Originally posted by ConSigCor:
...The scaling down of the Welfare State in America is not a question of “if,” but “when.” The status quo is unsustainable.
“Unsustainable” is one of those Washington D.C. words with a history of meaning little -- like Foggy Bottom’s use of “unacceptable.” But unlike unacceptable, unsustainable, when applied to the Welfare State, is a derivative of mathematics -- a major determinant of the wealth of nations....
Even Libertarians don't like to talk about it (probably because it's more fun to talk about abortion :rolleyes: ), but it's a fact. Everyone knows the Fed can't keep printing money forever, but nobody knows how to put the brakes on. So, what will happen when a mother and her children stop getting their EBT cards filled, wealthy farmers and agribusinesses stop getting their subsidies, banks stop getting bailed out, and the Social Security checks stop coming?
In an ideal world, we would handle these things incrementally over time, they way these things were instituted in the first place. But do you think Boehner, or McConnell, or anyone else in Washington has any interest in doing this? Don't make me laugh.
The average life span for a fiat currency is about 27 years. It's been over 40 since the last vestige of the gold standard went away, so the dollar has had a pretty good run. When the dollar finally does collapse under tons of paper, nobody really knows what will happen. But you can bet it won't be pretty.
Onward and upward,
airforce
