$36,000,000,000,000 and counting…

In a recent commentary Judd Garrett illustrated how our national debt is analogous to a family with $100,000 of income carrying $600,000 of credit card debt and making minimum monthly payments.  Incomprehensible, right?  And just as incomprehensible are those individuals who actually believe we only need to balance the budget to right our fiscal ship of state.

“Only”balancing a budget” that now spends $1,800,000,000,000 more than it takes in?  Geez, balancing the budget alone would be Herculean task.  Now don’t get me wrong, a balanced budget would be an excellent start, but just  “balancing” the budget doesn’t pay down a $36,000,000,000,000 debt.  Nonetheless, the democrats in congress and the legacy media continue to criticize the heartlessness of DOGE with sob stories on social media about federal workers losing their jobs, or the national parks being understaffed, etc., etc.

If that hypothetical family carrying a $600,000 credit card debt actually existed, it would necessitate eliminating all unnecessary spending and dramatically reducing necessary spending.  Think about that for a moment.  Thermostats would have to be turned down, car-pooling would become essential, cable TV would have to be eliminated, no more Amazon shopping, and all the family’s clothing would have to be purchased at outlet or second hand stores; vacations would be out of the question and hand-me-downs for kids would be the order of the day.

So, how did what is ostensibly the wealthiest nation on earth get to this point?  Each party will blame the other, so perhaps we should look to the Founding and how the lack of a crystal ball kept the Founders from seeing into the future.  As a whole, the Founders did not anticipate the rise of “career politicians.”  Their collective vision was for a system where public service was a temporary duty, and after serving, individuals would return to their regular professions, such as farming, law, or business.  But even so, the Founders were justifiably concerned about long-term politicians becoming disconnected from their constituencies and more susceptible to corruption and self-interest and boy did they get that right.

Meanwhile, over the decades our federal government expanded, and political parties became more structured resulting multiple terms for many politicians.  Also, the introduction of salaries for Congress in 1855 coupled with the increasing complexity of governance made long-term service more common, and by the middle of the 19th century, career politicians had become the norm.

Jefferson in particular believed in the idea of citizen legislators and was wary of career politicians.  He saw political service as a temporary duty rather than a lifelong profession and was an advocate of frequent turnover in government.  He feared that if politicians stayed in office too long, they would become corrupt and disconnected from the people and once wrote:

“I dislike, and strongly dislike, the abandonment in every instance of the principle of rotation in office, and most particularly in the case of the President. That office, when once obtained, will be so much sought after that it will be difficult to restrain it to a reasonable term.”

Jefferson idealized the idea of the independent, self-sufficient farmer as the foundation of American democracy. He believed that those engaged in agriculture (rather than business or banking) were the best suited to govern because they were less prone to corruption.  In his 1787 book Notes on the State of Virginia, he wrote:  “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people, whose breasts he has made his peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue.”  His vision was simple, i.e., that public officials should serve temporarily and then return to their work as farmers, merchants, or craftsmen. He feared if politics became a career, it would create a ruling elite separate from the common people and warned repeatedly against a government dominated by the same individuals for extended periods.

Jefferson followed his own philosophy by retiring to Monticello after serving two terms as president (1801–1809).  Both his writings and actions he reinforced the idea that political office was a duty, not a profession.  But what we as a nation have voted for are career politicians who prioritize personal gain, special interests, and remaining in office for as long as possible.  There’s a reason more than 60% of the members of congress are millionaires including  a number of multi-multi-millionaires.

Which brings us to the Trump administration and DOGE.  Through years of mismanagement, waste, fraud and abuse, the United States has reached its fiscal tipping point.  And for those still unclear about our current trajectory, a tipping point refers to that moment in time when a gradual change reaches a critical threshold, leading to an irreversible shift.  And once a tipping point is reached, radical change not only accelerates it becomes inevitable.

I’m not an economist, but I am smart enough to understand that we are in unchartered territory – no nation in history has ever been $36,000,000,000,000 in debt.  And if the Trump administration can’t turn this ship of state around, it’s a pretty safe bet that inflation will become hyper-inflation coupled with a strong possibility of currency devaluation and economic recession or even depression with its attendant layoffs and business closures.

So, in spite of the caterwauling by the democrats who criticize DOGE at every turn saying that DOGE is encroaching upon what is the responsibility of congress, why in the world would a sane electorate be put our faith in a congress, that over the years has put the nation “on the brink” by saddling us with a $36,000,000,000,000 debt?

Quote of the day: “A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation.” – James Freeman Clarke