The National Debt

A Weekly Online Publication of the Anonymous Anything Society — November 29, 2017

THE NATIONAL DEBT or Parable of the Great Taxation

With the "gift-giving" season already upon us, none among we voracious consumers wishes to look at our credit card balance, let alone read a lecture about what we as taxpayers are expected to soon contribute to the many divisions of something called "government." This week, I offer up an ancient edict that best explains the process, often termed by its practitioners, "Voodoo Economics."

Lo, some people are fated to be born with an insatiable urge to be elected to public office, whereupon they decide how the rest of humanity (themselves excepted) should be taxed, in return for enjoying the fruits of a democratic society: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, etcetera: meaning, from time to time, a new automobile, or truck, and often, both.

Some ancient prophet decided that "everything has its price," and the words were chiseled onto the base of every public monument, figuratively speaking, since. It must have been between the two times Moses had to bring the 10 commandments down from the mountain top, having thrown the first set down, in disgust.

The amount of the income tax which we are expected to pay is based somewhat, but not entirely on our incomes—but rather, station in life and the amount of political campaign contributions we and our PAC-mates offer up to the voodoo practitioners, as well.

This is especially applicable to those deemed to be relegated to the "middle class." The practitioners wish to do more for them than any other class of beings, but unforeseen difficulties constantly conspire to subvert the good motives and intentions of honest and sacrificial politicians.

George Orwell predicted it in his novel "Animal Farm." "In the future, all beings will be equal, but some, the hogs for example, will be more equal than others."

The Numbers: 2001 is the last year of the Clinton (Democrat Party) administration, that an Annual Federal Budget was balanced; The George W. Bush administration and every administration since has ended up with an annual deficit. The yearly deficit, plus interest, is added to the unpaid National Debt. I suggest that the wording in italics should be added to all of our currency in place of "In God We Trust."

So, before anyone begins applauding, please know (according to Google) that it was during President Andrew Jackson's administration of 1837, one hundred-eighty-years ago, the last time that the United States of America's national debt was zeroed out; was actually paid off.

I heard it on my TV this week, so this mind-numbing number has to be correct: "By the time the forthcoming budget is approved and conveyed to the oval office, the debt of the United States of America will exceed 17 trillion dollars."

Let's try and visualize 17 trillion. It takes one thousand billion to equal one trillion. Each dollar bill is six-inches long, so 10,560 attached in a line would stretch for 1-mile. The planetoid Pluto is 3.67-billion miles at the farthest reach of its orbit from our Sun. Roughly speaking, the diameter of our solar system is 7.34 billion miles. The nearest star, Alpha Centauri (solar system) in our Milky Way galaxy is about 25-trillion miles away. If we were paving the way with dollar bills, we would be over halfway there.

Amen.

Phil Richardson, Observer of the Human Condition and Storyteller. "He goes doddering on into his old age, making a public nuisance of himself."—Joseph Menchen

Our unending thanks to Jim Bromley, who programs our Archive of Prior Commentaries

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