The Debt Deceit

All talk it seems the past few weeks has been on one thing, and one thing only. That “thing” being the fact that if Congress and the President did not come to an agreement on a debt ceiling increase, that America was going to default on its debts.

This conversation is on its face a somewhat scary proposition, and those profiteers of fear love to have the conversation of the ramifications of Congress not allowing America to go further in debt. A debate over fear is neither rational nor expedient to solve the true crisis regarding our federal debt, though.

For instance, look at your own family situation. This may be a family of 10, a family of 4, or a family of 1; the size of the family really does not matter.

The evaluation of said family is in regard to the finances of any family unit, no matter the makeup of the family. We could even be so generous as to extend this to a corporation or any other institution of any kind.

The evaluation comes in regards to the debt a family, institution, or corporation can feasibly bring upon themselves. We all know that there is a point that it is ludicrous for us to spend beyond as individual families.

Now, sometimes we do find ourselves in situations where we have extended our debt beyond our means to repay. As we do not have the ability to print new currency, as does the federal government, we are forced to reconcile ourselves with the fact that we cannot overspend too far, otherwise, everything we have gained will be lost in an instant.

This is if we consider ourselves to be responsible for the debt we have incurred. I am sure there are some that never intend to repay their debt, so any amount of debt is OK.


But inevitably, all debts need to be paid. And the more we extend beyond our means, the more painful it sometimes becomes to repay these debts. It is much better to control our spending within the means of our present financial capabilities, rather than predict our future financial status and bring new debt into play based on our faulty projection.

This is not anything difficult to understand, it is just common knowledge to living life where monetary transactions are a necessary part of life. We all understand the downside to living far outside our means.

Unfortunately, one of the requirements of an elected official to the House of Representatives, the Senate, or the Presidency, is to immediately purge the brain of any common sense fiscal responsibility. At least it sure appears that this is the case.

And why is it so difficult of a question, to ask our representative government to use some caution in regards to the spending they so freely allow? It is our money, donated to the “holy” cause of supporting the federal government after all.

Just a simple outside look at the debt of the federal government tells any common sense person we are on an unsustainable course in regard to federal spending.

Even the government agency, the GAO (Government Accountability Office) just recently published how unsustainable our current course is at the federal level. Not to be a fearmonger, but this is something we should be concerned about.

How do we reverse course? The GAO lays out a plan, but do we have any politicians with avenues of power serious enough to take up this course?

This is why calling an Article V Convention of States is so important. Congress cannot tighten its belts and cut back on spending in any meaningful way.

In this debt ceiling debate, which may be almost finished as I write this article, the premise of default was completely false in the first place.

We all know how to prioritize when facing the bills we need to pay. We pay the bills that keep the creditors off of our backs and keep the stuff in our garage and house safe. Then we go without, or short pay in other areas as required.

To think that the Treasury Department cannot understand the simplicity of paying the debt first, funding the military second (really the first priority of the federal government), and then paying the liabilities such as Social Security and Medicare that we owe third. Everything else can follow, and when we run out of available funds, the rest just do not get funded.

I am sure the grants to foreign countries can go unpaid. Along with the funding of such projects that the NIH can dream up, along with every other study of useless things petitioned by those who know the federal leviathan is an engorged cow ready for milking.

And so much of the psyche of the American population, which has been impressed upon them by politicians, is that the government should be doing something for me monetarily. And it seems a lot of people are involved with the grift of the federal government.

So much so that we will allow our country to drift toward financial ruin rather than go without some pork served up by Uncle Sam.

Between politicians using our tax dollars as political donations, and people expecting tax dollars to benefit them personally, we have become immoral in our spending at all levels of this country.

But at least there are still people who understand this, and we have Article V in the constitution, and we have Convention of States as a powerful force in bringing this conversation to the American people.

The election of politicians will not bring about fiscal responsibility. Only debating the merits of what is required to force fiscal responsibility upon Washington will save us from the precipice of currency destruction.

It is up to you and me to stop desiring the federal government to give us something, stop asking this of our representatives, but rather continue the push to bring about an Article V Convention of the States.

We must have this conversation outside of Washington. I know the people of America who love their country want to see us prosperous.

Over-taxation to indulge our continued spending is not the way.

Congress does not want to stop writing blank checks. We should at least work to limit how much red ink they can use.

Join those who love America in calling for an Article V Convention of the States, and let your representatives know you expect them to do the same as well.

Let’s move on from current irresponsibility to setting the example for the next generation to follow fiscal restraint.