Among the issues most commonly discussed are individuality, the rights of the individual, the limits of legitimate government, morality, history, economics, government policy, science, business, education, health care, energy, and man-made global warming evaluations. My posts are aimed at intelligent and rational individuals, whose comments are very welcome.

"No matter how vast your knowledge or how modest, it is your own mind that has to acquire it." Ayn Rand

"Observe that the 'haves' are those who have freedom, and that it is freedom that the 'have-nots' have not." Ayn Rand

"The virtue involved in helping those one loves is not 'selflessness' or 'sacrifice', but integrity." Ayn Rand

For "a human being, the question 'to be or not to be,' is the question 'to think or not to think.'" Ayn Rand

12 August 2009

Slaves Work, the Governments Spend

I will keep this brief. Anyone in their right mind knows the government is spending our money like a drunken sailor on prostitutes, gambling, drinking, and drugs. But, it is still alarming to measure that spending against the GDP:

1987 21.6% of GDP
1997 19.6% of GDP
2007 20.0% of GDP
2009 27.4% of GDP

This does not measure the costs of ever-increasing regulatory compliance or the equivalent of 3.8 million man-years spent on tax filing and planning. It also gives no information on the many unfunded liabilities, such as those to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. It does not add in the costs of the upcoming government "reformed" health care program or any other spending plans of our thoroughly socialist government. As I recall, in recent years we have actually been spending about 44% of GDP on all government taxes and mandates. Since the figures from the CBO above show a sudden 7.4% jump in the federal government expenditures and many states have been increasing taxes, it appears that the total cost of government is already above 50%, probably at least 52%!

If 52% of everything we produce is taken by government, are we not more slaves than free men? The Democrat leadership has been saying their opposition is Un-American. I thought it was Un-American to be a slave!

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