning of the end.

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  17. Dated today:

    The national debt has now increased by more than $64,000 per federal taxpayer since Barack Obama was inaugurated president....

    More at the above link.

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  18. This essay may be worth considering but you have to play the averages.

    When you are dealing with a tyro who doesn't know the difference between debt and the cost of debt service it's just time to ignore the silliness.

    Speaking of Americans who don't think, Sam ...

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  19. Z,
    BESEIGING THE GOV"T WITH EMAILS

    My representative in Congress has cut off email access from me. He didn't like my questions, I guess.

    I was polite. Doesn't matter.

    These scummy politicians are doing what they want to do -- and we peons can go pound sand.

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  20. Change the narrative somewhere else, Ducky.

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  21. What seems logical and sane to most of us is a foreign concept to those who support Obama.

    Yes there are certain things that government must do, but those are limited, very limited.

    Obama is using "roads" as some scam.

    As to letters to our politicians, I'm not sure they even read them any more. That's one reason the voters are so frustrated. During the previous immigration controversy, we mailed bricks, shoes, all kinds of stuff to Washington and it did make a difference. But most of those same people are busy, they are trying to support their families without food stamps, without welfare, without all the government handouts and they don't have much time to spend on the street corner picketing Congress.

    Debbie
    Right Truth
    http://www.righttruth.typepad.com

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  22. I believe you have described our situation perfectly, Miss Debbie. This would lead us toward one of two possibilities: either we reconcile to a communist state, or we rebel. I am not the first to undertake the opinion that we are heading once more to civil war.

    ~Louie

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  23. Debbie,
    As to letters to our politicians, I'm not sure they even read them any more. That's one reason the voters are so frustrated.

    As I indicated above, I know my representative in Congress has cut me off.

    The two U.S. senators do respond. However, Senator Webb isn't running for a second term; I've heard that he's fed up with politics after only one term. The other senator, Marker Warner, responds but sends somewhat condescending replies as he is an Obama-ite.

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  24. Louis said:

    The news today compared the cost of national debt between Spain and the USA. In Spain, the average citizen owes $18,045. In the United States, the average citizen owes $50,050 and the average voter owes $139,288.

    Ye, gods!

    A day of reckoning has to be coming!

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  25. I am a little weary of comparing Reagan's raising the debt 13 times to what Obama has done. Historical and economic context folks. We had borrowing power back in Reagan's day. Our debt to income level was low compared to today. Our annual debt did not exceed GDP..in other words for the simple minded we had more income and less debt and the cost to service that debt (interest payments) were less. CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT.

    Dont believe me, the credit rating of the US has been downgraded under how many President oh yeah 1--Obama the only man ever to occupy the WH with zero experience doing anything other than smoke weed and listen to communists speeches....

    So are we done with the nonsensical comparison to Reagan policies?

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  26. I think that most people don't care that much because they don't see their pay checks decreasing month on month, when someone points out that they're working almost half the year for the government, suddenly they're perspective changes.

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  27. If we had to cut a check, the prespective would reason change

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