The National Debt

It happens every four years and is a rite of passage for Americans. Every four years, the American citizenry is given the daunting task and responsibility of electing our next President. And a daunting task it is, indeed. It is the power that we are given to democratically elect the person that will guide us forward into the future, into the unknown, and into the unchartered waters, for better or for worse. We should feel fortunate to know that in this country, unlike any other country in the world, the voice of the people (a majority of them) rules supreme. But, really, how much power do we haveall And why is it that less than 50% of eligible voters in the US even bother showing up at the polls? We know that it is not because of long lines, because the polls on Election Day open from 8 am to 8 pm or 9 pm in some states.

The simple truth is that Americans are fed up with the current political system and they don't feel that they have any power at all. Indeed, savvy politicians easily and routinely craft a direct order of the people to go RIGHT, as a direction to go LEFT, and a YES vote as a NO vote. So, in the end what are we left with? We are left in a paralyzing state of having no impact and no influence on the actions of federal government acting on our behalf. We are in essence a caricature of a favorite American pastime celebrated at the end of October. I am speaking of course of Halloween. As we all know, the objective of the game or event is to FOOL SOMEONE OR BE FOOLED YOURSELF. When it comes to a matchup between politicians and elected officials vs. WE THE PEOPLE, we have a terrible record. In baseball terms politicians are batting 6 out of 7.

This time around, it begins anew; it is that time when we again play the game of TRICK OR TREAT. But, WAIT, can we afford to play this game. We are in unprecedented time in our history; the picture looks very bleak because of mounting problems. We have a national debt of 14.1 trillion, the interest on which totals 20% of the entire US government's budget. In other words, 20% of all government expenditures go toward paying interest on the national debt. That's not all folks, it gets worse.

If you ask, how is the US able to pay the interest on its debt? The answer is, IT BORROWS IT (LOL). That's right, folks, the US government is worse than a CRACK ADDICT OR A COCAINE ADDICT. It is completely INSANE, beyond CRAZY, and completely detached from reality. Oh, wait, excuse my mistake, REALITY does not apply to the all-powerful United States Congress and its IMPERIAL SENATE. One thing I know, and many people know this, we are going to be completely BANKRUPT, if we don't stop doing what we are currently doing. There are more graphic and picturesque word I can use about where we are heading if we don't get our government and the IMPERIAL SENATE, to come back to reality. And the question is for the next 14 months are we going to be FOOLED (tricked) or are we going to be treated to a federal government that begins to institute common sense and bring us to fiscal discipline and a long term path to growth and prosperity?

the national debt
budget deficit

Patrick Saint-Jean
http://livehealthyandprosper.biz            Debt Management and Credit Cards: The Balancing Act

Credit card debt is extremely stressful. It can cause not only financial harm but also physical harm. People can become depressed and they can feel hopeless due to the debt issue. If you feel that you need help in your problem with credit cards, you can ask the help from a debt management expert. The first step to paying off your debt is to be organized about yourself and how you look at the bigger picture.

The problem of many people is that they look at the debt issue as independent loans, pretty much like clusters of islands on a treacherous ocean. You need to change this attitude when you are dealing with money. It is necessary to organize your debt as if it is part of your monthly financial responsibilities. If you look at it that way, you will be able to realize that it is possible to make good payment strategies to lessen the balance on all your debts. Use your spreadsheet program on the computer and organize all your bills and debts. Label them accordingly.

Include all the important aspects of the debt including the balance left, the minimum payments that you can make and the interest rate. The interest rate should be organized from high to low with the aim to put more bulk on the higher interest and keep the payments for the lower interest to a minimum. This can help in cutting through your debt and ensuring that all your efforts are heading somewhere. Paying debt should be done in a strategic and logical matter in order to get the best advantage regarding the situation and to keep you on track with your debt payments.

Whenever dealing with debt, one thing you should manage is your mind and attitude about paying them off. Keeping a calm attitude towards loans and debt payments is more advantageous compared to making a big deal out of the issue. You are just making thing a lot more complicated if you start to hyperventilate about paying them off. It is a responsibility anyway so the best way is to go through the process in a calm and composed manner. This will certainly give you the best advantage over the situation.

If you want to have more technical and professional debt management expert for your debts, a debt manager can be able to help you out. You might also want to look at the strategies of other people online. Be positive. Most of America has a problem with debt but with the right attitude and good strategy, even with a small salary, you can still get out of that rut and handle your debt issues and live comfortably.