The Damage Done

I have always like Fareed Zakaria. He has the capacity to explain, in plain language, fairly complex issues. In this case what he is talking about is not really all that complex: the American debt crisis. I cannot really improve what Zakaria says here, I suggest that you go and read it. His basic points are these: 1. America needs to begin to resolve its extreme deficits within 5 years or it will lose the confidence of the world (not a good thing - despite what the Europhobics may think.) 2. There are some simple fixes: focus on reducing health care costs; eliminate middle class entitlements (mortgage interest deduction), and raise taxes - oh and shave some of the costs from medicare.

However, we will not do these things. Why? Well, I'll let him tell you. "Because we have a political structure in Washington today, that if one side proposes any solution to these problems, the other side does not ask itself: How can we have a compromise that solves this problem? Instead they think: How can we demagogue this issue to fundraise, to win votes, to scare people, to polarize the political climate and gain advantage from it? It's almost that the entire strategy now is how can we take any proposal that anyone makes and turn it into a fundraising opportunity for our extreme wing."

So here is the thing: who is going to fix Washington before they sink the whole county?

You are. How? By not responding to the bullshit your elected representatives are spouting. By taking people out of office who play the games that Zakaria descibes. If you don't do it, who will?

Tags: deficit, budget, taxes, middle class, entitlements

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