THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

By George Smith

The elephant in the room keeps getting bigger. And no one with any national status is talking about it…at least in any way, shape or form that is breaking through the constant clamor of “COVID-19”.

The elephant? National deficit and debt.

In the past decade, since the “fiscally conservative” Republican Party controlled both houses of Congress from 2010 to 2018 and the presidency since 2017, the debt has increased exponentially.

The last time the federal government had a surplus was under President Bill Clinton. (Go ahead and check. I’ll wait.)

In February 2020, the public debt of the United States was around $23.4 trillion, more than $1.29 trillion more than a year earlier, when it was around $22.1 trillion. (Note: A trillion has 12 zeroes/- $1,000,000,000,000.

And, that does not include the $2.200,000,00,000 just approved in democratic socialist stimulus checks approved this week by a bipartisan vote in both houses.

And, a second round of bailouts for other needy entities, like non-profits will be rolled out soon.

The national debt now stands just shy of $26,000,000,000,000. (1,2,3….12 zeroes. That’s right..) so, I owe more than $69,000 for my share of the debt; my supreme spousal unit also owes that amount. So do our six kids and their kids and the baby born a few minutes ago.

The so-called tax cut in 2017 added $2-plus trillion the debt .. and few in power blinked an eye.

The elephant in the room is sick with a disease with a worse disease than COVID-19. Our elected officials — all those who think the elephant is a “fig newton” of their imagination and will, somehow, some day, just magically vanish — are guilty of dereliction of duty and malignant neglect of their fiduciary responsibilities as gatekeepers of tax dollars.

Of course, in times like these, drastic actions must be taken to preserve the republic.

But when the debt burden becomes too heavy to bear — and it will — the resulting tumult will make the coronavirus pandemic look like a few people with bad allergies.

Count on it. The clock is ticking.

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