All that really happened over the weekend was they agreed to talk about the issue of what to do about out of control government spending. The relatively small reductions do nothing to really cut spending. At $3 trillion, or even $4 trillion, all they do is slow the increase. When rates rise again to more normal levels a big piece of the “savings” goes away. The rate of spending vs GDP is not changed by this. We need true reductions, and an improved economy which will drive much more revenue, and an end to the absurd tax system which has become a tangle of confusion and special breaks built up over the years by various members in Congress who were trying to get campaign contributions-read that payoffs- for doing a favor, whether for a specific company or a specific group favored by the left. There is nothing fair about a system where 47% of the people pay zero tax, and the top 10% pay most of the cost of running the government to the benefit of that 47%.

It is clear that the whole difference of what is the overriding philosophy of government which will underpin how the nation is governed in the future, will get decided in November 2012. The country is at a major crossroad in its history. That is what is really going on here. Will we continue all of the unaffordable entitlements and programs for the people who are irresponsible with their own lives and finances, or will we move to a government which is there to provide good services and a safety net for those who genuinely need it. Will we go back to what I was always taught- the individual and not the government is responsible for a citizen’s well being. The government is responsible to provide services that private sector can’t provide and to mount the national defense. It is not there to coddle and support those who will not work when they can, will not save and will not do the things to keep themselves healthy and their children educated and prepared to earn their own living.

If you are part of the 47% who pay no tax and get paid from one of the various entitlement programs, you will scream if you are then told you actually have to pay taxes to continue to enjoy what this country offers, and you will actually have to save money to pay for your retirement. If we had a truly fair tax system, and if individuals were once again made responsible for their own lives, and if entitlements were truly there for those who genuinely need it, then we would have the funds to rebuild the decrepit infrastructure, do pioneering research like DARPA invented the internet, and to keep the country safe from terror and cyber attack.