By Dr. Earl R. Smith II
Chief@ComeOnSense.com
www.ComeOnSense.com
Americans have lost control over the use of the national credit card. As a result their children’s future – and the future of the nation – is being heavily mortgage to interests outside of the country – interests which do not have our interests in mind at all. The Americans – mostly professional politicians, lobbyists and special interests – who are committing this crime against the country and its people – come from both sides of the aisle – republicans and democrats. And they have been committing this crime for decades.
The clear lack of any accountability or assignment of responsibility for the decisions being 
made has accelerated the process. The present political, social and legal environment is perfect for facilitating the process. The proliferation of earmarks, no-bid contracts and fiscally unwise spending has driven the federal budget deficits through the roof. The real tragedy is that most of this damage has been done during an administration which was supposed to be fiscally conservative and a proponent of limited government.
The short-term perspective that has dominated American business for the last several decades is now a central fixture in the fiscal vision of both political parties. Take a moment to consider the impact of that vision on US business. The US automakers are on the verge of bankruptcy – now increasingly looking to their friends in government to bail them out. Their limited vision has produced the most fuel inefficient line of autos in the world – cars they increasingly can’t sell even within the United States. The US financial services industry has lead the world in devising higher and higher risk investment vehicles and, because of that and through unregulated speculation, precipitated the largest and most pervasive financial crisis in human history. Now they are also looking to their friends in the government to bail them out. American manufacturing has been moved off shore in search of cheaper labor – leaving the American worker to fend for themselves. And what do you think will happen as a result – or, more specifically, who do you think will end up with the check for all this adventurism?
The answer should be clear – you will – or, more properly, your children will.
There is a very direct reason why this situation was able to get as far as it has. There has been no accountability for the decisions – no assignment of responsibility – no penalty at all for being either wrong or for selling out the interests of the American people. American politicians can make deals which benefit their supporters – take political campaign contributions in return – and all without any liability except the possibility of not being reelected. And that threat is easily manageable because most of them will find cushy jobs when they are finally turned out or retire from ‘public service’.
The American people need to regain control over the use of the national credit card – and they need to do it as soon as possible. If they don’t, the results will be catastrophic.
- Generations of Americans will live under the crushing burden of mountains of debt;
- American foreign policy will be increasingly dictated by the holders of that debt;
- American influence will decline internationally and the country will be increasingly marginalized;
- The US government will be increasingly relegated to assuming the no-win roles in the world – roles in which there is little chance of prevailing and where the bill for such adventurism is footed by the American taxpayer; and
- We will end up a government of men – dominate mostly off-shore special interests – instead of a government of laws.
The relationship between American citizens and their government is at a tipping point. If they don’t reclaim control over their government – rein in its spending habits – force accountability and fix responsibility – the future of the country is bleak indeed. The process – unless we interrupt it and set it right – will only end when the blood has run out – when the politicians, lobbyists and special interests have drained all there is to drain – have maxed out the national credit card. After trillions of dollars have been shipped overseas, wasted on earmarks, squandered on no-bid contracts, spent on ‘American imperialism’ and distributed to the supporters of both political parties, the special interests will simply go out of business here and move to greener pastures.
And what has made these pastures so green for so long? Deregulation has freed up the politicians and speculators – got the ‘government’ off their backs as regulators while keeping it available for the kinds of bailouts which are the speculators’ safety net. The inattention of the American people has allowed this process to continue – indeed accelerate. The failure of our legal system to punish transgressors – accelerated by the politicization of the Department of Justice – has removed one of the principal threats to the politicians, lobbyists and speculators. In other words, the despoilers have been able to operate with impunity within this new world order.
The founders of our Republic knew that the constitution and the laws of the land were insufficient to protect the liberties and welfare of the citizenry. They knew that elections would not do so either. But they never imagined that Americans would become so inattentive – so domesticated – that they would cease to regard their government with suspicion and as the principal threat to their welfare – their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. But that is precisely what has happened. Americans have chosen fun over freedom. Panem et circenses is the old Roman metaphor for a people choosing food and fun over freedom. It accuses people of giving up their civic duty and following whichever political leader offers to satisfy their decadent desires. But now the era of cheap food and fun has come to an end – and the piper is demanding to be paid. Americans have made a deal with the devil and must break it or the devil will break the country – literally bankrupt it.
Dr. Smith is a political and social theorist who lives in
Georgetown, Washington, DC
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