What is the role of government? We in this country are still battling the role of government. Health care and social security, two programs benefiting all Americans are constantly being assailed by some as too costly. Universal health care could not be passed because it was too costly, too generous to the American people. However, expenditures for Homeland Security and National Defense have increased substantially, where security cost of the national government are in the trillions of dollars annually. There has been hardly a word in the mainstream media against this spending, despite the fact there is no concrete proof these enormous expenditures are making us safer as a country.
What is so galling is that the discretionary spending, defense, homeland security and the myriad countless agencies cuts are only given token reductions. Who has decreed that the national government become a massive behemoth soaking up and absorbing trillions of dollars? The primary tangible benefits to the American people for government spending are in health care, social security, infrastructure, including roads, bridges and high speed rail. The country requires a justice system that is fair, effective and speedy making our streets, cities, towns, and highways safe 24/7. Yet, despite the national government spending trillions of dollars national decay is everywhere in our infrastructure, roads, and bridges as well as in the lack of high speed rail throughout the country. Both Europe and Asia have had high speed rail for decades, while we Americans rely primarily on the automobile. Diversity in transportation is the solution to reliance on oil and lowering transportation costs for everyone.
Yet our government's commission on deficit reduction aims primarily on what benefits the American people. Maybe reductions in benefits are in order for the American people, but if that is necessary what is more necessary is for the downsizing of our government itself.
If universal health care is too expensive for the American people, then government "cadillac" health insurance for elected representatives and government employees also ought to be eliminated or curtailed.
The mindset of our elected representative and its "National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform" ought to target first and foremost all government discretionary spending. Is it necessary and even desirable for the American people that the national government be reduced in size and scope in order to create a more prosperous and healthy nation. Our national government has been operating on the assumption that its existence, its size and scope, are the primary reasons for taxes and federal spending. The growth of government beyond the health and welfare of the nation has taken precedence over the growth and health of the American people, including their environment.
If social security and health care are a burden for the national government and its two political parties maybe they have mismanaged the resources of the country?
The government's commission on debt and deficits mentioned closing some military bases, which is only a token reduction of defense spending. Another more potent suggestion would be to close at least one military base in Hawaii and turn it over to the remaining native Hawaiians as amends for the illegal overthrow of their monarchy in 1893 by our government, ironically, initiated by some offspring of early missionaries who came to Hawaii to civilize them, and instead appropriated their land. This would be justice as well as a signal that we as a country are serious about debt and deficits.
Raiding social security funds and spending it on the government for decades has never been an issue, never a problem for our politicians and mainstream media. Why is it that universal health cannot be passed and implemented but universal tax incentives for companies to move to foreign countries is acceptable? Why is it acceptable for the government to have universal subsidies for sports stadiums and favorite industries, financially beneficial tax laws and loopholes for anointed industries? Reducing universal oversight and supervision over the financial industry was permitted by our elected officials of both political parties causing a national financial meltdown resulting in in an with almost instantaneous decision to bailout out the financial industry on Wall Street costing the American people countless trillions of dollars. Yet, with all this the government needs primarily to reduce what it provides directly to its citizens.
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