Many politicians do similar because there is little practical incentive to sacrifice the short-term for the long-term. You are typically judged by the economy h

Many politicians do similar because there is little practical incentive to sacrifice the short-term for the long-term. You are typically judged by the economy here and now, not 15 years away. Thus, shorter-term decisions create debt and pension problems down the road. Do we blame the person or the incentive system? That being said, the world is entering a recession, and the USA cannot hide from that forever. It will catch up (or down) to it in a year or two.