July 13, 2011
July 12, 2011
Momma, How Much is a Trillion?
Okay, so no one asked me this today, but after hearing a little mis-information on the radio this morning, it got my gears turning (and grinding a bit...). It was a really simple mistake, I caught someone saying a Trillion dollars is a million Billions... that's not quite right... a Trillion dollars is a thousand billions, or a million millions (a million squared). There's 12 zeroes after the trillion... that's a lot of 0s
Our country owes SOMEONE 14.5 Trillion bucks... If that number is accurate (lesson of the day... where does that website get their info? I don't know, but the number does roughly match what I've heard in other media sources, so I am using it for blogging purposes, I wouldn't trust it if, say, I was writing a check to pay off my share. When you hear information, check your sources people), each tax payer in the US has an extra $130K in debt. Its our country, it's our debt.
I can only speak for myself, but whether the money is owed by the government on my behalf, or owed by me personally, it's unsettling at best. The personal debt of my family is less than the debt the government has incurred "on behalf" of both my husband and I. We're not rich, but we're not impoverished, so when the amount the average American "owes" is more than what I am comfortable owing as a 2 working parent family, something needs to change.
Every now and then, I venture off into some conspiracy tangents, but I try to keep them reigned in. Really, I'm not worried who it is making the decisions to put me into debt... what I am worried about is the alarming rate it is increasing, and how to make it stop.
Here's a few things to consider-
Who makes the money, as in, what agency is responsible for literally creating money. It's NOT the US government. The Federal Reserve, while in theory has oversight from our government, in reality is a seperate institution, sanctioned by the US government, but not tied to it, other than having the power to tell the little banks what to do, and loaning their printed money to the government at interest. The US has the power and authority to print their own money, they just choose not to (Interestingly, JFK tried it for a bit, printing Silver Certificates, legal tender-money backed by silver sitting in US coffers... No president has done that since according to my research)
How does the national debt compare to your personal debt? If you add in 130K for each taxpayer in your family, how much more does your debt add up to? How do you feel about that? What if you were given the option to pay it off? Would you? Could you? Is it feasible in your lifetime to pay off an extra 130K? 260K? Will your kids grow up saddled with worry about if their government is going to allow an outside agency to create inflation that drives away industry and jobs?
If you've supported social programs in the past (or present) that the government funds, does it feel different to know that you 130K of public debt, that you own, increases with each program? That whenever we provide free health care, that the cost of services is being added right in there? If you were going to get a bill, you might ask up front how much the service would cost, but since the government doesn't really advertise the idea that you are your own soverign nation, they don't tell you the cost, or encourage you to ask... they just put it on your tab. Or your kids tab... or your grandchildren's tab.
Our country owes SOMEONE 14.5 Trillion bucks... If that number is accurate (lesson of the day... where does that website get their info? I don't know, but the number does roughly match what I've heard in other media sources, so I am using it for blogging purposes, I wouldn't trust it if, say, I was writing a check to pay off my share. When you hear information, check your sources people), each tax payer in the US has an extra $130K in debt. Its our country, it's our debt.
I can only speak for myself, but whether the money is owed by the government on my behalf, or owed by me personally, it's unsettling at best. The personal debt of my family is less than the debt the government has incurred "on behalf" of both my husband and I. We're not rich, but we're not impoverished, so when the amount the average American "owes" is more than what I am comfortable owing as a 2 working parent family, something needs to change.
Every now and then, I venture off into some conspiracy tangents, but I try to keep them reigned in. Really, I'm not worried who it is making the decisions to put me into debt... what I am worried about is the alarming rate it is increasing, and how to make it stop.
Here's a few things to consider-
Who makes the money, as in, what agency is responsible for literally creating money. It's NOT the US government. The Federal Reserve, while in theory has oversight from our government, in reality is a seperate institution, sanctioned by the US government, but not tied to it, other than having the power to tell the little banks what to do, and loaning their printed money to the government at interest. The US has the power and authority to print their own money, they just choose not to (Interestingly, JFK tried it for a bit, printing Silver Certificates, legal tender-money backed by silver sitting in US coffers... No president has done that since according to my research)
How does the national debt compare to your personal debt? If you add in 130K for each taxpayer in your family, how much more does your debt add up to? How do you feel about that? What if you were given the option to pay it off? Would you? Could you? Is it feasible in your lifetime to pay off an extra 130K? 260K? Will your kids grow up saddled with worry about if their government is going to allow an outside agency to create inflation that drives away industry and jobs?
If you've supported social programs in the past (or present) that the government funds, does it feel different to know that you 130K of public debt, that you own, increases with each program? That whenever we provide free health care, that the cost of services is being added right in there? If you were going to get a bill, you might ask up front how much the service would cost, but since the government doesn't really advertise the idea that you are your own soverign nation, they don't tell you the cost, or encourage you to ask... they just put it on your tab. Or your kids tab... or your grandchildren's tab.
June 16, 2011
Insulation
This weekend, I was watching my kids play with the bouncy horse that I enjoyed as a toddler. It was fantastic, they had so much fun, got a little excercise, and were all smiles... even through taking turns, there was little discord. Hubby mentioned a brilliant idea to my cousin about how making bouncy horses like this and selling them would be a money making proposition.
Then the list began. Our bouncey horse was red, which means it probably has lead paint having been made in the 60s or 70s. And then, there's the real hazard of pinching a finger in the springs. Or worse yet, another child might walk in front and get hit with the horses mouth. The government has created laws that prohibit people from selling toys like that. You can't make and sell new ones, and we couldn't legally sell this one at a yard sale without risking the US government deciding that we've broken a federal law.
Children of the 21st Century are insulated from the natural consequences of their actions.
Remember studying for the SATs, and you needed to understand analogies? In our lives, we can learn lessons used in one situation, and apply them to situations we encounter in others. Natural consequences allow humans to develop reasoning and logic skills (common sense, anyone?).
With the horsey, 5 children played uneventfully for several hours. No one licked the horse. No one stuck their fingers in the springs and got pinched. No one got hit when walking past too close to the horse. My family all kind of sat back and let the kids play, isn't that what kids are supposed to do after all?
Based on this experience, and similar previous ones, I trust my kids. I trust that if their friends are jumping on a trampoline, my kids will be smart enough not to grab the springs. I trust that if they walk by some kids swinging, that they'll allow a wide enough berth not to get kicked in the head. I trust my older one to avoid licking lead paint, and supervise the younger one, sometimes from a distance, to ensure that she remains trustworthy as I develop that trust in her.
I often hear about 2 schools of thought. One is that if we grew up doing it, and it didn't hurt us, it was good enough for us, it's good enough for our kids. Then I hear about how when we know better, we do better. I see merit in both arguements. I don't want to be casting my 6 year olds arm, or 3 year old's leg. I don't want to see my kids get hurt. What I DO want is for my kids to develop the ability to make good choices on their own without me questioning every choice they make. I want them to be confident in their physical abilities, but realistic about their skills as well. If that means that they misjudge a distance at the playground and fall, I might be taking a trip to the ER... When you fall, you get hurt... that's a natural consequence, and kids need to learn it.
As we were packing up to leave our little get together, our bigger one was playing on an excercise ball. His dad was right there, within arms reach, when he lost his sense of direction for a moment somehow. He crashed to the floor, landing, of course, on his head. The goose egg formed immediately, and tears ensued. A little ice applied. The injury of the day came, not from playing with the outlawed toy, but from enjoying a "safe" inflatable ball.
Then the list began. Our bouncey horse was red, which means it probably has lead paint having been made in the 60s or 70s. And then, there's the real hazard of pinching a finger in the springs. Or worse yet, another child might walk in front and get hit with the horses mouth. The government has created laws that prohibit people from selling toys like that. You can't make and sell new ones, and we couldn't legally sell this one at a yard sale without risking the US government deciding that we've broken a federal law.
Children of the 21st Century are insulated from the natural consequences of their actions.
Remember studying for the SATs, and you needed to understand analogies? In our lives, we can learn lessons used in one situation, and apply them to situations we encounter in others. Natural consequences allow humans to develop reasoning and logic skills (common sense, anyone?).
With the horsey, 5 children played uneventfully for several hours. No one licked the horse. No one stuck their fingers in the springs and got pinched. No one got hit when walking past too close to the horse. My family all kind of sat back and let the kids play, isn't that what kids are supposed to do after all?
Based on this experience, and similar previous ones, I trust my kids. I trust that if their friends are jumping on a trampoline, my kids will be smart enough not to grab the springs. I trust that if they walk by some kids swinging, that they'll allow a wide enough berth not to get kicked in the head. I trust my older one to avoid licking lead paint, and supervise the younger one, sometimes from a distance, to ensure that she remains trustworthy as I develop that trust in her.
I often hear about 2 schools of thought. One is that if we grew up doing it, and it didn't hurt us, it was good enough for us, it's good enough for our kids. Then I hear about how when we know better, we do better. I see merit in both arguements. I don't want to be casting my 6 year olds arm, or 3 year old's leg. I don't want to see my kids get hurt. What I DO want is for my kids to develop the ability to make good choices on their own without me questioning every choice they make. I want them to be confident in their physical abilities, but realistic about their skills as well. If that means that they misjudge a distance at the playground and fall, I might be taking a trip to the ER... When you fall, you get hurt... that's a natural consequence, and kids need to learn it.
As we were packing up to leave our little get together, our bigger one was playing on an excercise ball. His dad was right there, within arms reach, when he lost his sense of direction for a moment somehow. He crashed to the floor, landing, of course, on his head. The goose egg formed immediately, and tears ensued. A little ice applied. The injury of the day came, not from playing with the outlawed toy, but from enjoying a "safe" inflatable ball.
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