Sometimes being reminded how bad a situation is can a great motivator to be prudent, and cause one to make the right decisions. At the exact second I am typing this, the U.S. National Debt is at 18 trillion and climbing thousands of dollars each second. What a disaster to see the nation’s financial situation spiraling out of control the way it is.
Right now, the debt per citizen is at $56,426, but the more applicable number is the debt per taxpayer which is at $153,724.
When you are a child, you have a genuinely positive opinion of leaders and systems that are in place. You would never assume that the government is being ran so poorly. When the time comes and you are old enough to realize how flawed the system is, you are disappointed because the only thing we have to work with is so fatally flawed. It’s almost like you are let down by humanity at that point — which actually is a great life lesson for a teenager or young adult.
I think when people see the breakdown of what each current taxpayer theoretically owes, it puts it into perspective for how bad the situation is. People have a hard enough time paying off $10,000 worth of credit card debt, trying to pay down $153,724 is an impossibility. However, I’m talking as if it will ever happen… The debt is only growing and the burden being placed on each taxpayer is only getting worse.
According to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, federal spending grew 12 times faster than median income for 40 years — specifically the years 1970 through 2010. I’m sure the last four years haven’t slowed down, but have only increased. This is something that needs to be brought up more by politicians, however, if it’s not something they are serious about fixing then why address everyone’s attention towards it?!
How discouraging is it to be a prudent saver/investor, and to know that you will never be debt free because Uncle Sam has this ever growing financial mess ran by communists, who are all about “doing good for the people.”
National Debt?
The question is, does the national debt really mean anything or is it some arbitrary number that really never tangibly effects the citizens? Most people don’t really care what the numbers are because everyone is so detached from it. What would it take for people to start caring about government overspending and exponentially growing?
-Stock market crash?
-High unemployment?
-Real estate crash?
-Government shutdowns?
-Currency crisis?
What a minute… all of these things expect the currency crisis have happened, and instead of addressing the real problem, free market and spending cuts get blamed.
I’d like to think that there will be a day of reckoning when there is an implosion in the system. Everyone’s eyes will be opened, and there will be some real fixes that come into play. Unfortunately, if history is any indication of what the future will bring, more of the same will be brought into play, and the ignorant masses will get herded into the direction of wherever the big government agendas want people to go.
I write articles like this because it helps when more people become educated on the topic and are not being led blindly to the slaughter house. I know it’s an uphill battle trying to get people to care because it actually takes a rationale thought to understand why it’s important as opposed to defaulting to some liberal agenda.
Hopefully, as time progresses, movements like Ron Paul and Young Americans For Liberty will catch enough fire to educate people enough for real change to take place.
In the meantime, be prudent and productive…
Prosperous Regards,
Kenneth Ameduri
Chief Editor at CrushTheStreet.com