I have noted before, not only in real life but on these rambles as well, the world runs on an economic axis. Nearly everything we do, especially at a macro level has an economic basis or consequence. This not only works in the personal world of everyday life but also in the world of corporate and government finances.
For instance, My Beloved and I recently purchased a new bedroom suite after nearly thirty years. We wanted something new after all this time, but it isn't just always about the want. Whatever we want, we need to be able to afford it. That doesn't mean just leveraging our lives in the hope we will be able to make the payments. If we wanted, we could go out and pay cash for this, but that would also impact savings and financing levels down the line. Living can be expensive whether you are able to afford not only the 'have to have' items like food and shelter, but also the 'want' items, like new bedroom furniture.
So, when you look at the government, what crosses your mind? I know what crosses mine; they spend too much. For instance...
In 1970 the population of the United States was 203.4 million people. That number is from the US Census. The federal budget in that year was 195.3 billion dollars. When you divide that out it comes to spending $96,206 per person in the US.
Contrast that to where we are now. In 2020, the population of the US was 329.5 million people. That is an increase of 161% in the population. The federal expenditures for 2020 was 6.82 trillion dollars. Notice that I didn't use the word budget there. I'm not sure there actually was one. That figure was the total outlay of the federal government. That outlay is an increase of 3492% of what the government spent in 1970. That comes to 2.069 million dollars per person. That is an increase of 2150% of what the government spent per person fifty years ago.
I understand the world is a more expensive place to live than it was fifty years ago. We don't live in a bubble where we can look back on the way it used to be and wonder why it can't be that way again, but I also understand the government shouldn't be in the business of giving everyone anything and everything they ask for. The government is there for the good of the people, not granting the wish list of anyone who asks for something. Programs to keep people from falling through the cracks are one thing, subsidizing life for everyone is something else.
It's time the government begins to prioritize where the money goes, because before long, there won't be any money left that has value. They will just keep printing worthless paper.
They just spend too much.
