America's Credit Cards are Maxed Out

To explain complicated situations, good teachers use simple illustrations to open the minds of students. Please allow me to employ that well known and successful teaching technique.

My dear Aunt Mae had made many poor decisions in her life and was destitute. How's that for being compassionate and politically correct? On one visit to her apartment, my mom and I interrupted her as she was preparing for a visit to her doctor. She left just a few minutes later, so we went home.

About three weeks after that, my brother needed to visit a physician. The car we were in bucked badly as it climbed a very steep hill right next to Brown University in Providence. My mom mentioned the car needed new spark plugs but she couldn't afford them.

So what's the point?

Well, what I didn't mention in this little trip down memory lane was when my aunt left her apartment, a cab driver whisked her to her doctor's office door. I was just a kid, and I didn't understand taxis and all. I thought her cab ride was free. Aunt Mae may have thought the same thing.

Unfortunately, our country is filling up with millions of Aunt Maes. Now, however, I do understand that cab rides (and anything else the government provides) must be paid for by extorting funds from taxpayers who actually get up in the morning when their backs ache, endure unpleasant traffic, work for bosses that aren't always congenial, and pleasantly converse with customers who may be rude or verbally abusive.

I'm sorry; that's not true. There is an alternative. It's called deficit spending. Our short-sighted, federal politicians simply borrow against future, not yet extorted taxes. No one feels any pain and everything, well nearly everything, we insatiable citizens demand gets done.

It's very addictive; I know of no government that fails to do it. Do you? But what has been the historic outcome of these experiments with debt? As a matter-of-fact, every single nation that has deficit spent, through the printing of fiat money, (which is what America excels at) has ultimately defaulted on its debt.

Let me repeat that using simpler words. No nation has ever paid off its national debt. Not one! Can you say Greece?

But this is America; we will.

Up until the Obama administration, the federal government's longest-running, consecutive deficit spending spree was 11 months. February marked the 41st consecutive month that our government, under this fiscally incompetent president, continued driving our nation toward the bankruptcy cliff.

Now for the liberals: 11 months of consecutive deficit spending is bad. Forty-one consecutive months is, obviously, worse than 11. But worse by a large margin.

Since Barack Obama was the Senate's most liberal senator, should anyone be surprised that he has turned out to be our most liberal president?

For years now, America has metaphorically paid its Visa card with its MasterCard, and both of those with its American Express card. All of the cards are now maxed out, and everyone knows all the checks are rubber. It's time to default; we can't pay the piper.

Walt Osterman is the author of Not Home Yet: A Tale Concerning Israel's Rebirth. He served in Vietnam and is a Bronze Star recipient. He lives in Wyoming.