From: cmk@athena.mit.edu (Charles M Kozierok)
Subject: Re: Death of America
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:04:26 GMT

In article <1992Dec13.195223.26109@oracle.us.oracle.com> kwee@oracle.uucp (Karl Wee) writes:
>cmk@athena.mit.edu (Charles M Kozierok) writes:
>>
>>if you were bill clinton, what would you do?
>>
>Here's what I'm considering: in order to get the deficit down to zero within
>a few years, institute across-the-board, uniform percentage cuts to all programs
>including all entitlements, BY DEFAULT.  Then, the
>President and Congress can discuss what programs are more important than
>what others, and reach consensus as to which programs should be spared some
>cuts and what other programs must be cut deeper by the same amount as the
>"spare".  But across-the-board cuts is the DEFAULT because the debt has
>become the FIRST PRIORITY.
>
>I understand that this would require politicians to do some real work which
>is not what they're good at because we elected those who only know how to
>pander in the first place.  But we have little choice.  The entire population
>must be mobilized and stand ready for sacrifices.  Any sacrifices now (fair
>or unfair) is better than what we'll get if we turn into another Latin America!

thanks for your thoughts. i agree with you. i also am very pessimistic
about the above happening. i honestly think the politicians would rather
let the country continue to slide into decay than bite the bullet
and do something about it.

(at least now we are actually talking about this!)

>>what do you recommend the average joe do to protect him/herself
>>in the future? buy lots of gold?
>
>I'm not good at micro behavior advice.  However, it definitely WILL NOT
>HELP if everybody just rushes to protect himself.  The only solution for
>this great (soon to be once great) country is to make its government
>get its acts together.

yes, but with 95% of the people having their heads in the sand, what
difference does it make if i scream and holler? i'm trying (cf. my
exasperated arguments on a related thread which my opponent summarily
dismisses because he can't answer them), but in the meantime, i think
i have to act to protect myself and my family.

i think of this sort of as Germany in the early 30's -- *i* can see
what's going on but most of the others around don't want to see it
(no, it's not *that* bad (yet)). so those who can see what is happening
have to leave the ostriches behind and do what they can, while at the
same time trying to pull the ostriches' heads from the sand as best
they can.

>
>BTW, please read the new book "Bankruptcy 1995" by Figgie and Swanson.
>They realize the gravity of the situation and have very compelling logic.

i'm going to pick it up.

>I knew this budget is a time bomb but I was still shocked by how serious
>it is.  I didn't know that they're borrowing our social security current
>surplus AND call it revenue to make the budget look better!  I didn't know that
>the interest on the debt is underpaid in such a way each year that we
>get compounding interests and are going up the exponential curve!  I
>also didn't realize the extent to which presidents and the Congress
>use numerical and terminology gimmickry to hide the truth, if only to
>the most unaware (which sounds like most of the voters).  The book makes
>you want to kill the politicians who are destroying our dreams which we
>worked so hard in the past for.  
>
>There is plenty of blame to go around.

but the politicians get the lion's share.

>Academics have indulged in
>esoteric arguments about details and failed to alarm the public in the
>1980's of this obvious problem that works under extremely compelling
>logic.  The media only shows what most viewers want to see and
>currently comprehend.  Most voters focus their attention on football
>games rather than public affairs and allow psychopathic politicians
>to take advantage of them and their FUTURE.
>
>I think we should stop blaming anybody and focus on the solution.
>The situation has gotten so bad that solutions necessary to solve
>the problem on day x are getting worse as x increases.  But we
>still have to swallow a solution.  Now.

what he said...

>
>MOBILIZE NOW OR LOSE YOUR WAY OF LIFE.  TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN LOSE,
>TRY LIVING IN A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY.

i lived in canada. it's not a third world country, but it's working on it.

--
charles
Newsgroups: talk.politics.theory