Such a big question was posed to me a while ago, thusly (paraphrased):
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This video outlines the debt problems of our government and is well worth watching...not long and very startling information.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/VtVbUmcQSuk
Do you really believe that the ‘advocacy’ groups are really going to change the government policies and reduce the debt? Are they going to get complacent citizens involved? I don’t think so.
Whether the people realize it or not, we are becoming a socialist state, controlled by the government. I believe that when the countries like the U.S. cannot pay their debt there will be a world crisis, but only the first stage will be finance & money. More importantly, I believe the looming crisis is really between the “haves” and the “have nots” and the fight will be over the availability of natural resources (air, water, land). Will we be dead by then?
Each of us has only 20-40 years left. What do we do to protect our financial security for the next 30+ years? How are you helping your children to understand this issue?
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I responded with this little essay:
The video is only a teaser. Reality is worse.
By this 3rd year point in all recoveries history shows strong employment and GDP rising at 6+%. This time employment is stagnant or getting worse and GDP growth is 1.8%. Three years of government spending has not worked. The news is full of the words “double-dip recession” and “stagnation” or “stagflation.” We’ll have to wait to see if this proves out, but the chances are strong that is what is happening.
How do we prevent this from getting worse?
First, vote out Obama and his henchmen. They have an social/economic agenda that doesn’t include balanced budgets or reducing debt.
Second: Write your senators and congressmen and tell them to stop spending. Tell them to reform Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. Tell them to return to the original constitutional divisions of State powers and Federal powers. For instance, Paul Ryan’s plan may not be perfect but it is at least a place to start talking. Obama and crew have no real proposals yet and none in sight.
Third: To understand what is happening, read the Wall Street Journal editorial pages to see a consistent, fact based, rational economic approach to government, law and economy.
Fourth: Move to Canada. Okay, not too realistic, except for me. And Canada’s medical system is crashing, although its economy is pretty strong.
I do not agree that the battle is between “haves” and “have-nots” like so many in the liberal media and liberal government want you to believe. I believe the battle is between liberal central-control economic and laissez-faire moral policies that strive to build a nanny state to coddle everyone and thus grow the voting base of progressives; and a system based on freedom of personal action and the Constitution’s federal framework that builds a more morally, economically and politically conservative nation which lives within its means.
I only partially agree with the battle over air, water, land. California is a rich state. Because of that, over the past 30 years it has managed to reduce air pollution immensely and reduce auto tailpipe emissions by 99%. But only a rich state can do that. Poor states are still striving to eat each day. Natural resources will always be there. We will find new sources and recycle used materials, and find new technologies. The former will give way to the recycling when the costs are advantageous. For instance, we are actually building new water storage reservoirs, finally, in California. You can’t see some of them because they are underground. Coincidentally, new technologies that water lawns based on cell phone signals from real-time precipitation monitoring can cut water use by 30%. Energy is the biggest resource we must figure out. Energy makes countries rich. There is lots of energy. What is needed is a comprehensive and economically sensible energy policy, which no US Administration has been able to accomplish for 50 years.
Today’s government seems to believe that it knows best for all occasions and all subjects. That is the road to perdition. Mitt Romney just said in Stratham, NH.: “Who is it who rules America? You do, every four years.” Take that to heart and act.
I read a great book lately: “it happened on the way to war” by Rye Barcroft (http://cfk.unc.edu/ ) . It’s central theme is that even the most disadvantaged people (in this case people in the worst slum in Nairobi, Kenya) can succeed if given a little opportunity to do it themselves. The same is true for all if they want it.
What can you do for your children? Recognize that “Youth aren’t the future leaders. They’re the present and future leaders.” Teach them basic principles – math science, humanities, reading writing, Constitution, humility, hard work, money management. Do it directly and especially by example. Then let them go.
