Over the weekend, the United States experienced something that nobody thought would ever happen, our credit rating was downgraded by one of the three credit rating agencies from AAA to AA+. While in reality this will not mean all that much, the effect it will have on markets and consumer attitudes is the real test. The biggest reason for this downgrade happening is because of the indecision in government and their inability to agree on anything or compromise effectively to move our country forward. Spending cuts are good, but without tax increases, which polls show are now supported by the majority of Americans, nothing good will happen. One of the areas which no politician wants to even discuss or for that matter address is the ever increasing cost of Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. If these social programs keep on increasing at their current rate, they will eat up the United States' entire GDP by the year 2025. That means that all the money the United States takes in in revenue whether from taxes or some other form will go entirely to funding these social programs. In my mind, these programs should never have been put in place to begin with, but now that we have them, they need to be addressed or else we will face dire consequences in the future. I have talked about this before, but in light of a conversation I had yesterday and our current economic situation, I feel that they need to be addressed again. So what do we do? There is no effective way to scale them back without upsetting someone so what I would propose is entirely ending the programs. From this point forward, no money gets put into either Social Security or Medicare/Medicaid. This means that for everyone who put in money up to this point, they would receive their allotment when they retire whether they be 50 or 25 currently. They would receive a certain amount, but that amount would never increase. Is this fair? Some people would say no, but it is the fairest way to address the issue. People simply continue receiving what they have been if they are retired or receive what they are promised to date in the future, but nothing more.
If we look back to the Great Depression, the worst economic time period in the history of this country, there was no social security or other social programs. It became very hard for people to survive, but being Americans, they drew upon their inner strength, the strength of their families, and most survived through that period learning hard lessons in the process. What has changed today? Americans seem to have lost their inner strength, their ties to their families, and have become increasing dependent on others to support them. We do not know how to support ourselves anymore and as such, when calamity hits, we freak out and look to the government for help. Just because culture has changed, people have become less religious, spend all their money, and don't have family to support them, does that mean they can look to the government to help them survive? If Americans are going through a crisis, that also means government is going through a crisis and as such should not be the shoulder for Americans to lean their head on and get support from. If Americans are making less money and fewer of us have jobs, that means that government is making less in tax revenue and can't support the same programs that they used to. I feel that it is a show of weakness for Americans to run to the government for help. Just because cultural norms change does not mean the government should increase in size and help out more helpless Americans. We as Americans have become a debt-riddled society that likes to spend every penny we make without looking to the future. Why should it be the boon of the government to support all those people who did not take into consideration the fact that they would not be able to work one day and would need some sort of income to support them. I say shame on them for not saving. No matter what income level you are at, there is always the possibility to save money. It may mean making do with less, changing your lifestyle, and curtailing certain activities, but it does not give you the freedom to look to the government for help. Assistance for those in need should come entirely from the community and religious programs. If the community and religious programs do not have enough funding to help, it is not the fault of the government, but rather the fault of the community that has become disengaged with their own community and religious programs. People need to start learning lessons the hard way again and as much as I hate to say it, suffering a little. We need to stop looking to the government for help, for if we keep on looking there and they keep on getting the assistance, then we will all sink into a deep pool of crap.
What we need is for people to start growing backbones again and taking responsibility for their actions. If people wracked up debt beyond anything they can pay for, then they should suffer the consequences. If people were unable to look to the future and put money away for their retirement, they should also suffer. Sorry if it sounds cruel, but its reality. The only people we should be able to rely on for support are our families and community. But with everyone becoming disengaged from their family and community, they are unable to do this when the need arises. Maybe they will finally see that they should have invested a little more time with their family and community or put some money away for the future. I personally have no problem helping my family if the need arises, offering food, shelter, and any support I can if the need was truly there. I do have a problem however, with supporting someone across the country who abandoned his family and have spent every last penny they have. No offense, but my problem is my family and my community, not someone elses'. If there is no one their to support them, then perhaps they should have strengthened the bonds with their family and community instead of separating themselves from everyone and living their life in relative isolation. We need to regain the strength that we as Americans embodied during the Great Depression. We need to find that inner gusto and resolve and stop relying on others to fix our problems. We need to take a stand for ourselves and take responsibility for our actions. The time is now to move forward with a backbone of resolve, not a limp body looking for pity and assistance. Enough is enough.
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