libramoon's Sharebook 

We have had debt. We have paid debt. We have incurred debt that needs to be paid. Yes, we do need to look at what government spending is and make it more in line with what outcomes we actually want. These are separate issues.

My government has entered into contracts with various suppliers and agents which included promises of various payments. We get a good credit rating to allow us to continue paying off our creditors at a low interest rate, and which encourages further credit because we are known as a good risk. When key members of the family/government get all up in a curmudgeon and imply we have no obligation to pay these debts or that we will just pay what we want, oops. Now there is real suspicion that we are not going to continue to be a good risk. Who would want to lend to us without a much bigger rate of return to offset the risk? Meanwhile, we have a great number of dependents whose lives are based on getting what was promised from the government. Maybe there are ways we could save, have fewer obligations, get better deals for our dollars. Certainly, that ought to be looked into, discussed, better options adopted. That has nothing to do with the debt we have already incurred, and the need to continue borrowing to meet those obligations we have already committed to.

If the money isn't there to pay all the bills, there will be prioritization which may not prioritize what we may think are the real priorities. These are foolish political games with real consequences for real people.

Perhaps we need to tell our reps that we didn't hire them to play on our dime? Many ordinary women do the practical work of budgeting for families, and learn to keep the creditors paid and the kids fed, clothed and otherwise provided for. These jerks in DC, rather then do the work they are outrageously paid for, insist on raging dramatics (what? to make themselves seem relevant?)

Oh, right, the country is in economic crisis so of course what we need from Congress is that they waste our time and resources on a dog and pony show. I guess if you can't give the people bread, give 'em a circus.

This whole debt/deficit thing is all smoke and mirrors. Next boom and with even the slightest sensible management we're back. With all the world changes -- physical, political, every which way, the markets and new technologies are ready to rock and roll. It is only idiocy or old power desperately striving to hang on that gives rise to this whole "share the pain" mantra, when instead we ought to be reaping the benefit.

I, and many others, keep saying: There is no way to save ourselves out of the deficit/debt. The only way out is up. Big new industries with excitement and job growth are on their way every day. The route is not shared pain, but shared endeavor. We need to be educated and open to the new. The only sacrifice to be shared is a manufactured fabrication of the media fog. Rather, it is an abundance of possibility for shared success that we could be working toward, if only we would.

If anyone in DC were serious about deficit reduction and debt payment, they would insist that funding for alternative energy research, start-ups and education be in the mix.

One big way we can improve both lives and funds: prison time ought to be confined to those who have acted violently or who are flight risks during investigation. It ought to, for those who are confined to protect others from their uncontrolled violence, be a place where rehabilitative programs flourish. Nonviolent crimes deserve payment as actual payment -- whether cash, service, a combination, or some other method of extraction.

Social Security is not causing any part of our economic problems, and is in fact ameliorating many of them. Everyone says: "Medicaid and Medicare are not the problem. They are part of the bigger problem of skyrocketing health care costs. " This is, of course, true. So, what is being done or proposed to solve the actual problem?

If people want services they can get together and charge each member of the community to create a pool from which to pay contractors to provide said services. Wait a minute: we already do that -- we call it taxes. Of course the real fix on the revenue end would be to totally revise the tax code to a streamlined, clear, concise, user friendly set of instructions for giving our social structure its cut. Not a job that can be done in under a month, though.