Ocean of debt and delusion

It's shockingly ironic, but I disagree. It seems like we stopped talking the moment we found (gasp) common ground.  Whaddya know?  Maybe there is a way to shut us up!

It's obvious that fiscal realism is lacking in both parties.  Democrats, well I don't have to preach to you about their fiscal pipe dreams (that's your role in this blog).  My criticism of Republican economic stances are as varied as their stances. Some pretend to be fiscally conservative in Washington but come back to their state to brag about how much stimulus they dragged back with them, and yet can look us in the camera and claim they aren't hypocrites?  Others truly are fiscally conservative but will never come straight out and admit that lower spending WILL increase hardship for many (short term pain for long term gain, a la Reagan in early 80's, or so the story goes for those that believe it).  That short term pain may well ruin an already tenuous recovery (still without jobs). Are Americans really ready to take that chance today? Let's be brutally honest and admit the risk, OK!  Fiscal conservatism applied at this stage in the game could cause real economic dislocation, more than we've already seen in the last couple of years. Not saying it may not be worth the cost in the long run, but don't underestimate how hard the medicine might go down.

I think we all have seen this graph and know it's unsustainable.  But I believe most Americans have not internalized how much sacrifice is required to undo this level of debt. And I do mean debt. The current defecit is admittedly a large drop in the ocean, but the debt IS the ocean we're drowning in. There will likely have to be both huge spending cuts AND higher taxes to avoid massive inflation.  Who believes that we're gonna have a huge stimulus package recovery (D-Dreaming), or spend our way out of this through lower taxes and business stimulus (R-Dreaming) ? Ain't gonna happen. We both know that Dem & Republican parties lack the backbone to be honest with us about this.  It's far easier for them to claim obstructionism from the other party than to work together to fish us out of the ocean of debt we're in.

Funny, I caught Beck the other day riffin' on the similarities between the state of America today and the USS Titanic.  I guess the whole ocean theme must have sunk in (get it?).

At any rate, I share your frustration.  Not that it's any consolation...