Money and Values

Money

And How It Defines Our Values

           Last night I took my girlfriend out to eat to an expensive Italian place downtown. It was our last chance for a real date before we both move in for college so it was a nice evening. Everything was perfect about the meal, but in the back of the head of an 18 year old making minimum wage is always the bill at the end. In my quest to justify spending that much money on a single evening, I thought about why I'm spending this money. In turn, I thought about how money is really just a reflection of what we as individuals value.

          Besides people, I value food, video games, and the Reds, in that order (this explains my belly). If one were to look at my budget they would see that this is true. We value college degrees, so much so that we straddle ourselves with many thousands of dollars before we hold a true full time job. When I get older and I start paying my own bills I'll learn the hard way how much I value a house and utilities. 

          This same principle can be applied to the National Budget. If you break it down, we spend nearly $4 Trillion a year. $700 Billion of which is spent on Defense. Well over $1,000,000,000,000 is spent on Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid. About $100 Billion is spent on education. Barring talk about education being a State concern, looking at this budget, does this look like our nation is looking well into the future?

          Let's pretend for moment that the Government actually had a limit on how much they could spend kind of like how the real world works. What does this say we value? It says we value being the self designated "world police" and creating a welfare state. So we end up with two roles, one that pleases the far left and far left. 

          Before you vote in November, think about whether either candidate stands up for what you value. I find it hard to choose either way. We've got to go on a "quest" to justify spending so much on welfare. Or wonder why we have to spend $700 Billion during a time with no immediate threat. Eventually all this excess will be rung up. Just like at dinner, there will be a bill at the end.

Copyright 2012

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