Do most Americans realize a goodly portion of the 13-fold increase in the national debt since 1981

[indepat]

now resides as wealth of a relatively few whereas the standard of living for most Americans has been stagnant/significantly eroded and further, the Ryan/Boehner budget plan would greatly exacerbate this longstanding burgeoning inequality. :patriot:

[Scuba]

1. Nope. Fox News told 'em Obama gave that money to Acorn. n/t

[Common Sense Party]

2. I thought NPR got it all. n/t

[Scuba]

3. Turns out we're both wrong. It was Planned Parenthood. n/t

[JuniperLea]

6. 90% of the money went to Planned Parenthood...

So they could continue aborting... which is 90% of their business!

[Scuba]

8. Which is just hookers. Thanks for the laugh.

[Permanut]

4. It was the unions, I tell ya...

Or maybe we spent too much on Social Security and Medicare. One of them anyway; I'll check with my brother-in-law and get back to you.

[Chris_Texas]

5. Yes, I think they do

Sadly, republicans have controlled the dialog while the democrats have offered no solutions except more of the same. Nor should this come as any surprise: follow the money.

Both parties are employed (financed) by exactly the same industries. The same holds true for most of the major activist groups -- these too are funded by mega-corporations (they serve a dual purpose: acting as paid adversaries, the "voice of the people," and ensuring that these mega-corps achieve regulatory capture).

And yes, most american's know it. Interestingly, you find the heaviest and thickest blinders among the activists at both ends of the political spectrum, where both democrat and republican party faithful both insist that their guys are not only different, but the opposite of their enemies -- even when they do exactly the same thing, their party does it because they were forced, or with the noblest intent, while the enemy was dragged to it grudgingly, or with nothing but evil in their hearts.

If Exxon-Mobile gives to the Democrats, while BP and Shell give to Republicans, would you assume that the goals of Exxon and the goals of BP are diametrically opposed? If Goldman-Sachs gives to Democrats while Chase and BofA fund republicans, would you conclude that Goldman Sachs is the good guys and Chase the bad? If so, you would be mistaken. More, in many cases, these companies don't even bother with such shallow subterfuge -- and history has shown they have no need to do so. Many give directly to both parties, in many cases gifting back to individual races some portion of the cash that congressman voted to give to them.

And most people know it. They get it completely. They know that there isn't a damn thing they can do about it, and they roll their eyes at the folks on both sides of the spectrum who believe that the politicians they are fighting for are somehow different. So they flip on their mega-corp TV's and watch their mega-corp soma and they hope, they HOPE, that the powers that be will decide to leave them enough scraps to enjoy their lives just a little bit.

[leftstreet]

7. +1

This should be its own OP

Very nicely stated

[JHB]

9. No. If you ask "who owns the debt", most people will likely say "China"

I'd have to look up the numbers, but I think China's share is still in the single digits (if in the double-digits, it's at the low end).

But then, realistic estimates of the national budget and the debt have never been the strong suit of most of the public. Look up comparisons of what people thought the government spent on "welfare" or foreign aid with the actual portions. Not even close.

Media harping is a mental magnifying glass. Things seem bigger if something is being talked about all the time.