Disgust too mild a word for our 'leaders' in Washington with the Fiscal Cliff

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- What we witnessed in Washington, DC, over the past few weeks – both in the posturing, unseriousness and sheer disregard for the duties that our elected representatives, including both Congress and the White House, were voted by the American people to handle responsibly –was as despicable as anything I have ever witnessed in federal government.

With what small aspect of the financial health and future of our Nation that remained hanging by the thread now famously titled the “Fiscal Cliff,” our “leaders” chose to wait until beyond the last minute to come up with a deal between the two houses of Congress and the White House. And what they agreed upon was lousy.

Instead of acting with responsibility to solve the major problems that face us, our children and grandchildren that will determine whether we can reassume our position as a fiscally sound nation or keep sliding towards the fiscal insanity that has engulfed the majority of the Western world, they chose politics over principles, ideology over the greater good, weakness over strength and band aids over much-needed major surgery.

I for one could not be more disgusted. I wish I could think of a more powerful term to use to describe my take on this whole debacle.

It is not like the “fiscal cliff” was a blindside. It’s been looming for two years, yet the president and both houses of Congress waited until the last minutes to even begin to address it. Moreover, it represents a sniffle in comparison to the massive financial disease of insolvency that confronts us all.

It is not like the “fiscal cliff” was a blindside. It’s been looming for two years, yet the president and both houses of Congress waited until the last minutes to even begin to address it. Moreover, it represents a sniffle in comparison to the massive financial disease of insolvency that confronts us all.

While the President and the Democrats offer more spending and “stimulus” (yes, and how did that work out in 2009?), the Republicans seem tongue-tied and unable to make a rationale case for the obvious need to cut spending and reform entitlements to bring us to solvency.

We borrow 40 cents for every dollar we spend every day to keep our “big government” promises. The size, scope and cost of the federal government has risen over the last four years beyond anything imaginable. The amount of anti-growth regulations that have been reigning down upon businesses and individuals exceed the imagination.

A trillion dollar a year deficit doesn’t seem to bother our “leaders.” A national debt that has just exceeded $16 trillion and can never be repaid is just a gnat buzzing in their collective ears.

A trillion dollar a year deficit doesn’t seem to bother our “leaders.” A national debt that has just exceeded $16 trillion and can never be repaid is just a gnat buzzing in their collective ears.

For those people who would like to understand what this all means but don’t, may I recommend some excellent reading?

The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek will open your eyes and minds. You might think you are free, but you are being ensnared by big government, collectivist planning and massive debt. If this does not get solved, we are definitely on the road to serfdom.