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The financial system that has been established is failing. The social welfare system that was born after World War II is failing under the weight of spiraling costs. Social order is fraying because of commitments that European governments can no longer afford to keep. The political leadership of the EU is trying desperately trying to paper over the problem, however the contagion continues to spread.
In the United States we have tried to prevent World War III and in the process have spent ourselves into position where our government is reduced to issuing IOUs. The bill has come due, and we are shrinking from the steps necessary to stop the fiscal bleeding. Why are we reluctant to prescribe the treatments necessary to return to fiscal sanity? It is because our elected officials, regardless of the party, are more interested in retaining power and the electorate is not engaged in the process as evidenced by the 5 percent turnout in the last special election here in Texas. We as a people deserve what we get.
So where are we headed, and what can we as a people do about it? We need to get engaged and get engaged now, and we have to look beyond self-interest and think about what is important for the republic. Here are some ideas as to how we can achieve this:
1. Social Security has to be means tested, and the retirement age increased. I see no reason why Bill Gates should draw Social Security benefits.
2. The defense budget can be reduced. We have 600 bases worldwide. Close them. We need to maintain a naval presence to protect the sea lanes that are critical to trade; however, involvement in land engagements in Asia or Europe is now and always has been a bad idea.
3. Understand that the world is multipolar, Turkey and Iran are the emerging powers in the Middle East, and we will do best to align with Turkey, which has the strongest economy and largest army in that area. In Asia, we will not be able to challenge China on the mainland. The Obama administration realizes this, and this is why we have basing agreements now with Australia
4. No amount of foreign aid will get other nations to act against their national interests. So stop open-ended payments to foreign nations, it is a waste of money.
5. Lower tax rates and broaden the base. Everyone should pay for the benefits of citizenship, eliminate deductions and tax all income regardless of the source. There is no reason why GE should have $14 billion in profits and pay no taxes nor that 47 percent of the American people do not pay federal income taxes.
This is a short list; however it is a start.
- Tom Leahy is a Gilmer resident and regular contributor to the Saturday Forum.
I believe his view of things is too shallow.
The US "social welfare" system started after the Great Depression, before WW2. And the New World Order was well-entrenched here long before that. The current financial system is THEIR baby!
The "bill" has not come due! We are being bankrupted by the INTEREST on our borrowing! The banks don't care about the principle on any of their lending to governments. It's the interest payments that they live on. And there is some good evidence that enemies of the Western banking structure are partly responsible for the 2008 US crisis, because they are trying to find ways of starving the Western banks of operating funds. Over-lending to governments is also part of a scheme to put more resources and infrastructure in the hands of the large corporations.
We are not returning to "fiscal sanity" because the Western power structure doesn't want it. It is THEIR power over the United States that they are trying to protect. If we paid back our loans and stopped borrowing, we would regain financial independence, which the European-based power structure does not want.
The electorate is not engaged in the process because it has alienated them. No one in government seems to be working for the public interest any more.
Social Security is a goofy system, but it has little to do with our current problems. It is basically a self-funding system, and was certainly intended to be that.
Ron Paul says we have 900 overseas bases. It is crazy. It obviously has very little to do with US defense efforts. It has a lot to do with protecting the property of wealthy European and US private citizens and corporations. If they want to own property in those countries, they should pay to protect it themselves.
I think Obama is being pushed to militarize the Asian area. I don' t think he really wants to do it. His speeches about it have been very perfunctory.
I am not aware that we are doing a lot of foreign aid, except for disaster recovery. We also give some countries trade protections. But most aid these days is loaned by the World Bank with the involvement of the IMF. And those are basically NWO entities, though they have been strongly supported by the US. They were both established in 1944.
The US income tax system is unconstitutional. It is part of the NWO plan. It does not need reform; it needs demolition.