Last Tuesday’s “Heard Elsewhere” from The New York Times, “A cruel Republican budget,” promotes a very irresponsible ethic, namely a “give me everything” attitude. The United States cannot continue in that way if we are to remain a successful long-term democracy.
While people in the middle class typically tend to believe in an altruistic, fair-play agenda, citizens are unable to continue living beyond their means indefinitely. I’m sorry, but if a person cannot afford good housing, medical care and enjoyable pastimes, then that person just should not have them.
Unfortunate circumstances dog some folks in every society, but humanity is unable to cope with subsequent potential overloads on our resources — it’s that simple. The U.S. economy has been very wealthy since the end of World War II and our lifestyle has reflected appropriate social and private indulgences as a result. But times have radically changed in this country and the world. If we continue to follow a fiscal course that emulates places such as Greece, Spain and even Great Britain, it is over for us as an affluent and leading nation.
We need to wake up and “bite the bullet” using some self discipline. It is not all sunshine, candy and fun times out there. Let’s be responsible adults when making economic and political choices for our own future’s sake. Paul Ryan’s proposal is a start, even if imperfect, and I do not care what political party he represents.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy