Why don't the voters seem to care about $19 Million Million in national debt: even many of you here?

2016-02-14T17:35:56-05:00

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Feb 14 at 2016 5:42 PM

2016-02-14T17:42:32-05:00

I think it's a number that is so large that it's hard for most people to really grasp it's enormity. Besides, a lot of people are still struggling just to get out of their own debt, so they have more pressing problems to work with. We need to reduce government spending and grow the economy through innovation, to address both those problems.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Feb 14 at 2016 6:18 PM

2016-02-14T18:18:46-05:00

Part of the problem may be that the number is incomprehensible. I remember once being told that some Indians counted one, two, and a heap. A heap was plenty. The largest Roman numeral is a Myriad (10,000) Those of us who have served, especially in the Army, can visualize larger numbers. We can see ranks of 10 x files of 10. A company. A battalion. A regiment. A division. A corps. An Army. But a trillion? A trillion simply isn't real for most. After tiring our brains, we simply dismiss the whole notion as fantasy and decide that the government will just print enough money to pay the debt. Economics is beyond most people. Monetary policy a mystery.

Response by SFC Tyrone Almendarez made Feb 14 at 2016 6:43 PM

2016-02-14T18:43:34-05:00

19 Million? I got that. I'll pay off the national debt.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2016 6:54 PM

2016-02-14T18:54:22-05:00

I do every time I have lessons in logistics in my CGSOC and KBR comes up or when we learn about logistics and we find out that the F-35 is 7 years behind and 60 billion over budget and where our friends, Canada and Austrialia are looking at the F-18 superhornet instead and we are given 1% less pay raise than the civilian sector for COLA because the DOD can't afford me, a reservist, but they can pay other systems that are too expensive.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2016 6:57 PM

2016-02-14T18:57:11-05:00

...or where we are asked to reduce our forces to 450K active and yet our enemies are taunting us worldwide and we are thinking with a peace dividend minded budget and sequestration mindset not thinking we are a few years away from a critical mass defense buildup caused by a national emergency we could have prevented!

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Feb 14 at 2016 6:59 PM

2016-02-14T18:59:09-05:00

Many do. Those that don't care have little knowledge of how the $19T, (you confused some with the million, million, keep it simple for those with limited knowledge of numbers). It will be paid back unless the nation goes into default. All that matters is who pays it back. As long as the ignorant can get everything free (that's a joke), they are fat dumb and happy. The uninformed youth will be pleased for about a decade when they see how it is paid for and the slugs that vote for more free stuff will never know that they had a part in our economic destruction.

Response by SPC Darren Koele made Feb 14 at 2016 7:17 PM

2016-02-14T19:17:18-05:00

There are many ways to look at it.
Some people don't see it as a real number but rather, some type of metaphor fabricated for the political purposes.
Others seem to care less about the number and are more intent on "who is to blame". The democrats blame republicans and the republicans blame democrats. Democrats blame it on military spending and republicans blame it on welfare and other handouts. Again, in the minds of idiots, the number cedes importance to that of "who is at fault, all for the purpose political bickering.
On yet another angle, some have given up hope and though they see the number, figure it is so far gone that we can do nothing about it and have no choice but to ride it to the nation's inevitable collapse.
On the flip side of that, are those who see the number and say it is necessary in order to fund our social programs or military (depending on what side of the political fence you're on).
The are other perceptions (or misperception as the case may be) concerning this number.

The fact is, people don't want to accept it. They don't believe it has any direct Bering on them and their happy little lives. They ignore the fact this very number impacts the economy, job growth, the value of their dollar(their income), cost of living etc.
The fact of the matter is, the politicians of both sides are at fault. They too ignore the debt when pushing their little pet projects through. In short, they don't care so much about the spending but care more about what they spend it on. Our government has a spending problem. It's that simple. It's not a revenue problem, it's not "wealthy are hiding their money" problem, it's not a "corporations are moving themselves, their operations, or their money out of the country" problem. It is simply that the budgets themselves are deficit budgets. Now when you do your budgeting at home, or for your departments at work, or wherever you have a budget to abide by, do you purposely run over that budget? When they say you are getting ten thousand dollars, do you set your budget to spend fifteen's thousand? That is what you government does and has been doing for decades.
Go ahead and blame welfare, wars, the pentagon, etc. So long as they do that, the number will climb and the country will fall.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2016 7:31 PM

2016-02-14T19:31:33-05:00

Bush doubled down on the public debt and liberals were screaming while the grass roots tea party rose in opposition. BO is hell bent on doubling bushs' trillions. Yet, the liberals...crickets now that it's a D in the high chair.

Response by A1C Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2016 9:03 PM

2016-02-14T21:03:25-05:00

I used this to explain it to my kids. Simple and to the point. They don't care because it is beyond comprehension. If you can count 3 bills per second, it would take one person to live 124 lifetimes.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Feb 14 at 2016 9:21 PM

2016-02-14T21:21:42-05:00

I do care, that is why I support John Kasich, Ohio governor, who is the most fiscal conservative of all candidates running. The lack of control on government spending is a top priority of mine.

Response by SSgt Jamie Ritter LeBlanc made Feb 14 at 2016 10:35 PM

2016-02-14T22:35:06-05:00

I don't think that people don't necessarily care. I think people care but we keep voting people(all parties) in who make promises they never keep. The crooked outshine those who actually try to make a difference.

Response by Cpl Mark McMiller made Feb 15 at 2016 12:27 AM

2016-02-15T00:27:47-05:00

Hey, I didn't vote for Obama so don't look at me.

Response by CPO Andy Carrillo, MS made Feb 15 at 2016 4:09 AM

2016-02-15T04:09:32-05:00

For the same reason we shrug our shoulders when the sun farts (CME's)--ain't a damn thing we can do about it but brace and 'standby for heavy rolls' as we prepare to protect ourselves and ours as best we can from looters and other roaches...

Response by SGT Rick Ash made Feb 15 at 2016 7:03 AM

2016-02-15T07:03:23-05:00

I care! And if Obama keeps up with his current tax and spend policies it will be $21 Trillion before he leaves office. We can't even afford to pay the daily interest now. We can recover from most, and maybe all of his damage in 3-4 years but it will take Our Constitution much longer to dry out since he pisses on it every day. I am a 100% Disabled Viet Nam vet and draw SSDI but that's money I paid in. Obama drained the entire SS fund long ago so now it's like a pyramid scheme. The money I get every month comes from what the employed are paying in every week now. For the 93 million Americans that are out of work the "entitlements" are killing us but they deserve support after Unemployment Insurance runs out. How else to shelter and feed their family? Can't be much of a lifestyle but it beats being homeless.
I paid in a lot for 31 years as I was in High Tech Consulting on the Sales side. I had a lot of years above $350K and no years were ever below $250K. Thank the Good Lord I managed to save a bunch of money that is now spread across 11 banks. I am buying silver every month, 40 ounces, and it has started to increase in value as predicted. This month makes 4 years I have been buying silver & gold as a hedge and in case we end up in a barter system.
I keep praying that the 200 generals BHO fired will rally the troops and forcibly remove him from the WH. Please join me in my prayers. If it is His Will, God will save us from Obama completing the "complete transformation" he promised.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 15 at 2016 5:02 PM

2016-02-15T17:02:22-05:00

19 x $1,000,000,000,000 is 19 million milion?

Response by Cpl Bill Johnson made Feb 15 at 2016 11:10 PM

2016-02-15T23:10:29-05:00

I care about it. We need to make reductions in the largest part of our national budget... starting at the DoD

Response by PO1 Cameron Rhyne made Feb 15 at 2016 11:38 PM

2016-02-15T23:38:35-05:00

I think people care, but nobody wants their particular sacred cow touched and nobody wants to raise taxes to compensate. So nothing actually gets done about it.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 16 at 2016 12:11 AM

2016-02-16T00:11:57-05:00

I'm in favor of raising taxes on the rich and eliminating corporate loopholes until we have a balanced budget.