Heroes 04/20/2011

The people who are trying to cut the federal government spending are falling on hand grenades to save the rest of us.  There is no glory or future for these people. They will be vilified, called baby and grandma killers, respected by very few, and will lose in their bid for re-election.  Like soldiers on the battlefield, they are sacrificing their futures so the rest of us will have one.

The chart below shows how the government attempts to take care of us.  They collect our money, then disperse it on programs we like very much.  The necessary cut backs on these programs will upset us.

It just doesn’t make political sense to cut spending; the government spending has increased above the rate of inflation every year since 1950.  Once the grant, the entitlement, the program, starts to push money out there, nobody wants it to stop.  When somebody tries to stop it, as we will see, the people who benefit from the money flow and those who believe in the sanctity of social programs at all costs, will stop at nothing to block these cuts.

It’s going to get very confrontational during this process and the truth will be hard to find.  Standard & Poors doesn’t even think the government leaders will be able to effectively deal with the problem, it’s that contentious. 

Any changes to reduce Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid will be met with hyperbolic images of suffering and dying seniors, single mothers, kids, veterans, low-income earners. Defense cuts will be met with similar images of soldiers’ families and threats to our security.

And these heart-breaking stories will work.  People will think that without these programs kept as they are the country will turn into Haiti.  People will be convinced by special interests ads and bias news reporting that the very ones who are supporting these cuts are the evil ones who rejoice when people are hurt.

The people who are willing to be threatened and harassed, or marginalized on blogs, news stations, comedy shows, bumper stickers, newspapers, the people who are willing to risk their futures, the people who are willing to put their families through all this are heroes. There is no winning for them.  They deserve our prayers.

The chart is from good.ls