Friday, March 13, 2009

Benefiting at another’s expense

I just got my paycheck today and saw that I am about $20 richer than I was last pay period, before Obama’s stimulus package went into effect. My unemployed husband and I sometimes struggle to make ends meet, so any extra money that comes in truly is a blessing from the Lord.

But I am not doing cartwheels. Why? Because two of my friends, a married couple with two incomes, are paying dearly for the tax break I was given, to the tune of a $7,000 tax increase per year. Small business owners also are footing the bill for Obama’s apparent largess.

In addition, my friends’ children and grandchildren will be paying for Obama’s $800 billion in deficit spending for years to come.

Currently, U.S. federal debt obligations exceed the Gross Domestic Product not just of the United States, but of the entire world. “The total U.S. obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits to be paid in the future, effectively have placed the U.S. government in bankruptcy, even before new continuing social welfare obligations embedded in the massive spending plan are taken into account,” says economist John Williams, quoted in WorldNetDaily.

“In the seven years of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Practices) reporting, we have seen an annual average deficit in excess of $4 trillion, which could not be possibly covered by any form of taxation," says Williams.

“Put simply, there is no way the government can possibly pay for the level of social welfare benefits the federal government has promised unless the government simply prints cash and debases the currency, which the government will increasingly be doing this year,” Williams says.

Last month, Christianity Today’s liveblog cited an anti-stimulus ad that had Christian economic professors among its signatories (“Losing Faith in the Stimulus”). A number of readers attacked the professors for their stand. One person wrote, “I know some people in need are in that position because of their own mistakes and poor choices, but I don’t see that as a Scriptural reason not to reach out in compassion.”

My question is this: how is it “compassionate” to demand that future generations pay for other people’s poor choices? Furthermore, as Christians we need to consider the stewardship implications of passing on such onerous debt to our nation's children.

Would I prefer not to receive that extra 20 bucks every two weeks? Let’s put it this way: I would prefer to live a country where all people are free to keep the fruits of their labors, so it can be saved, invested, spent or given away as each family sees fit.

3 Comments:

Blogger smoothjazzandmore said...

Julie,

You know I'll always be your friend. But this is a topic I have to disagree with you on. The current economic mess has been brewing over the last 8 years. The previous administration bankrolled both wars on credit. The filthy rich has benefited from pro-business policies, while middle class families like you and I suffered.

The economic breakdown is a problem that's not domestic, but global. All economies are inertwined, and we're seeing that happen in this global recession. In order to solve those problems, Americans must learn from their mistakes. That means, not spending money on what they don't have and can't afford. It also means working together on issues such as global warming, reduced dependency on gas & oil.

Hard decisions are also going to have to be made, as well. That means Americans are going to have to pay more taxes to fix the infrastructure. I don't like it, but the problems can't be ignored anymore.

Though I no longer live in the United States, I still maintain my citizenship. I still pay US taxes. I also see how other governments, namely the Canadians, work. I love the fact that I don't have to pay for my health care. Sure, I don't like having to be put on a waiting list for services. But, it's better than paying $30,000 hospital bills!

peace, out!

Mike

March 13, 2009 1:50 PM  
Blogger Julie said...

Mike, I totally agree with you that the current mess has been brewing for the past eight years and even before that. In fact, it was the Bush administration and the likes of McCain who laid the foundation for the current unconstitutional bailout by passing the previous bailout of Wall Street fat-cats and by financing what I believe to be an immoral and unconstitutional war with Iraq.

The sad truth is, tax increases are not going to make this problem go away. The link I included to the WorldNetDaily article makes that abundantly clear, but perhaps you didn’t have time to read it.

My family lived through Nazi Germany and saw the effects of hyperinflation, which paved the way for Hitler’s rise to power. This is exactly where we are headed through BOTH parties’ unconstitutional and immoral spending policies. Someday when it costs Americans an entire paycheck to pay for a loaf of bread, you’ll see what I mean. This is what happened in Germany when the printing presses went wild printing worthless currency.

I hope you will feel just as hopeful about our government's irresponsible spending when Americans lose their pensions and Social Security is gone, which will be the inevitable result of current policies.

March 13, 2009 2:27 PM  
Blogger Innocent Smith said...

Hey, I randomly found your blog today and I'm glad that I did. Very interesting stuff. I'm a conservative blogger and seminary student in Chicago (rjmoeller.com). Keep up the good work!

July 06, 2009 9:11 PM  

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