Why We're Broke

As of Tuesday, March 29, 2011

If you would like to know why the United States is broke, pull up the State Department’s “Summary and Highlights International Affairs Function, FY 2010 Budget Request,” on the Internet.

This 95-page document provides a sanitized look at how your tax dollars are being sent to virtually every country in the world, including Russia and its former satellites.

Of course, Israel is the primary recipient of our money, and no U.S. politician who wants to be re-elected would dare suggest cutting the billions in direct payments and other billions in military aid.

The United States even pays Israel $25 million annually to support “humanitian migrants” who want to move to Israel. Egypt receives other billions so that it will be nice to Israel in accordance with Jimmy Carter’s Camp David Accord.

The State Department breaks down billions in payments into vague program titles such as “Global Health and Child Survival,” which sends more than $5 billion to the heads of 28 African countries to do whatever they choose, including Paris shopping and limousines. “Development Assistance” to Africa totals $2.7 trillion and some change.

We also support family planning in Africa, which, although expensive, isn’t a big hit. And $350 million is also spent on AIDs prevention, which doesn‘t seem to be working. There are many rich politicians in Africa and elsewhere. Arriving at a total cost to the U.S. taxpayer, based on the State Department document, is impossible because of the myriad programs and hidden costs.

Annual operating expenses for the State Department USAID program, exclusive of money spent overseas, totals more than $1.4 billion.

Is it any wonder that the U.S. government is flat broke?

Earle Hightower

Pinehurst

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JimHeim 2 years, 1 month ago

The United States remains the richest country the world has ever known. The government is in deficit because Republican presidents think that if the federal government in broke it can't engage in the kinds of humanitarian pursuits that they don't like, so they cut taxes and grow the size of the federal government. If we allow the Bush/Obama tax cuts to expire and put Americans back to work, the deficit will no longer be a factor. America is not broke.

moonchild7 2 years, 1 month ago

You can look and look and check and check all the government documents you want but the bottom line is American Corporations DO NOT pay their fair share of taxes! GE made $14.2 billion in 2010. $5.1 billion in the US, yet they paid ZERO in taxes!!!!!! In fact they are getting a $3.2 billion tax BENEFIT. Their share of taxes is only 7.4%!!!! Not the 35% they should have paid. STOP it about the way we spend money!!!!! Every budget needs a bit of tweeking but the US budget Office/IRS needs to go to every CEO of every FORTUNE 500 Co. and DEMAND them to pay up! They've taken enough of their fortunes overseas and to the suburbs of NYC and Beverly Hills.

Darkwing 2 years, 1 month ago

No corporation pays taxes. We may charge them, but they simply pass those costs on to the consumers, AKA taxpayers. You and I pay those taxes for them. We ought to end income tax, and go to a national sales tax instead. Less paperwork, and costs are borne by those spending, not those saving. Wealthier people will pay more because they spend more. While we're at it, implement the sin tax on junk food.

RmeMP 2 years, 1 month ago

Yes, it's bad grammar - but you can't argue his point; he's correct

marathonman 2 years, 1 month ago

hating capitalism is no virtue.....

dustyrhoades 2 years, 1 month ago

"You agree with Mr. Y on X" does not equal a refutation of point X. Just thought you'd like to know.

Darkwing 2 years, 1 month ago

Was in an accusation that MC7 is a dual for Mr. Heim? If so, I don't agree, and think it was overly timid about stating the proposition.

JimHeim 2 years, 1 month ago

Two liberals in Moore County? An outrage!

RmeMP 2 years, 1 month ago

Funny thing is, more lefties live in the trailers you speak of than conservatives...

JimHeim 2 years, 1 month ago

I don't remember mentioning trailers. In fact, I regard the derogatory remarks about trailers (and the families that live in them) to be a symptom of a hatred for the poor. It's unfortunate that Jesus spent so much time railing about gays and abortion and wasn't able to share His thoughts about the poor.

PBinNC 2 years, 1 month ago

I have no problem helping people that due to no fault of their own are having problems. But I agree that I am sick and tired of sending my tax dollars to buy the friendship of foreign nations who hate us and continue to do so. There are millions of charities around this world that you can send your money to, but the US Treasury is not a charity, or it isn't supposed to be. I'm no expert on foreign relations or finances (except my own), but I don't understand why the US isn't in trouble if China is buying all the bonds or whatever to pay for the expenses of the federal government. How can we be the richest country in the world and have so much debt? And while I am at it, I am tired of being unable to buy much of anything that is made in the USA. It seems to me that being a tech and service power won't get it if we have to be on our own. However, all things being said, I'd rather be an American and live in the USA than anywhere else.

JimHeim 2 years, 1 month ago

One penny on the dollar and you're outraged. Amazing ...

RmeMP 2 years, 1 month ago

Wrong again... Tell me, how many other countries have you actually been to? I've been to many, and America is BY FAR the best. You don't see a bunch of illegal immigrants flooding into Canada do you?

BigE 2 years, 1 month ago

Ya, their shared border with Mexico is quite secure!

RmeMP 2 years, 1 month ago

So according to your "logic" bigE, Mexicans are the only kind of illegal immigrants?!

I sure hope you know that to be false... BTW, there are plenty of illegal immigrants in this country besides those from the southern border - obamas Aunt is one of them ;)

Darkwing 2 years, 1 month ago

Don't forget that Scottish woman deported recently...

hotdiggity 2 years, 1 month ago

We keep hearing about the Bush (now the Obama) tax cut costing $700 Billion over Ten Years. February 2011 deficit was $223 Billion alone. Tax the corporations? Corporations are where the pensions of State workers are invested, making what little interest possible to fund later coming pensions. The State of N. C. is invested in corporations such as BP. Corporations are Tax Collectors, collecting on everything from the people that work for them, to the product they produce, and to even the physical property they sit upon. The solution to the financial problems is to cut spending.

fugitiveguy 2 years, 1 month ago

" America is not broke."

Lets see, $14 trillion dollar federal debt, 1.5T deficit this year alone yet the head of the MC Dems thinks we got plenty of money. I bet his wife doesn't dare let him near the checkbook.

fugitiveguy 2 years, 1 month ago

"If we allow the Bush/Obama tax cuts to expire and put Americans back to work"

So just letting the tax cuts expire will put people back to work. Can you elaborate just a bit on how that works.

moonchild7 2 years, 1 month ago

Why are State Pensions even allowed to be INVESTED in Corporations? I don't get it, that's insane. They need to be invested in SAVINGS ACCOUNTS only. Whenever and by whomever these were allowed to go from relatively SAFE investments to very UNSAFE investments needs to be tried for FRAUD! The STOCK MARKET? That's for GAMBLERS ONLY, and usually ones with a lot of money to begin with. That's where almost ALL of the last few years of financial troubles have been situated...the FREAKIN' STOCK MARKET of all places! What a sham.

M3rules 2 years, 1 month ago

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DaveyNC 2 years, 1 month ago

Haven't seen you here before. Why all the love for the EU in your comments?

RmeMP 2 years, 1 month ago

It's ignorant to compare the GREAT country of America, to a UNION made up of 27 individual countries and sovereign states as you continue to do.... Of course they have more money, it's 27 to 1 !!!

Ps- If you think the Czech, Poland, Romania, Bolgaria, etc... Are better off than the AMAZING USA - Please feel free to live there instead :)

Pss - "WINNING"

HillTopper 2 years, 1 month ago

A few things ... Darkwing says National Sales Tax and kill income tax. Always loved that idea. It's a no brainer. Applies to consumers as well as businness on all purchases inside AND outside the US.

Bottom feeders. We have way, way too many people that contribute nothing. Only take. Can't do anything about it. Just a fact and getting worse.

Lastly, how much money did Japan send us to help with Katrina or other disasters? I don't know the answer and do not want to spend the time finding out. I bet one of you know ???

JimHeim 2 years, 1 month ago

Great idea...if you hate the middle class, which would disappear under a national sales tax.

Darkwing 2 years, 1 month ago

Thus saith a democrat - the party that's been trying to bury the middle class with tax and spend my whole life. We'd learn to buy more intelligently - get a compact instead of a sportscar, etc. Too many kids feel they need a chick-magnet sportscar with expensive rims, too many young couples think they're not successful unless they have the 60" plasma screen, the same furniture their folks took 20 years to move up to, the 2500' house Mom and Dad moved into after 25 years together and 3 kids, and so forth. The middle class had been doing alright, albeit stressed by excessive debt, and the poor were joining them in living beyond their means, when the bubble crashed. Once we get our national and personal debt under control, the middle class will be fine if we don't let the democrats keep shoveling our money into the deficit's maw.

JimHeim 2 years, 1 month ago

Middle class wages have been under attack since Reagan. Wages for the bottom 80% of workers are less now than they were in 1976. The rich now run this country for their own benefit. At some point, working people will rebel against being pushed into destitution. That will not be fun.

Darkwing 2 years, 1 month ago

Hopefully it'll be ballots, not bullets. OTOH, I've heard that "the revolution is a-comin'" for nearly 40 years now. But I also recall Carter's Stagflation, and it was not a help to middle clas wages.

JimHeim 2 years, 1 month ago

Did you know that wages for workers went up 2% last year? CEO pay went up 27%. I guess CEOs work a lot harder than lazy Americans.

As for the disaster that's befalling the middle-class, you should get out more. Maybe if you studied the problem instead of being spoon fed lies from Fox, you'd be better informed.

OldPilot 2 years, 1 month ago

Don't get upset folks. Earle's rants have nothing to do with foreign aid or reality. He dislikes everyone equally: Africa, those with AIDS, HIV, Israel. Google him by name for prior misrepresentations.

Ross 2 years, 1 month ago

you seem to be obsessed with trailers. Did they repossess yours?

RmeMP 2 years, 1 month ago

And yet if it's so great where you come from, why are you living here? Big mouth when hiding behind a computer, you wouldn't say these things to a "local" in person though :)

moonchild7 2 years, 1 month ago

BetterThanYou.....No one is better than anyone else for starters. Maybe smarter, or nicer, or prettier but NOT BETTER. The "RISKS" that many Pension Fund Administrators took in the last few years for a lot of hardworking peoples money is one of the core problems to all of it. They were so into their own brand of "smarty pants math" that they never saw the possible downturn coming even though it was obvious back in the 90's. Check out NJ for example because they poured the firemen's, and policemen's, and teacher's pension monies into a STUPID MALL called XANADU that's cost over a BILLION DOLLARS and isn't even finished. A MALL!!!!!? What kind of infrastructure is that? A temple to Macy's and Bloomingdales when we need roads and bridges and raillines. The NJ Turnpike is pothole city. Oh and by the way: The light bulb is rather dull on your side of the opinion wall BetterThanYou. I've survived way better than most in these "downturned" years BETTERTHANYOU! Doesn't make me BETTER, just makes me SMARTER.

daisyshannon 2 years, 1 month ago

You're better than you attitude hasn't gotten you very far in life has it? You sound like a very wealthy, very miserable person who likes to pick on people who don't have people working for the peope who work for them. You must not have a family that you care about or who cares much about you or you would not have been on here for the past 5 hours trying to see what everyone thinks about your 2 cents. Your money hasn't bought you all the happiness you thought it would has it? And if the EU is so much better than the USA why don't you take your money and run over there!

fugitiveguy 2 years, 1 month ago

".....No one is better than anyone else for starters."

I disagree, I am better than Adolf Hitler, Jeffrey Dahmer and Bernie Madoff. So there.

Zoey 2 years, 1 month ago

"important, busy, successful, happy, well adjusted people dont usually seem to have the time to focus on all the negative. Its called getting a life and keeping your trap shut."

BetterThanYou, you might want to try practicing what you preach... ,

moonchild7 2 years, 1 month ago

You are still NOTANYBETTER than anyone else and you need to crawl back under that rock where you came from. Your ALPHA on STEROIDS personality is boorish and ignorant, bringing nothing to this conversation. The NJ Pensioners along with eight other state pensions have lost about ONE BILLION since I misread the info, in that more than TWO BILLION DOLLARS has been poured into the doomed project. How were dividends distributed when the Colony Capital Hedge Fund had to cede their control back to the creditors? NJ Gov. Christie wants to "give" the developers more than $180 MILLION of the state taxpayers monies into the project, with the State of NJ demanding part "Ownership"of said Shopping MALL?!!!!!!! XANADU is XANA-DON'T and State pensioners from every State need to be in the streets protesting this theft of all of this money. My "smarts" about not losing everything I own like a lot of people in this country have done is part of the conversation about AMERICA being broke. AMERICA is NOT BROKE though and waking up to that fact is also an important piece of information to realize. The Republicans and their FEAR message is totally destuctive. Your's too BETTERTHANYO

RmeMP 2 years, 1 month ago

Wow... About time you took him off pilot staff - I was wondering when that was going to happen.

Good riddance "Betterthanyou"

teufelhunden 2 years, 1 month ago

Darkwing-I couldn't agree more with your last post. Ain't it the truth.

Darkwing 2 years, 1 month ago

Thanks

hotdiggity 2 years, 1 month ago

Read today's, April 1, 2011, Wall Street Journal article ''We've Become A Nation Of Takers, Not Makers'' by Stephen Moore.

JimHeim 2 years, 1 month ago

I can see why they published it today.

moonchild7 2 years, 1 month ago

No, read today's NYT and Paul Krugman's, "The Mellon Doctrine." There's more truth there than with Stephen Moore.

moonchild7 2 years, 1 month ago

Oh, and if we're SO BROKE why is the Social Security Administration going to lease a brand new to-be-built OFFICE COMPLEX in Baltimore MD? It's going to be a 150 MILLION DOLLAR SSA COMPLEX to be built by JBG CORP.? HUH? The 20yr lease will be the LARGEST in BALTIMORE"S HISTORY. HUH? We are NOT BROKE and the Republicans must stop all this FEAR MONGERING.

JimHeim 2 years, 1 month ago

The world's richest nation is broke. Right...

moonchild7 2 years, 1 month ago

Europe defaulted on most of the DEBT that it owed the UNITED STATES of AMERICA for SAVING themselves, well, from themselves. They said they paid their DEBTS in BLOOD. Well, so have we. We, therefore we OWE no one any money. They ALL owe us and it's time to for us to ask all of those countries and people who became overly wealthy from our sacrifices for a whole lotta money back. A RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE just bought a $100 MILLION DOLLAR house here in the USA. The most expensive house ever sold here. We have to "head" the NATO No-Fly-ZONE because there are NO other countries with the MILITARY MIGHT and EXPERIENCE of our way over extended soldiers. We need to stop paying, now. Europe, Russia, and China seem to be doing very well. The world owes us....not the other way around. WE ARE NOT BROKE.

hotdiggity 2 years, 1 month ago

Talk about going around full circle, mc7 agrees with Mr. Hightower, the writer of this opinion about letting others pay for their own problems.

moonchild7 2 years, 1 month ago

Not at all, just having a reality check about America's place in the "Grand Scheme" of things when it comes to "POLICING the WORLD." Charity is a great thing and AMERICA needs to continue with it's policy of helping those in need. In the GRANDER SCHEME though if it looks like problems ahead with our debt and these other countries, then I say stop paying all that interest and move on. Who's gonna challenge us? But the better thing to do will to be to tax the rich more and more and more. They are doing nothing to create any jobs, in fact these problems were evident in the late 70's and early 80's with reduced productivity and low savings. Was anything done? Heck NO! Where are all of the ALTERNATIVE ENERGY FACTORIES? They were supposed to be building them back then but the oil and gas companies stopped them. It's 2011 and we are still talking about building these factories. We are NOT broke but we need to readjust the tax system and means test Social Security&Medicare. There's a "GROUP" of people out there who now know how to make a LOT OF MONEY in businesses that need very few people to run them....their taxes need to triple or quadruple.

OldPilot 2 years, 1 month ago

All this hyperventilation and the guy who wrote the original letter is a nut. Google "Earle D. Hightower". He hates everyone!

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Why We're Broke

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