National Debt = $15,000,000,000,000.00

[deacon blues]

Sometime last night our nat'l debt reached $15 trillion. Estimates are at the rate we are going we will reach $16 trillion by next year's elections. The debt was $10 trillion when Obama took office. The increase in debt under his watch is an all time record.

The so-called "Super Committee" is only proposing $1.3 trillion in deficit reduction spread out over 10 years. The president's own bipartisan debt commission (whose proposals he completely ignored) determioned that $4 trillion needed to be reduced immediately. Should the Super Committee fail to cut at least $3 trillion, most experts believe we will be downgraded again by the credit rating agencies.

Folks, we are in serious trouble and our leaders blindly proceed with no integrity or will to do the right thing for our nation and for our future. Look at Europe. They waited until the brink of disaster before takig action. Some think it may be too late.

I wonder if Americans will rise up between now and next year's elections and actually force our leaders to cut spending drastically NOW?

[MawMaw]

I wonder if there is any real solution to paying this astronomical debt?

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Lacey

I wonder if there is any real solution to paying this astronomical debt?

Solution to what? Not going backrupt? Yes. The economy? No but then nobody really said we are in a mess because of the debt

I found it interesting a number of millionaires came forward to Petition congress to increase the tax rate contrary to Republican claims it will hurt us...these guys deny it will

Many of the rich are not business owners anyways, they are executives, actors, musicians, atheletes etc etc...

Im fine with that at least for a while but I think we need to make some incentives to businesses to invest here and hire more.

We need to spend less too or course.

Personally I think the actions of Europe and here in the US of our governments is by design to screw us up

[Nitehawk013]

The bill is that high, yet when anyone proposes that we STOP SPENDING they are mocked.

[deacon blues]

Stop spending! Alter Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid! Repeal Obamacare! End Foreign Aid to countries who don't need it or aren't cooperating with us! Pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan! Drill, Baby, Drill - end dependency on foreign oil! Tap into our Natural Gas resources! Lower taxes for everyone, consumers willnsoend more, businesses will expand and hire, revenues will increase with greayter economic activity!

[Jay]

I agree that we reduce spending sharply, renovate or remove S.S., Medicare, and Medicade, cut redundant bureaucratic agencies, decommission the Deps. of Education, HUD, and others. There are more than a few other places to cut, but you get the idea.

[Praxeas]

Remove SS and Medicare and thousands, perhaps millions will die in weeks

[deacon blues]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Remove SS and Medicare and thousands, perhaps millions will die in weeks

What an over exaggeration!

[Jay]

That is why we must start phasing them out right now. They should be entirely eliminated within the next 25 years. They are not sustainable and are most of the reason that our nation is going bankrupt. It is time that we start taking responsibility for ourselves and our actions. If our decisions are killing us, and we can not afford to get treated, it would make us have to take better care of ourselves. I am convinced that part of the reason we do not take care of ourselves is that for 80+ years we have had the government there to catch us. Sorry, healthcare is an individual responibility not a right.

[Nitehawk013]

The Ryan plan proposed changes to SS and Medicare while allowing complete exemptions for anyone who was 50 or 55 right now. Those people, and those who were already on SS, would not be effected at all. It would attempt to fix the problem for those down the road.

Altering or doing away with SS while exempting those already using it wouldn't hurt anyone.