The War on Debt

The current century began with two fundamental events for the United States: the transition from Clinton to Bush and the violent attacks which took place on Sept. 11 2001. Bill Clinton left an ample surplus, generated above all by a reduction in reckless military spending. The reaction of the military-industrial complex in the face of this reduction was to offer unrestricted support to one of their very own, George W. Bush, whose mission was none other than to find a pretext to instigate a war of epic proportions.

The Islamic radicals who carried out the madness on Sept. 11 provided just the spark that was needed. Bush played the trumpets of collective fear and felt sufficiently supported to unleash, not just one, but two wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq. There was no sense of proportion between the risk posed by those distant countries and the monumental mobilization of resources; Uncle Sam’s spending once again spun out of control, much to the delight of the warmongers: read Cheney, Rumsfeld and company.

War in the Middle East continued despite the hasty victories which Bush occasionally achieved. The United States, faced with perpetual conflict, began to seriously question the cost of war and its direct impact on the growing national debt. With Back Obama in power, the cost of war became the primary topic of public discussion.

But if the United States is beginning to see the light at the end of the war tunnel, this is in turn provoking another great debate: the limits of public debt. Both camps, Republicans and Democrats alike, seem now to be aware of the fact that the North American deficit exceeded prudence some time ago. But where to make cuts?

In the run-up to the elections, every dollar left unspent can result in masses of votes in favor or against. The Republicans, faithful to their Anglo-Saxon and Protestant heritage, consider nobody to be better able than citizens to look after themselves; any resources ceded to the despised federal government by way of taxation simply ends up in the hands of irresponsible types or opportunists; and the only budget which cannot be tampered with is that of defense.

The Democrats counterattack with ferocity: A civilized society cannot leave the elderly, the needy and the infirm to dim fate; it must protect the immigrants who occupy those posts which nobody else wants; and it must live intelligently alongside other nations of the world, without having to maintain a ruinous, belligerent presence the globe over.

What links opinions in Congress is the deadline: Aug. 2. If, on that day, the public debt ceiling has not been raised, the government will have to declare partial bankruptcy. Nobody knows what will happen to country that went from a debate on the debt of war, to a war on debt itself.