The national debt.

Well to fix this problem two things are going to have to happen...the government is going to have to severely cut it spending across the board (which they don't want to do) and they are going to have to raise taxes on just about everyone (which the average american does not want them to do). There are not enough rich folks to cover it all. This is going to effect us all in one way or another. It is the only way the pay off all the national debt and the budget deficit and then keep it off.

This is my favorite political topic, because it's the most important one. No offense, but before you label people who are worried about the debt "crazy uninformed conservative(s)" you might want to actually inform yourself on the reason that the national debt is so high. For 2008, the federal government spent more than $1 trillion dollars on Social Security and Medicare alone. Mandatory spending for the year was 1.848 Trillion dollars, making up 62% of the federal budget. This is EVERY year. What is mandatory spending? The things you've said "pretty much have to stay". Federal discretionary spending is only 38% of the federal budget. Here's a site with pie charts and all to show you a brief overview of the nation's finances: http://www.facingup.org/why-it-matters/facts-figures As far as "the bush tax cuts ruined things"-this is completely unbased. The problem with the debt is that it's going to take massive spending cuts in both mandatory and discretionary federal spending. Unfortunately, the Democrats have refused to do anything about the debt and spending. On the contrary, they do the opposite, which is continue to try to spend us out of trouble. It's clear that the anti-business policies and attitude of President Obama and the Democratic majority Congress is the reason that there is no faith in the economy. If the policies changed, economic growth will follow. If Democrats keep control of Congress, I don't believe we will get out of this debt. We are far beyond the breaking point with the national debt, and measures need to be taken NOW. Even if Republicans gain control, they will probably not have the strength (or desire) to push through the changes required. In order to get control of this debt situation, raising taxes and drastically cutting spending will both be required. Here's a report by the Peterson-Pew Commission on Budget Reform about the national debt, it's causes, and the solutions: http://budgetreform.org/document/red-ink-rising I urge everyone to at least read the Summary.

Why is everyone blaming the Bush tax cuts? It may have compounded the whole mess but they aren't the only thing responsible for perpetuating it. If anything is to blame it is the list that you gave, health care, unemployment, social security, medicare, and medicaid. Not to mention the two wars, the "rebuilding of Iraq", all the aid going to foreign countries, the bailouts, the stimulus, the BRAND NEW health care bill, Fannie, Freddie Mae, the earmarks, the "special pet projects" of Congressmen, and the list goes on and on and on. The Bush tax cuts are only a small part of the overall picture. It seems everyone is blaming them but they have absolutely nothing to do with the spending craze that Congress is on at the moment. Sure they added to the deficit but NAME ONE PROGRAM THAT CONGRESS HAS PASSED THAT HASN'T DONE THAT. How much income do you really think it will bring in? Probably not even a tenth of what Congress is spending now. If anything, the expiration of the tax cuts are sending Small Business owners into a hiring freeze. (They are the number one group that actually hires people.) You are right though, putting more people to work would lessen the burden on the social programs, and put more people into paying taxes (thus more income for government). The recent legislation that has been passed has spun the whole business market into uncertainty. Not just health care but the new financial regulations, the new tax laws, and so on. It is that uncertainty that is driving the hiring freeze. This current administration has to stop and let the businesses catch up to the new rules in place. They have to give them time to evaluate their costs, expenses, the economy, the new tax rules, the whole picture and decide the best path to travel in to grow. If you don't know what next week will bring, how can you hire anyone especially if by next week you might be bankrupt. The banks aren't helping either. They are holding the keys to business expansion but aren't giving them out to anyone. See President Obama is doing exactly the opposite of restoring the faith in the economy. Instead, he is spreading the fear and uncertainty with each new piece of legislation that is coming up. Like it or not, it is in his hands now and he can no longer blame Bush for his signing of the spending bills. (Unless the absurd claim is being made that Bush is actually forging President Obama's name on all of these new bills.) You do realize that Congress doesn't even have a budget for next year and their new budget year starts in October? BTW President Clinton never had the national debt down to zero. There was still a National debt even with all of that so-called surplus in the budget.

Hi, kolsti financial crisis causing troubles for all the countries. China looks better because the government keep too much money in its hand. Not like US, mostly the money was kept by the company and people. But we should not be too anxious about the status. financial crisis will take the bubbles away from industy economy. And you and your country will be back to the scientific, correct way of developing soon. The one who really face to crisis is China, if we can not go in the correct deveoping way.(I'm Chinese :) )