An Open Letter to the United States Government

Politicians are fighting hard for the agendas that they believe most represents that of their constituents, and arriving at no common ground, as the deadline for a budget edges ever nearer, and the US comes closer and closer to defaulting on its debts.  This is intolerable.  The United States must not be permitted to wallow in indecision and infighting, with the rewards of such unproductive activity being the termination of America's status as the world's last superpower.  Where we were once the economical, military and even ideological touchstone of the world, we stand on the brink of becoming its largest cautionary example.  Even now there are other countries that are suffering under such burdens as we find ourselves, and to permit the condition to continue is to invite long-term disaster.

Greece, for example, has been stuck in this loop of imminent default for a while now.  The net result is that Greece is getting poorer and poorer as tourism falls off, investment dries up, and their economy accelerates down a slippery slope that seems to be destined for nothing short of utter dissolution.

I don't want that.  I don't want it for Greece, and I most assuredly don't want it for America.

So find some middle ground.  The quickest solution is the one that hurts everyone equally.  You can't have the best solution, THERE IS NO BEST SOLUTION.

Raise taxes to bolster revenues.  Do it now.  This will affect me negatively.  I accept that.

Cut spending to reduce costs.  Do it now.  This will affect me negatively.  I accept that, too.

Quit bickering and sniping at each other.  We got here because we got here - it doesn't matter who did what when; there have been Republican presidents and there have been Democratic presidents, and here we are.  Deal with here and now, NOW, so we still have some leverage when we need it down the road.

Do NOT spend one moment thinking about how your next election campaign will be affected by what you do.  As one person, you represent a vanishingly small portion of the population.  How DARE you place your own job security ahead of that of the entire country.

Get going.  Do it now.  Or step aside and make room for someone who can.  That's what elections are for, and you can believe I'll be voting in the next one.