Why Voters Aren't Ready to Tackle the Debt

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It isn't the article itself; it's the reality. They include:
Folly 1) We're applying a fiscal solution to a demographic problem. There isn't enough money in the universe to retire the boomers at given levels, and if you did, the things they need would inflate out of reach. We inadvertently reengineered society by having a boom; now we have to reengineer it consciously to handle the fallout. For example, half-time jobs suitable for older people would mitigate cuts in social security.
Folly 2) We're talking about the economy as if all its parts exist independent of each other. No wonder we're confused. a) We're not saving enough, but we need to take cuts in pay and benefits. b) In this environment, the cost of housing can recover? Fat chance.
The final folly: Believing that we can do anything about our fiscal problems without fixing the trade deficit. Absolutely false. All modern first-world economies run trade surpluses or borrow until they're broke. See Greece vs. Germany for a stark example.

mlbex of CA 12:14PM April 22, 2011

not convinced that returning taxes to their historical average won't fix a lot of the short fall. after all, today's tax rates on the top 1% are many times less than they were in the past. and the economy in those times was infinitely better. doubt that? top tax rate was above 90% when many of todays elites paraents actually created their fortunes. and jobs were much more plentiful then , and incomes were growing as opposed todays decades long shrinkage. and considering they have more than 50% of all earned income its a huge pile of money that is basically not being taxes. and for all of the claims that the lower tax rate will create jobs, so far it has failed every time it has been done we did lots of tax cuts for the top 1% in the last decade. we got the worst job growth in any decade since the great depression. so for all of these tax cuts, we got lower job growth. lower incomes. and now they want to lower their taxes again, and cut the few benefits given to the rest of us to fund those tax cuts. and to sell this based on this 'theory', they also have to claim we are broker than 3rd world countries. since for it to be true it would have to be

dw of TX 11:04AM April 13, 2011

After the article by Matt Taibbi in Rolling Stones, our government does not need to talk reducing SS or medicare until they get back the money from the taxpayer they had sent around the world and given to the banker's wives on Wall Street at ZERO % interest and with no option to pay it back. How outrageous. Why is this not being addressed. They shuffled the heaps of money to the already rich and now want the little people to sacrifice! Unreal.

Viola Perry of TX 7:15AM April 13, 2011