United States: Before the Fall

United States: Before the Fall

It is fairly apparent that there are a wide variety of political, social, and economic problems troubling the United States today that appear to herald the decline of this once great nation. The most salient of these problems involve a declining tax base that is increasing the underclass that is growing from widespread unemployment, health care issues as well as urban decay and a structural loss of industry. The vast majority of these problems are characterized by what is best known as a domino effect -- meaning that they significantly impact and create additional difficulties in other areas of U.S. policy. Therefore, in order to best address these problems it is necessary to deal with them from the foremost area that is the most tangible representation of America's decline: it's economy. By initially ameliorating this facet of U.S. life, the country will be able to reinvigorate itself in other areas of difficulty.

A number of measures that could suitably repair the United States' flailing economy, which is plagued by an ever increasing budget, were outlined by Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, who functioned as co-chairmen of the White Houses' fiscal commission in late 2010. In short, the country could greatly reduce its debt by a systemic reduction in defense funding and spending on foreign policy. The former of these include such prudent tactics as the reduction of the number of military forces in foreign countries (particularly in Asia and in Europe), and canceling a number of military programs that are considered superfluous (such as the Marine Corps F-35 program). Also, a number of tax reforms would also significantly aid the budget deficit, such as halting expenditures and government revenue at 21% of the Gross Domestic Product and reducing current tax brackets to three personal brackets and one corporate rate, with the three tax brackets at 8, 14, and 23% (Carpenter, 2010).

Additional economic recommendations from the aforementioned pair include making concessions in realms of public sensitivity, such as increasing the age for Social Security. In this respect, several of the measures suggested by Simpson and Bowles, were met with outright disapproval in both political and social realms, with neither Republicans, nor Democrats embracing the recommendations (Zakaria, 2011). Yet even from a moral perspective, people must realize, as Zakaria surely has, that these are far from average times that we are living in. Furthermore, people must realize what is actually at stake in the U.S. If things continue as they currently are, spearheaded by an economic system that is swiftly spiraling out of control. The way of life that this once great nation embraces may soon itself be a relic if drastic measures are not taken to ensure its survival.

Perhaps even more significant is the fact that monetary reductions insinuated by Erskine and Simpson are actually more advantageous than a lot of the efforts to aid the economy that both are and have been taking place. Cuts in defensive spending, minor reductions to social security and the aforementioned tax measures will significantly improve the economy, whereas some of the options the U.S. has pursued in recent times are doing the opposite, as the following quotation implies.

Washington is likely to make across-the-board cuts in discretionary spending, where there is much less money and considerably less waste…but reducing funds for things like education, scientific research, air-traffic control, NASA, infrastructure and alternative energy will not produce much in savings, and it will hurt the economy's long-term growth (Zakaria, 2011).