... but the government IS big …

      The 2020 election is still nearly two years away, but candidates for President of the US are already lining up, especially the Democrats. 

      For the most part, the current crop of Democrat wanna-be's are really taking their big-government agendas to the extreme this time around.  Their argument goes something like this:  the U.S. government is too small, too weak, and doesn't spend enough money, thus we need to make it bigger.

      The logical follow-up question ought to be:  just how big do you want it to get?   The current budget is $4.4 trillion.  That's about 42% of the nations GDP, and divides out to about $55,000 for every man woman and child.   Oh and taxes only cover about three-fourths of that amount.  The deficit for FY 2019 is projected to be a $Trillion.

      Good heavens.

      And remember:  that is just the FEDERAL government.  State and local governments everywhere are huge, and growing, also.  (And also running out of money, I might add.)

      The sad fact is:  for most of the last century, whenever it came down to a policy debate over bigger government versus smaller government, the big-government crowd usually wins.

      I wonder if there ever come a time when all the big-government advocates will say:  Ok, we have won all our battles!  We have pushed for bigger government in every conceivable category, and we have ALWAYS gotten everything we wanted, and usually, even more than wanted!  Now, we can rest on our laurels, savor our victories, and enjoy the fruits of our labors and the spoils of our battles.

      Judging from past history, I am afraid to say that the answer to that question is probably:  no way Jose.

      Can you imagine if, just a mere generation ago (circa 1990), had someone predicted that in thirty years or so, the federal government would be spending four-and-a-half $Trillion and running up $Trillion-dollar deficits each and every year?  That person would have branded a lunatic.  (Side note:  I was one of those lunatics.)

      I always find it interesting that the utopia we should have achieved by now has, in fact, not been achieved.  For no matter HOW much money the government spends and HOW much power it has, American society has definitely NOT been perfected.  For every one problem ostensibly "solved" by government, a dozen new ones pop up.

     So looking forward, here is my prediction for the foreseeable future:  Whoever wins the White House in 2020 (and all those Congressional seats, also), that spending and deficits will continue to go up and up and up and up. 

      Remember:  you read it here first!