Another well written and insightful article. I hadn't seen it this way before. I'm still learning and our politicians are still teaching. As well is Mr. Sowell

Sometimes I really could scream. How long has all this been going on? According to Rush Limbaugh, since at least 1967 when the dems said the EXACT same things they are saying now and getting away with it. Republicans have got to be the adults, now!

As Prof. Sowell said, "...judge by what they are supposed to do..." Forget Constitutionality, dems don't care about the Constitution unless they can use it for their own purposes. We must eliminate the Depts. of Labor, Energy, Education, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Transportation, and Housing. What do they do except take my money (I live in Texas, a doner state) and give it to someone else. They all do more damage than good and they cost billions. And, the Federal gov't has no right to be involved in any of these things except to analyze and make suggestions.

Dr Sowell has said it very well indeed.

Wildfire has echoed my thoughts to a T.

There isn`t really anything for me to add.

Richard Ryan

Lamar,Missouri - Birthplace of Harry S Truman

Another insightful column by Thomas Sowell. He and Walter Williams are always good to hear from. I agree with Wildfire,

Those institutions are expensive, harmful and not needed.

Republicans have put a number of plans on the table. If democrats and the WH are unwilling to discuss, or in obama's case - not veto, anything that comes out of those plans, it's time for Republicans to pull a MN democrat ploy of boycotting the capitol.

If they aren't there, they have no responsibility for what comes out, and their absence de-ligitimizes the results thereby making obama and democrats the sole owners.

It's already been approved of by unions and democrats all over the country, and adjudicated MN to be an acceptable action.

All good points. My only concern is that it always seems that the left and their media will blame the Republicans for the spending-- They will blame Reagan for spending - but ignore that it was the Democrat Congress that outspent the Reagan Revenue surge from tax rate reductions. Conversely, in those few instances that the Republicans have had a chance to control the Budget process, they are bludgeoned into compromise by a Tax and Spend Democrat President. So while I can not disagree with Dr Sowell, I have no expectation that the Dems will be held responsible.

And pete -- I agree that Reid's refusal to even allow discussion of the House Cut,Cap, and balance proposal is typical of the Democrat heavy handed tactics to deny the American people the governmental process that the Constitution call for. They have manipulated the rules to make their own law. They did it on ObamaCare and they are never called out by the media . No discussion - no debate -- and all we get are the back-room deals.

Mr. Sowell is correct, as usual. All you have to do is watch one of Obozo's press conferences in the past week and then listen to the mostly uninformed public comments. Blame has already been shifted to the Republicans and reported ad nauseum by the MSM. All that remains now is the formal hanging. Grandpa and Grandma are being thrown over the cliff by the evil right and their lack of a plan. What B.S.! The setup is complete and November 2012 is just a formality to the end of the country as we know it.

I am reminded of the golden rule...

He who has the gold makes the rules.

I couldn't care less what Moody's does. It's about time that those with the gold and/or say so related to it just buzz off. We the People must make the rules! Maybe what we really need is a default, although I doubt that would happen. Then, just for once, we could start over without gubmint bearing down on us like it did with the worthless TARP and other assorted BS programs. WE can fix it---DC cannot.

The Debt Ceiling: What I Wish the Republicans Would Say

By now you are probably all sick of the debate going on in Washington DC about raising the debt ceiling. Like with everything else, politicians are spending far too much time talking and far too little time actually doing and, when they do something, it is usually misguided and more damaging than the problem that it was supposed to fix. This is certainly true of the debate about raising the nation’s debt ceiling.

The president would have you believe that if we don’t raise the debt ceiling and allow the nation to borrow even more money and go even further into debt, that the consequences will be dire. However, this is not the case. As a matter of fact, the debate we should be having is not when to raise the debt ceiling and by how much, but IF we should raise the debt ceiling and whether we should actually lower it, not raise it. Because the debt ceiling is not the real issue for the nation; the real issue is fiscal discipline. Are we going to keep expanding the federal government, borrowing more money from foreign nations, heaping debt upon debt onto our children and our children’s children, or are we going to finally realize what every American family knows: you can’t keep spending more than you take in.

http://bit.ly/rhp2py

Osama Hussein Obama was hand selected by the International Banking Elite to destroy the economy of the United States and he is playing his "string-puppet" part perfectly. When the USD is finally finished as the world currency, the International Banking Cartel can replace it with their new currency. Are you ready for it?

The debt ceiling is like a stop sign that "everybody" habitually blows through without a second thought. It should generate serious consideration as to whether it is safe to proceed down the road, but seldom does.

But this time (gasp!), thanks to the Republicans in the House of Representatives, the long-unused brakes are being put to the test. So for once the debt ceiling is serving its intended purpose.

Unfortunately, it seems the brakes are a bit too rusty to function properly. The House Republicans perhaps should make plans to put the government in the ditch rather than let Mr. Obama drive it over the cliff. I suggest they simply let appropriations for a number of unneeded government agencies expire without renewal if Mr. Obama and the Senate do not get serious about cutting spending. (And then they should be prepared to remind Mr. Obama that spending money without it first being properly appropriated for the purpose is an impeachable offense.)

This talk of defaulting on the debt if we don't borrow more is some of the smelliest bull manure ever to come from the White House. There would be no danger of default if Mr. Obama would arrange with Congress to cancel agency appropriations to make sure the debt is covered.

Perhaps there is a lesser accepted piece of reality that we all need to be reminded. It was irresponsible spending that put us at the debt ceiling in the first place. Only a reversal in that spending will prevent us from having to increase it. More debt may soothe the delirium tremens that might result from spending withdrawal, but it's time to get this monkey off our backs. Permanently!

I feel the overall problem is that Americans fail to effectively use the one weapon they have to curb the excesses of professional power-grabbers known as politicians: the vote.

It's obvious how power-mongers use taxpayer dollars to bribe certain sections of the electorate. The democrats have done a brilliant job of tacking together a patchwork constituency of victims, all of whom have been treated "unfairly." Thus has the vote become a tool in the bag of magic tricks of our emergent class of political elites.

Politicians laugh at the silly beliefs of the electorate that the "vote" somehow constrains them.

They know full well that the voter is just another tool for them to manipulate. Promise them and then revert to business as usual.

The key to restoring popular control over the elite remains, however, that politicians, that assortment of nest-featherers and four-flushers can, indeed, be removed from office. The vote is the single mechanism standing between them and direct tyranny (of people who admit the temptation to do things "unilaterally"---I refer to the desire of La Raza that their "president" should use his power to DECLARE immigration "reform" regardless of the will of Congress or the people.)

We voters need to put the fear of God into these clunks by KICKING THEM ALL OUT! Next election, vote against the incumbent, no matter the party---pick the next best on the list. Let them know that we refuse to be further manipulated, and that the power of the vote can grow teeth. :)

I'm going crazy with all of this talk about **reducing** the deficit. Where is talk about ending the deficit completely?

The house needs to stand up and say that there will be NO MORE deficit, and that every future budget will result in a surplus. This is how I run my own finances, and surprise surprise... It works.

Sowell/Williams 2012.

The Debt Ceiling: What I Wish the Republicans Would Say

By now you are probably all sick of the debate going on in Washington DC about raising the debt ceiling. Like with everything else, politicians are spending far too much time talking and far too little time actually doing and, when they do something, it is usually misguided and more damaging than the problem that it was supposed to fix. This is certainly true of the debate about raising the nation’s debt ceiling.

The president would have you believe that if we don’t raise the debt ceiling and allow the nation to borrow even more money and go even further into debt, that the consequences will be dire. However, this is not the case. As a matter of fact, the debate we should be having is not when to raise the debt ceiling and by how much, but IF we should raise the debt ceiling and whether we should actually lower it, not raise it. Because the debt ceiling is not the real issue for the nation; the real issue is fiscal discipline. Are we going to keep expanding the federal government, borrowing more money from foreign nations, heaping debt upon debt onto our children and our children’s children, or are we going to finally realize what every American family knows: you can’t keep spending more than you take in.

More at: http://bit.ly/rhp2py

Where were the Republicans concern when the debt was rising under Bush! He raised the Debt ceiling himself but not one of you objected then,Bush left this country in the worst fiscal situation since the great depression and you have the gall to blame Obama? Get real, stop playing political games and grow up!Raise the Debt Ceiling.

07/30/11

BARACK OBOZO is really consistent,tue FIRST THREE

YEARS of his term in office,OBOZO blamed all his

PROBLEMS on good ol'"GEORGE".NOW the REPUBLICANS

proper are going to CATCH OHOLY,For his screw-ups

his final ONE TERM.I THINK OBOZO HAS SURPASSED

THE PEANUT FARMER?