Reply #17: The Mismanagement

[Possumpoint]

you refer to started from 1913 and The 16th Amendment to our constitution. We have lost the ability to control the politicians we elect. By creating the federal reserve and the ability to borrow, tax and print money at will, we gave them a blank check to do as they wish. FDR choose to confiscate privately owned gold during the depression and made it illegal to have private ownership. Nixon took us off of the silver standard and had us start using Federal reserve notes. These are backed by a promise only. Our elected politicians realized that they could spend what they wanted, when they wanted. They began to buy our votes on a grand scale. That "Good Will" was to get us to re-elect them. Deficit spending has been endorsed by politicians to varying degrees, from both sides of the isle. Why else would there be earmarks and so much pork added to the federal budget?

That practice continues to this day and includes the new stimulus package. The stated purpose is to stimulate domestic production and retail. There is very little domestic production left. Since our government practices deficit spending, we are in effect borrowing that money from the Chinese and others to in turn buy their and other's goods while our government goes further into debt. Whose economy are we stimulating anyway?

If you really want things to change then the American voters must demand a balanced budget and a pay down of debt. That includes any new promises made by candidates of either party. We must ask the question "How are we going to pay for it"?

That would be a very painful process but we must let the chips fall where they may. In particular, corporations doing business in the United States must start carrying their fair share. Their lobbyists however, work very hard to avoid this. The Republican practice of protecting corporate interests over all others must be curtailed. Corporate tax havens must be abolished.