OT the biggest threat to the US is what does it matter?

Freebies will always garner more support than having to work for what you want. Unfortunately, most that take the freebies are fine with staying where they are in the social structure of this country. The small numbers that use the freebies (God bless them) to work and succeed at climbing the ladder of success, just aren't enough to out weigh the freebieloaders.

@ $hark...you may be a millionaire in pesos

I agree that most Americans are generally "in it for themselves" but that isn't the same thing as not caring about the future. Most Americans are amazing hypocrites, we care about the future, so long as the burden falls on someone else (so you yourself don't have to sacrifice anything).

Well 3 Americans risked their lives to take down a terrorist. There's still hope for us.

I guess you could say a vote for a socialist is a vote for future shared sacrifice for everyone in the country as our dollars buy less and less. The price of oil and gas dropping was due to private enterprise working on private lands. Obama blocked development on public lands.

I read an article today that said someone would like to make a business offer.
you start a business. your partner gives you no capital. he gives you all kinds of rules you must follow.
He will take half of whatever you make each year and also you will have to pay him 12% of whatever you pay your employees. That's fair compensation to pay for all the rules he will make for you. If you decide to cash out or die. then he'll also take 50% of whatever assets you have left. Think this isn't fair? Well that would explain why there aren't as many jobs in the US because the partner is your government.

sharkhunter,

Well stated!

In reality, the Fed budget doesn't matter all that much outside of a political bargaining chip. The interest on our debt is the smallest % of our GDP since the early 70's so the only way the US could default is if congress decides to willingly not pay our bills.

State budgets are another matter; here in IL we've dug a VERY deep hole, and struggle even to pay the interest. I agree people should be paying more attention, but the fact we kicked out the Democratic governer last election shows that 'business as usual' won't fly any more.

I read an article about Somalia and other countries with no taxes or rules and they are all falling apart

Does over half the population vote?

Our political system is fucked. Most people don't know who or what they're really voting for.

Do you realize entitlement spending required to be paid in the future is over 98 trillion dollars? That's above and beyond the existing debt. Do you think our government is going to pay out all that? I believe 98 trillion is the projected shortfall between expected revenue and future liabilities our government owes everyone when it comes time to pay social security, Medicare, etc. If our government was going to have enough funds to pay it all, not a problem at all. Alan Greenspan himself was saying the other day that it is a problem that needs to be addressed. Actually I'm ok with eliminating the income limit for collecting the taxes. I heard that would go a long way towards reducing the shortfall. Benefits will likely get cut too. Hopefully just for those under 38.

That's roughly a million dollars per family of 4 in the US that you will owe. Hope you have it because our government will have to take it from everyone to pay it out.
The existing debt is like a drop in the bucket compared to required future spending.

The problem only gets worse the longer everyone ignores it unless you could grow the economy as fast as 8% GDP growth per year. Then we're good.

As Winston Churchill once said: "When more than 50% of the populace relies on government for their support, democracy is doomed." Put together welfare folks, Hud recipients, government workers and the rats called immigrants and we are doomed. By the way - immigrants collect public benefits at a rate of 75% of their population so the liberals claim that immigrants are an economic boom is simply a lie those morons tell each other. Until we end all immigration and remove all illegals we continue on the path to disaster. Liberalism is nothing more than the suicide of western civilization. Look at Europe, because it won't be like it is now in 10 years.

"Look at Europe, because it won't be like it is now in 10 years."

Right? Western Europeans are the worst libtards ever. Just think about average American liberal and then imagine someone who is million times worse and voila - you will get nice example of typical EU-trash whose favorite words are "bigot","tolerance","multiculturalism", etc. If you don't feel like giving half of your income to feed social benefits seekers, most of them just "happen" to be Muslims, then you are intolerant, racist pig, lmao.

They didn't mind overthrowing of Assad at all. Although considering nature of Middle East, they simply need dictators to control them and prevent them from murdering each other and getting radicalized. But of course, now tens of thousands of people are running away after his reign was destabilized. And not that Europe didn't have issues with Arabs/Muslims before this new wave of refugees. Btw, they don't even bother with asking asylum from East European members of EU and try get straight into Germany and France. Lithiania, Poland, Bulgaria etc are definitely safe, so why not? Ah, yeah, I forgot, you have to work there instead of living off benefits. Grr, so happy that Russia has vise regime with Euro Union. Although we are too poor and cold to have Middle Eastern Islamists trying to sneak to us but still.:)

I would love to watch liberals wriggling when it's their daughters getting groped and propositioned on the streets by sexually frustrated newcomers.:)

But sorry, it is completely different subject from original topic.

^^^ No, it's not. It's a lesson that should be learned in the US, but this administration looks blindly on it. Why do you think Trump is winning talking about immigration and all.

Well, I meant that immigration issues in W.Europe have different roots from ones in U.S. but yeah, I see where you are coming from. Trump's case is a perfect example of how you can't even mention this subject without being labeled a racist, sigh.