Here are counters for how much we spend every second on war and for how much the government has lost in revenue because of the Bush tax cuts for the rich. I'm no economist; I'm not even that good with crunching numbers but I don't think it takes a degree in macroeconomics to get that ending these tax cuts and curtailing our government's penchant for making war would go a long, long way toward closing the deficit. Here are two of the biggest drains on our nation's budget and yet we are continually fed the same bullshit about people on welfare dragging us down. I tried to find a counter for how much money our government spends every second on welfare for its citizens, but there doesn't seem to be a counter for that. Nor is there one for how much the government spends every second on unemployment benefits. We are told demands for a fair wage, $20 an hour, is ridiculous. We are told guaranteeing a living wage for all, regardless of employment, is ridiculous. A single payer healthcare system and free college education...just ridiculous according to most of our nation's public officials.
The numbers flying by on these counters...if you ask me, that is the definition of ridiculous.
http://costoftaxcuts.com/
http://costofwar.com/en/