Thursday, March 16, 2006

$9 Trillion Debt and Senior Citizens

The Senate has voted to increase the debt to almost $9 trillion dollars. For those keeping track, that is a 50% increase in the national debt since 2002. Yes, in just 4 short years we have managed to dig an even larger hole for ourselves.

The Real Effect
It doesn't bother me that our country is in debt. Debt is something that becomes a normal cycle of living in as much as you sometimes run a surplus and at times you owe someone. What does bother me is the attitude that surrounds this latest increase. A couple of observations:
  1. Republicans play ostrich when it comes to Bush's inability to keep the credit card firmly in the pocketbook. Their answer? 'It's a post 9/11 world.'
  2. Most politicians are behaving as though the general coffers are their own personal re-election promissory fund. Who can forget Rep. Tom Delay (R) coming out and declaring "victory" on the war on budget fat? And these are the conservatives?
  3. Inflation and personal saving is becoming a real problem. We can thank NAFTA and CAFTA for that one. Remember, when it comes to FTAA, just say no.

This brings me to my primary point. As a whole, senior citizens have checked out.

The so called "Greatest Generation" has shown the stamina of one Mike Tyson. Sure, in their prime they destroyed all competition, but they have grown fat and lazy on Social Security contracts. This isn't to say that past sacrifices are not appreciated, but what good does it do to defeat Hitler at the back door and let Stalin in the front?

The founding fathers risked everything they owned in order to create the possibility that subsequent generations could grasp liberty. Yet, virtually anyone over the age of 50 seems content with worrying about their problems. This generation has cashed out all their chips in hopes of hitting the jackpot and have come home to roost with a door prize. Worse still, the following generation seems worse.

Let us take a moment and thank those that still labor for our collective liberty in spite of immense opposition. God bless the troops, the Minutemen and others who have revived the true spirit of freedom in hopes to save the Republic that their forefathers labored to create.

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