I object to the phrase "spend money like drunken sailors". The government does not spend money like drunken sailors. Drunken sailors stop spending money when they run out. Government just keeps on spending.
I think we could maybe make enough to make a huge dent in the debt, by having a $100 ppv on Netflix or Hulu for the decimation you were advocating. I for one would be willing to pay even more to see that.
An enormous portion of the national debt is owed to... the Fed. Not people. Not companies. Not even other governments. Our government owes money to itself. Money which was spent moments after its ex nihilo creation.
My solution for *this portion* of the debt is to say, "From electrons you were created, to electrons you will return."
So once the fed is finally dragged back under the control of the US Treasury and de-loused, it can and should have all debt cancelled, even if it would require a currency reset. (I of course back the idea of at least bi-metallism as a hedge against fiat currency issues, since crypto's only as good as the power stays on (and it very well may not with certain parties unwilling to relinquish control and would rather rule over ashes.)
Personally, I vote for a currency based on egg production. Scales with the population, can't be hoarded. Encourages feeding the people. One newbuck per dozen, to the farmer.
Republics cannot survive long past the moment that the public realized it can vote itself goodies from the public treasury. There is but one solution to that. Someone brave and with nothing to lose must come in and FORCE fiscal responsibility upon the public and rein in their greed for ill gotten goodies. In this regard, the US has been astonishingly lucky to have survived in this state for 110 years.
The other option, economic collapse and all the horrors that come with a failed state, and the opportunistic foreign forces that will follow to take kinetic control. Americans need to realize that the post WW2 golden age ended with the hard stop of 9/11. Then, like a duck shot out of the sky we began plummeting back to Earth.
I am reminded of an analysis by Chiun from "The Destroyer" series when considering the United States and rolling his eyes at Remo's patriotism:
"All empires die. The question is whether it is by the sword or the worm. Death by the sword is more honorable."
I would suggest that government debt does have a useful purpose, for it enables governments to spend more than they earn in an emergency situation, to keep the country and its economy going. E.g. in wartime, a country that can borrow can fund an increase in the size of its armed forces and the materiel to equip it that it wouldn't be able to afford during times of peace.
The problem throughout much of the west in recent decades, is that the default position outside of emergencies has been for governments to operate at a deficit. Consequently, the debt built up during emergencies is never repaid, and the total debt owed only ever goes up.
In order for emergency borrowing to be sustainable in the long run, the default non-emergency position for governments needs to be a budget surplus. This isn't going to be a painless transition. Governments won't be able to tax their way into a surplus. They are going to have to cut spending. That won't be easy, especially in countries with governments that are inclined to roll over and give in to union demands. In particular governments aren't inclined to do significant damage to the finances of those sections of society that reliably vote, for they may vote for one of the opposition parties' candidate at the next election in response.
My biggest wish with all this, however, is that Trump can figure out how to make all these changes permanent AND stop the Dems from changing it all back when they successfully steal their next election. Can we find enough patriots in the Senate to pass these changes into law so they cannot just easily be swept away like presidential directives can?
Because I read you, Larry Correa, and a few others I am firmly based in the reality that as we currently live is nonsubstainable. I truly wonder what the match is, or what exactly will cause the bottom to drop out. We have very intelligent people raising the alarm, but there are no answers on how to resolve, plan, or make ready. Yes I would love God, Aliens, or something would step in, but that is wishful thinking. Right now I just see senators, congressmen and women doing a grift. I am just unsure how long the grift can last.
I object to the phrase "spend money like drunken sailors". The government does not spend money like drunken sailors. Drunken sailors stop spending money when they run out. Government just keeps on spending.
I think we could maybe make enough to make a huge dent in the debt, by having a $100 ppv on Netflix or Hulu for the decimation you were advocating. I for one would be willing to pay even more to see that.
An enormous portion of the national debt is owed to... the Fed. Not people. Not companies. Not even other governments. Our government owes money to itself. Money which was spent moments after its ex nihilo creation.
My solution for *this portion* of the debt is to say, "From electrons you were created, to electrons you will return."
So once the fed is finally dragged back under the control of the US Treasury and de-loused, it can and should have all debt cancelled, even if it would require a currency reset. (I of course back the idea of at least bi-metallism as a hedge against fiat currency issues, since crypto's only as good as the power stays on (and it very well may not with certain parties unwilling to relinquish control and would rather rule over ashes.)
Crypto is just fiat currency, minus the backing of the full faith & credit of a national government.
I've never trusted it because of that among other reasons. Smells like a Dutch Tulip market.
It did allow a former cow-orker of mine to retire at 28, because he dropped.a c-note or two on it when they were around $20 a pop.
Personally, I vote for a currency based on egg production. Scales with the population, can't be hoarded. Encourages feeding the people. One newbuck per dozen, to the farmer.
Gold and silver are good, and written into the Constitution as the only legal tender.
Decimation is a bit merciful for my taste. I'd say scaphism for the lot of them.
Republics cannot survive long past the moment that the public realized it can vote itself goodies from the public treasury. There is but one solution to that. Someone brave and with nothing to lose must come in and FORCE fiscal responsibility upon the public and rein in their greed for ill gotten goodies. In this regard, the US has been astonishingly lucky to have survived in this state for 110 years.
The other option, economic collapse and all the horrors that come with a failed state, and the opportunistic foreign forces that will follow to take kinetic control. Americans need to realize that the post WW2 golden age ended with the hard stop of 9/11. Then, like a duck shot out of the sky we began plummeting back to Earth.
I am reminded of an analysis by Chiun from "The Destroyer" series when considering the United States and rolling his eyes at Remo's patriotism:
"All empires die. The question is whether it is by the sword or the worm. Death by the sword is more honorable."
I would suggest that government debt does have a useful purpose, for it enables governments to spend more than they earn in an emergency situation, to keep the country and its economy going. E.g. in wartime, a country that can borrow can fund an increase in the size of its armed forces and the materiel to equip it that it wouldn't be able to afford during times of peace.
The problem throughout much of the west in recent decades, is that the default position outside of emergencies has been for governments to operate at a deficit. Consequently, the debt built up during emergencies is never repaid, and the total debt owed only ever goes up.
In order for emergency borrowing to be sustainable in the long run, the default non-emergency position for governments needs to be a budget surplus. This isn't going to be a painless transition. Governments won't be able to tax their way into a surplus. They are going to have to cut spending. That won't be easy, especially in countries with governments that are inclined to roll over and give in to union demands. In particular governments aren't inclined to do significant damage to the finances of those sections of society that reliably vote, for they may vote for one of the opposition parties' candidate at the next election in response.
My biggest wish with all this, however, is that Trump can figure out how to make all these changes permanent AND stop the Dems from changing it all back when they successfully steal their next election. Can we find enough patriots in the Senate to pass these changes into law so they cannot just easily be swept away like presidential directives can?
Because I read you, Larry Correa, and a few others I am firmly based in the reality that as we currently live is nonsubstainable. I truly wonder what the match is, or what exactly will cause the bottom to drop out. We have very intelligent people raising the alarm, but there are no answers on how to resolve, plan, or make ready. Yes I would love God, Aliens, or something would step in, but that is wishful thinking. Right now I just see senators, congressmen and women doing a grift. I am just unsure how long the grift can last.