> our budgets are already creaking under the load of our spending and entitlement programs Assuming you are talking about the U.S., AFAIK that is not true. Th

> our budgets are already creaking under the load of our spending and entitlement programs Assuming you are talking about the U.S., AFAIK that is not true. The U.S. is the richest country in the history of the world, right now, and by a wide margin. Remember that under President Clinton, the U.S. government ran a surplus and the economy was booming. What changed? * Large tax cuts for wealthy Americans, reducing revenue significantly * Two long wars. I know Iraq cost over $1 trillion by itself. * I think the prescription drug bill passed under Bush was very expensive * The Great Recession, of course. The U.S. is much richer now than when it ran that surplus. The main problem is not spending, but revenue. Republicans (not to be partisan on HN, but they are the ones doing it) keep cutting revenue (taxes) and then saying there is no money for anything.