The current crop of Congressional leaders has made it clear time and again that they care very little about anything other than keeping their jobs, and as a result the future of the country and the problems that we (future generations of Americans) will inherit are going to be far more difficult to solve. Neither party seems interested in addressing any issue that involves cutting spending, instead choosing to embrace everything that allows them to make promises to spend more money.
The most obvious and potentially disastrous of these spending programs as it currently exists is the social security system, which is poised for insolvency and inevitable collapse. However, the political will to take on the issue does not exist because it is not a politically popular issue, most likely because young voters have failed to stand up for their future and their tax dollars. Politicians in Washington have chosen to gloss over this impending disaster by screaming from the hills about global warming, or another convenient issue that allows them to point fingers at each other at election time.
I was struck recently when I saw a commercial that featured a younger adult standing on railroad tracks as a train barreled down on him. Of course, he stepped clear just in time to avoid the locomotive while simultaneously extolling the virtues of securing the future on behalf of those who are still too young to appreciate the potential problems that would result from inaction, or rather a collective lack of political will and vision to take into account the impact our decisions have on the world once we are but a fleeting memory. However, what caught my attention was not the truth in the underlying message the ad was trying to convey, but rather the fact that the out of control locomotive was meant to represent global warming, which might be a problem that deserves our attention, but it is hardly the most pressing and potentially calamitous issue facing policymakers today.
Certainly it could not reasonably be argued that global warming poses a greater threat to the world of my children than the inevitable collapse of social security, or could it? The Democratic Party has certainly chosen to make global warming a higher priority, refusing to even negotiate changes to the social security system, while simultaneously denouncing anyone who dare question the integrity of the scientists, who insist that humans are to blame for the current rise in CO2 levels in the atmosphere, as dangerously irresponsible.
WHO CARES WHERE THE BLAME LIES!? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Oh, thats right, not a damn thing. Do us all a favor Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, AL GORE; either do something about it, or move on to an issue you are willing to do something about.
How about taking on Social Security? I can understand why Democrats try to suppress the Social Security debate, especially when their party platform is to maintain the current pay-as-you-go system that has created the enormous shortfall in the first place. But unless you are over the age of 50, how can you ignore the reckless disregard shown by Democrats, the party that loves to claim victory among young voters, for the fiscal future of our federal government?
The current popular issue among Democratic presidential hopefuls is universal healthcare, which has become the cornerstone of the Democrat's 2008 campaign platform. I can sympathize with this decision, as it definitely sounds good and if properly articulated it could be a major force behind a Democratic electoral triumph. However, when taking into account the realities of finances and existing social welfare programs, it will be absolutely impossible for the Democrats to win unless they are able to explain how a universal health insurance program will fit into a federal budget that is already taxed beyond sustainable levels.
The most obvious and potentially disastrous of these spending programs as it currently exists is the social security system, which is poised for insolvency and inevitable collapse. However, the political will to take on the issue does not exist because it is not a politically popular issue, most likely because young voters have failed to stand up for their future and their tax dollars. Politicians in Washington have chosen to gloss over this impending disaster by screaming from the hills about global warming, or another convenient issue that allows them to point fingers at each other at election time.
I was struck recently when I saw a commercial that featured a younger adult standing on railroad tracks as a train barreled down on him. Of course, he stepped clear just in time to avoid the locomotive while simultaneously extolling the virtues of securing the future on behalf of those who are still too young to appreciate the potential problems that would result from inaction, or rather a collective lack of political will and vision to take into account the impact our decisions have on the world once we are but a fleeting memory. However, what caught my attention was not the truth in the underlying message the ad was trying to convey, but rather the fact that the out of control locomotive was meant to represent global warming, which might be a problem that deserves our attention, but it is hardly the most pressing and potentially calamitous issue facing policymakers today.
Certainly it could not reasonably be argued that global warming poses a greater threat to the world of my children than the inevitable collapse of social security, or could it? The Democratic Party has certainly chosen to make global warming a higher priority, refusing to even negotiate changes to the social security system, while simultaneously denouncing anyone who dare question the integrity of the scientists, who insist that humans are to blame for the current rise in CO2 levels in the atmosphere, as dangerously irresponsible.
WHO CARES WHERE THE BLAME LIES!? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Oh, thats right, not a damn thing. Do us all a favor Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, AL GORE; either do something about it, or move on to an issue you are willing to do something about.
How about taking on Social Security? I can understand why Democrats try to suppress the Social Security debate, especially when their party platform is to maintain the current pay-as-you-go system that has created the enormous shortfall in the first place. But unless you are over the age of 50, how can you ignore the reckless disregard shown by Democrats, the party that loves to claim victory among young voters, for the fiscal future of our federal government?
The current popular issue among Democratic presidential hopefuls is universal healthcare, which has become the cornerstone of the Democrat's 2008 campaign platform. I can sympathize with this decision, as it definitely sounds good and if properly articulated it could be a major force behind a Democratic electoral triumph. However, when taking into account the realities of finances and existing social welfare programs, it will be absolutely impossible for the Democrats to win unless they are able to explain how a universal health insurance program will fit into a federal budget that is already taxed beyond sustainable levels.
Tags:
1 comment:
"The most obvious and potentially disastrous of these spending programs as it currently exists is" - actually it's the Medicare program, thanks to the Republicans passing a massive giveaway to the pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies known as the prescription drug benefit wherein the government is prohibited from negotiating discounts on drug purchases on behalf of recipients. This is by design, by the way. Loot the Treasury on behalf of the large corporations that fund campaigns with poorly run, obscenely expensive and inefficient programs, thereby "proving" that government can't do anything right, which, in turn, ensures the people will eventually demand that these programs be turned over to the magic of the marketplace (aka, those same large corporations). Got ya coming and going. Thanks for playing along.
Post a Comment