More Ideas of Good and Evil

A Cheque for Base Assumptions

I suggest the fundamental flaw in US governmental spending is that the universal well-being of US citizen is not the priority recipient of programs sponsored by US taxes. The US government pays for programs whose benefits are outside the US economy, outside our borders, outside our continent, and outside our planet without satisfying the basic survival needs of the US citizen: health (food, shelter, medical care) and defense (security from physical violence).

This habit of spending leads us to think of US Healthcare Reform as a part of the US budget which will be taxed IN ADDITION TO current programs (worst case), or INSTEAD OF beloved programs (most probable). Yet I postulate that the average US citizen would be more interested in paying taxes spent for universal health and universal defense for every citizen. Sane people generally think it’s more important to pay for basic survival needs before paying for personal luxuries or the survival needs of others. This is true for any rational individual, family, clan, or state. Rational self-interest prioritizes survival.

Why are US taxes paying for a space station before all US citizens have homes? Why are US taxes paying for highways when all US citizens don’t have enough to eat? Why are US Taxes paying for protection of foreign interests when all US Citizens are not protected? Because somewhere between theory and practice, US government spending became prioritized more by political whim$y than by the needs of the citizen.

Like many successful, stable, healthy, fiscally-responsible, democratic governments, the United States should pay for the universal health and universal defense of all its citizens first, and prioritize luxuries and the survival needs of others as a secondary expense. Food, shelter, medical care and defense against violence are the most important needs of the US citizen. The US government should prioritize accordingly when budgeting our federal taxes.