The Biggest Issue of 2010, In One Chart

If you were asked to produce a single chart illustrating the biggest single political issue in America today, what would it look like?



In this chart, where we've graphed the trajectory of the total spending of the federal government with respect to the median household income in the U.S. for the years from 1967 through 2009, we see that the U.S. federal government's spending today has decoupled from the primary source of income that is required to sustain it.

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In practical terms, that means government spending has become completely disconnected from the ability of the typical American household to support it. And until this skyrocketing spending growth is arrested and reversed, we suspect that government spending has become disconnected from the ability of any American household to support it.

Source: http://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2010/09/biggest-issue-of-2010-in-one-chart.html

Eliminate the tax cuts, end the wars, and things will get better.

Probably cannot handle discussion.

and unnecessary wars from Korea to Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan...and government spending would be no issue.

Ironic. We had $15 trillion to loan out to Wall Street, but now that it's the non-working person who needs a job, suddenly
the deficit is the most important thing.

that the deficits don't matter, so they run them up, and now suddenly they matter.

Why did they not listen to Clinton?

This chart is disingenuous. Especially since median household income FELL during Bush's two reigns of error.

Fails to consider population increase over the period. As the country grows, total outlays relative to median income will rise in line with population growth even if there is no increase in government spending per capita. Charts like this are designed to inflame, alarm, and mislead.

Most of our taxes go toward things that KILL other things.