Re: One way the government can help the economy, AND us

America In Need And What We Can Do About It Op-Ed

10-3-08

Despite the fact that this country has been bashed by global socialism for many decades, the United States is one of the most generous countries in the world.

Americans have fought for freedom around the globe and supported poor and developing countries more than anyone else.

Some of it was due to the natural generousity of so many of the American people.

Be it in times of war, famine, or tyranny, America has almost always come to the aid of others in dire need.

Some of it was due to criticism by those who subscribe to this philosophy:

?From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.?

- Karl Marx

The rest of the world has long criticized America for being the ?haves?, and not asked, but demanded that we share what we have with those in ?need?.

It's often been the policy of this country to succumb to such altruistic guilt-trips and dole out the foreign aid.

Well now, here we are in 2008 and the American economy has crashed.

It happened essentially because many of the protections that were added after the Great Depression were repealed, along with many of the common sense rules that were developed over the years for securing credit.

It also happened because people who were investing their money, often their entire retirement life savings nest eggs, weren't careful who they invested it with, and what the terms of such investments were. Many people are great at earning money but don't have a clue when it comes to safely investing it.

So eventually the situation developed where they may as well have been handing their life savings over to gamblers who were headed for Vegas with their money. That's how screwed up things got.

Many Americans also had no knowledge of how to successfully cope with the job losses from outsourcing. They found themselves at middle age, with no marketable skills. But the real estate market was hot, so they started making livings by flipping homes, and some began simply living on borrowed money, but that can only go on for so long, then like a house of cards, it came tumbling down hard.

Well now America is in need.

No one even knows how much it will take to ?bail out? this mess. The current government estimates have been $700 billion. To make that more poignant, that's $700,000,000,000, or seven hundred thousand million, if someone was writing a check that large. It's mind boggling.

"A billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon we're talking about real money." - Senator Everett Dirksen

"It's not fair to say that Congress spends money like a drunk sailor. At least the sailor is spending his own money!" - President Ronald Reagan

For most of us, for the first time in our lifetimes, the fact has to sink in that America is in dire need.

So the nation needs ?bailing out?. But where will the money come from?

Current economists' estimates say that this ?bailout? will cost every American between $20,000 and $30,000 of debt. Whew. The first house I bought in the early '70's, cost $27,000 and my monthly payments were about $175 a month for 30 years, if I recall.

So now that America is in dire need, shouldn't we turn to our ?friends? around the world for help? You know, the people in all those nations that we've defended the liberty of for so many decades, and sent money and food to when they were starving, or had horrible natural disasters, or suffered terrible tyranny?

Should we not be shy about asking for their help now that we need it?

?gFrom each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.?, right?

Do you suppose that perhaps the U.N. could convene and come up with that $700 billion or so, to help us out? I mean, spread out over the entire world's population of 6 billion people, that wouldn't be much to ask, would it? Why that's only about $117 per man woman and child. Surely they would all want to help us poor Americans who could face financial disaster worse than in the Great Depression if we're not ?bailed out?, right?

I wouldn't hold my breath. For the United Nations? ( coldly snickering )

So back to reality now. Where will this money come from? We can't be reasonably expected to burden future generations of American children with such a huge debt. ( In case you'd missed it, our government recently extended the debt limits for themselves, to $12 TRILLION. )

According to

it took the entire history of the United States before 1982 to accumulate the first trillion of debt.

So how can we manage this, without burdening ourselves and future generations?

There's a very old saying that ?charity begins at home?.

According to

?gOf the $122.8 billion of foreign aid provided by Americans in 2005 (the most current data available), $95.5 billion, or 79 percent, came from private foundations, corporations, voluntary organizations, universities, religious organizations and individuals, says the annual Index of Global Philanthropy.?

So Americans contributed a total of $122.8 billion of foreign aid in

2005.

If the rest of the world isn't going to follow the doctrines of comrade Marx, perhaps we should reconsider our giving, and let charity begin at home for America. That $122.8 billion would sure make a dent in the $700 billion bailout. In fact it could pay of that debt in 6 years, all by itself.

But wait.

If we consider the fact that the United States has been paying for the defense of Europe, Japan and South Korea for many decades ( how long ago did those wars end? ), despite the fact that these are developed nations now and could certainly pay for their own defense, why I think that we could pay off this huge bailout debt in far less than 6 years, don't you?

And think about it, are these nations all lining up to help the United States now, in our time of need? No?

So why should we be footing the bill for their defense after all these years? Let them pay their own way!

Is it possible that this crisis could be solved in far more imaginative and creative ways now?

Americans in need should want to know.