Do You Ever Feel Ashamed for What We Are Handing to Our Children?

Momofmany..you hit it on the head. It reminds me of the song of St. Francis.. "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."
One person CAN make a difference. We must never underestimate that truth.
GO, FIGHT, WIN!! (great line from the movie The Incredibles)

I feel shame only for what I personally have (or haven't) done and I didn't create this mess.
I work, save, live well within my means, only debt we have is the mortgage, had only the number of children I could financially support (one), etc.
There is nothing I could have done differently that would have had the least effect on the national debt.
I'm never going to see a million dollars, much less a billion and 'trillions' is so theoretically out there it's more than my mind can grasp.
When my Mom was growing up - it was the Great Depression and nuclear bombs that were the big worries.
I remember news reports about Vietnam and the draft when I was growing up.
Every generation has something that presses down and causes worry.
Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and try not to worry.

I often see moms comparing our national debt to their household budget, and being perplexed about why the USA can't simply pay off its debts and live within a budget. I'd need too many column inches to talk about the reasons for the national budget ceiling being raised every year, but some of the reasons are valid, in my understanding, and many are far less so.

In a nutshell, though, the main legitimate reason to raise the debt ceiling is to pay off the previous year's spending. Not raising the ceiling is essentially refusing to honor existing debts, which has a negative impact on our ability to continue to trade with other nations or maintain a respectable credit rating.

Our current administration needed to increase the national debt to stimulate the economy and prevent a recession, because the economy was already on fire when it was handed over. Economic experts generally agree that this worked, though at great cost, and some believe the dollars spent could have been more effectively used than rescuing big banks and major industries.

The banks have paid back most of their stimulus money, with interest. However, they have failed to use much of the stimulus money to help relieve the housing crisis, which has now mushroomed into a major economic panic that has spread around the world. Ten million homeowners were supposed to benefit from that infusion of money. Fewer than a million have actually been helped. The banks have used the stimulus money to build their profits and their reserves, not help their mortgage holders. And now every industrialized nation is struggling with the aftereffects of our nation's bad behavior, and I do feel worried and embarrassed about that.

Previous administrations have increased our national debt by engaging in wars that were over and above the current year's budget, and had to be figured into subsequent budgets. Wars, Social Security, and Medicare are the big three national expenses.

However, wars are THE big unfunded issue. Most citizens have paid in advance for their SS benefits during their working lives, and have paid taxes for their whole lives on the understanding that some of these taxes would eventually help pay for a health policy in their retirement years. Basic Medicare is taxpayer-funded, as I understand it, but supplemental coverage is paid for by each individual. My husband has just qualified for Medicare, and he's still paying nearly what he paid for a private insurance policy, but without impossibly high deductibles. He also started receiving SS benefits when he turned 65. I will have to wait till I'm 66 to qualify – one of the ways the system has been tweaked to help it remain viable.

But Congress started dipping into the SS funds to pay for other projects, like undeclared wars, years ago. Those funds were supposed to be held in trust for the taxpayers who paid them. That trust was broken, and now some legislators want to undo the rest of the social security system. Fine, but can I have back some of that money I've paid in all my life so I can pay for the health care I need now? And what, pray tell, am I supposed to retire on? Medical expenses will soon finish off our life savings, and we'll be dipping into our personal retirement accounts, not to live on, but to keep me alive.

So, look at the ultimate effect of policies like these on our families, like my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. What will they do when their parents run out of money? Will they stand by and wait for us to die of treatable illnesses? Will they watch us get turned out of our homes? Or will they pitch in and pay more out of their own budgets when the old folks' resources are depleted? What will happen in millions of similar families across the nation?

I predict that the upheaval that's coming will be severe. And exceedingly expensive, in both dollars and lives. Families who are very well fixed financially won't feel too much strain, perhaps, but the 99% of us who have done our best all our lives, made the best choices we had available to us, worked industriously and saved, and then had promises broken and the rules changed after years of planning and contributing, will be hit hard. Are already being hit hard. And some people are already homeless, living in their cars or on friends' couches, or dying for lack of affordable medical care.

Rearranging the tax code to equalize the playing field a bit would be far less catastrophic, and far less expensive. And we could begin to pay down the national debt. The people who have benefited the most from our national policies have in previous generations been expected to pay higher taxes for the privileges and advantages they have received. But now they call the 99% of us the "entitled" ones. Wrong. The wealthy are the ones who are behaving as if they are entitled.

We are passing on to our children something far more significant than a debt for them to pay off in taxes. We are giving them a system that is already breaking for far too many of us. Corporate greed has sucked millions of Americans' jobs and pensions away, hit the housing market hard, driven up energy and food to where more folks every month have to choose between shelter and food. It is driving relentless health care costs. It is making mortgage adjustments unavailable for those whose homes have lost resale value.

And all the while, those with power and money are benefiting from deregulation and legislative policies. (Added: The wealthiest Americans incomes have risen over 250% over the past three decades. Middle class workers have gone up 40% during the same period. Low income earners have stagnated.)

And now, police in some cities are trying to protect the status quo by attacking people in desperate need with tear gas and rubber bullets.

You bet I am ashamed. And deeply alarmed.

As long as we don't slip into a Theocracy, I think we'll be ok. "Be the change you want to see in the world," has never been truer than now. It also worries me that many Americans can't see beyond their own borders, as if everyone else has it wrong and we are perfect in every way, and there's no need to learn other languages or the point of view of those from other cultures.

A.,
I'm not ashamed of the national debt personally, because I have done absolutely nothing to have caused it. I've worked my tail off since I was 14, went to college, have never been in trouble with the law, haven't so much as called 911 in my lifetime, purchased a house with full income documentation with my husband and have never expected anyone to pay my way because I'm able to take care of myself and I do and hopefully will always be able to.

I'm not ashamed, but petrified for my child and all other children who are our future!

We are where we are, in my opinion, because of our elected officials' decisions (unfunded wars, risky financial de-regulation, corporate welfare that hasn't made sense for decades, rewarding U.S. companies for off-shoring our jobs, rewarding Wall Street/oil speculation and not properly taxing hedge fund earnings -- and yes, giving tax breaks to the very richest of our nation -- those who (let's all be completely honest here) absolutely don't need tax breaks and will always be completely and utterly comfy no matter if they are paying 5% more in taxes or 15% more. They are fine and they always will be. (I am NOT talking about people making $250k, I'm talking about the mega-wealthy)

I was struck by Rick Perry's comment just the other day when he announced his flat tax plan. When the reporter pointed out that his plan would dramatically reduce the tax burdens of the wealthiest people in the United States, saving millions of dollars for some, while raising taxes for poor and middle-class people, his response was
"I don't care about that. If that's what comes, I'll take that criticism."

Whaaaat? You don't care about that? I don't care who in the heck makes a comment like that, from whatever party. That is wrong. This 'everyman for himself' mentality will be the death of this great country. We rise and fall together.

I'd like to see people working in this country so that they can take care of themselves. I'd like everyone to have a shot at being healthy -- hey, if you're healthy, you can be more productive. I'd like the kids across this nation to have a shot at a bright future, by receiving a top quality education, no matter where you live or what your income bracket is. I'd like to focus on jobs for the future. We've fallen terribly behind the other superpowers and are no longer the innovators because we won't put any money behind it.

And do we really need to spend $680 billion a year on defense spending, when the next highest-spending nation (China) spends $165 billion??

In regards to the deficit, I was blown away by an NPR report a few days ago detailing a "secret" document from the Clinton administration. Many, many people in his cabinet lost sleep over it. Apparently, they were in great fear that the national debt would be PAID OFF! Because if it's paid off, there are no more U.S. treasury bonds to sell and this would collapse world markets. Fascinating.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/10/21/141510617/what-...

Added: I see a mention of momsrising.org -- yay! I'm a member and respond to their email campaigns religiously! They were instrumental in getting the CA legislature to ban BPA from childrens' products.

Sure, I'll join the Mom's Block.

A friend of mine wrote this:
"I am all for consumer activism, but I think our generation has made a huge mistake in that we have come to believe that our power as buyers is our greatest power in the economy. We can no longer imagine ourselves as having more power than as a "market", as passive consumers of products, because advertising,the media,market research, education and politics teach us to know ourselves as such. But our greatest power in the economy is our labor, as it always has been. How we spend our finite time on this earth is the most important personal, political, and moral question of our time. We are shareholders in the corporate world, because we give most of it to the generation of wealth for them. Our purchasing power is dwarfed by our "man" power, without which this whole economy would come to a screeching halt in a split second. We are not just the consumers, we are the creators." - Jade

And here's another great quote, "“Thank you for starting a movement. But you have a long way to go. This enemy of ours is not just Wall Street— it’s a whole culture. It’s a way of looking at us, and valuing ourselves and each other. And how you are going to move beyond challenging Wall Street, how you’re going to move to become part of the solution, is not gonna be easy. You’re gonna have to do a lot of thinking. You have to look at how you yourselves have become part of this culture. You’re gonna have to look at how many of you would be happy if you could become part of Wall Street, and become part of the corporations, if they would give you jobs. There’s a long road ahead, because you have the opportunity to create something new, that’s based on completely different values. But you’re gonna have to be thinking about values, and not just about abuses.”
- Grace Lee Boggs, consistently demonstrating how vitally important it is to have brilliant elders who have generations of experience and brilliant strategic minds.

We raise our children to be productive members of society and we tell them that debt is bad. We tell them that they need to be self sufficient and that the government is not there to give them a hand out or a free ride... and then they see people with their hands out getting and getting... what they forget is that the government only has money that they've gotten from the people.
If we can make the general public understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch and the government only gets money from the taxes we all pay, then and only then will the country start to figure it all out.
We live in a country where instant gratification is the norm. If you want a big house, you buy it whether you can afford it or not. The banks let you have the money, but shouldn't have. Now you can't afford your house, but it's my job to bail you out??? I think not.
Our parents waited. Our families had one bathroom and 6 kids. We managed. Some kids had more than others - it's okay to not have it all. My kids learned early that they were not getting everything they asked for -- unlike some of their friends. Heck -- my son is in college and we just got texting!
Right now - socialism is on the horizon and that makes me very very nervous.
I explained socialism to my kids like this: You study hard. You get an A. Joey doesn't study and fools around. He gets an F. The whole class is getting a C because we need to share our grades with Joey... Uhh... I think not!!
It's the same thing with money...
Suzie works hard and makes a good living. Tommy sits home and plays video games. Tommy contacts the government and tells them he has nothing and it's not fair. The government takes part of Suzie's pay and gives it to Tommy because that's fair. Uh... not!! But that's how it works.
This happens every single day in our country.
It's not the government's job to take care of you. It's your job to take care of yourself. This is what I've taught my children.... I can only hope that they can teach their friends and their children when the time comes...
We don't need movements - we need to inject some logic into our daily lives and into those who reside on Pennsylvania Avenue!

LBC

I think the first step is to start at home: eliminate all debt, stop using credit cards, stop financing cars (only purchase with cash or do without), buy smaller homes that you either pay for outright or take no more than a 15 year loan for. In other words, live by example. We are a covetous nation. We want what we don't have and cannot afford. Americans live just like our governement does: overspending way beyond our means. We loathe the idea of sacrificing our current comfort for a future goal. We need to teach our children how to live within our means, which means stopping with the ridiculous designer clothes, leather seats in the cars, new furniture just because we want the Pottery Barn look at home, ski trips, whatever it is that is making us envious of others. When they learn from childhood how to spend (or not!) wisely, then when they are adults and running the country, they will be able to cut the fat and start living within their means. At least moreso than our politicians do today. They are so out of touch with reality. Our government funds things it has no business funding (arts, abortions, foreign aid, education, etc.). Citizens should be funding these things, if they want them funded. Mothers have an incredible opportunity to shape the future of our nation. They always have. Most mothers have abdicated this great responsibility, expecting the government to shape their children by way of public school. You end up with a lot of socialists who will only take our nation into further socialism/statism. Wake up, America! It's nearly too late, but not quite.

Not to sound complacent, but when was the last time the Next Generation was not faced with Past Generation's National Debt? Does anyone know the last time our country was not in debt? (Just out of curiosity, I really would like to know the answer to that question)

Also, 'Movements' really do need a Plan Of Action, an Itinerary. So what do you suggest is the best way to eliminate the national debt?

:)

I think families first have to get out from their own debt. I think the personal debt has risen simultaneously with the national debt...definitely not at the same rate. We are a credit crazy bunch.

I am all for a Moms Movement. Moms seem to know how to get it all done eh?! The MOM Party (and we'd allow dads in too...just as we do here)

But back to the debt. I too live by the motto of "Be the change you want to see in the world" Sooo, we have absolutely no credit card debt in our home. We have a modest mortgage. We get involved in local charities, volunteer at church and at the kids' school and get involved in local politics. I see more change happening realistically when we all work together..but locally.

Good luck and best wishes.

The National Debt has been as follows:
1960's $286 billion
1970's $382 billion
1980's $914 billion
1990's $3.8 trillion
My only point being this country has ALWAYS been in debt and will ALWAYS be in debt as long as we continue running to every other countries aid, whether they need to eat or need protection. It's a pattern that was started long before us and will continue FOREVER. I'm all for your 'movement', but it isn't reality.

Peg, best response I've read to anything in ages. Thank you. If you run for office anytime, let me know because I'd vote for you.

For those serious about wanting to do something, there is a non-partisan grassroots organization called Moms Rising (momsrising.org) that tackles political issues on a national and state level. Some successful past initiatives included lobbying relentlessly for the passage of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (which redressed a terrible, pro-business Supreme Court decision), pushing for certain parts of healthcare reform (particularly regarding health care for children and support for breastfeeding in the workplace), and pushing for consumer safety actions like banning BPA. In my state, we have been working on getting a paid sick leave bill through congress. The group works through petition, letters, a delivering "care packages" to senators and representatives at their offices either at the Capitol or an individual state house. It literally is democracy in action and so gratifying to be a part of something that gets things done. It's a lobby for us - it's not super well funded, but it's better than just griping on the internet or shaking our heads and worrying about things. I urge anyone who is interested in learning more about legislation (and corporate action as well) that affects families and children to check out this organization and if you like what you see, get involved!

Personally I think thefedral gov. Should do what the state of indiana does about it's state debt. See, indiana was in debt once and got out of debt. They then passed a law saying that any debt that was incurred in the future was to be transferred in full to the congress and the senate members seated that term that voted for the debt so they no longer have state debt. Hence they stay in budget or they get kicked with it personally!

I am with you. I am deeply worried about the kind of world we are leaving for our children. Everyone is all about "me and mine," without any understanding that without the social contract, there is no "me and mine." Basic understandings of what it means to be a people are gone, and with it, any sense of responsibility FOR EACH OTHER.

It's all about the bottom line and how much money you have. It's sad.

Well, I do believe the saying:

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world!"

A., A., A.....I'm afraid we don't have the lobbyists to do that, lol....Oh, believe me, I find this very serious and I have come to the conclusion that voting for the lesser of the evils is over and I'm voting for who I think can do the job, period. I, like you, consider myself a libertarian that is on the conservative side but several issues that the liberals claim are really not that liberal and I would (gramatically speaking) call them conservative. It is a scary proposition how we got ourselves in this pickle. If I didn't have faith in God, I would have had lost my mind by now!

Go MMTTBOCOK!

M.

Mom's Movement... I like it!