Dollars and Sense ©

Over the weekend I watched a report on, surprise, the US economy. What caught my eyes ears was the mention of three major corporations and a television studio.

The drab and depressing fact about US’s money problems have been “Hot Topics” for a couple of years now. Most recently, the debt ceiling – “To Raise or Not to Raise” was the question. The answer came in a down-to-the-wire decision to, of course, raise it. Nobody was happy about, but most agreed it was necessary. Democrats and Republicans alike have been walking around in a pseudo state of contentment claiming there was no “winner” and that each side compromised.

Without sounding like the many analysts that have been creeping and crawling around on the airwaves, it all sounds like a territory war at the local playground. Republicans want what they want, Democrats want what they want, and the president wants what he wants. Ironically, nobody wants what the people want. Whatever that is, I don’t anyone knows anymore.

I will admit that it was frightening to hear that our government is broke. That it would not be able to financially support its citizens had a decision not been made was disheartening. In a matter of hours, checks would be cancelled, funding dried up. For the average American, we know what it means to write that check to pay a bill and panic when our direct deposit doesn’t reach our account, but for the richest country, this sounds absurd. How can a country, no, how can America be in this situation?

The bottom line (if you can find it) is wasteful, over-spending. We’ve all heard the reports regarding the amounts spent for the war. The war that was not ours to fight (personal opinion) the monies given to other countries (when our own are living at poverty levels) and other expenses that should bring shame, but doesn’t. Well, now it does because it’s all out in the open, sort of. Of course we will never know the exacts, there are individuals who are actually paid a salary to make sure we don’t. I’ll leave that alone…

Back to my initial point, the piece held my attention because it mentioned Apple, GE, Pfizer, and CBS combined has a net worth higher than the US. Apple alone has a cash value higher than our government. Yes, cash value. Meaning, accessible funds at their fingertips, ready for spending. Not stock or solid assets, actual cash sitting in their banks.

I leave that as an ending…maybe you can make sense of it.