Continuity between Obama and Bush

George W. Bush: huge spending on war, tax cuts, an expensive medical entitlement plan (prescription drugs), a stimulus plan (2008 tax rebate of $152 billion) and bailouts.

Barrack Obama: continuation of war spending, tax cuts, an expensive medical entitlement plan (2009 Health Care reform), a stimulus plan (2009 stimulus of $787 billion) and bailouts.

Bottom line: More government and more debt.

I realize there are some important differences between Bush and Obama and between Republicans and Democrats. But when you stop and look at the bottom line these last eight years, they aren’t really all that different. The continuity between Bush and Obama on spending, which is a strong indicator of priorities, is pretty amazing. The irony is that the Tea Party protesters were silent when Bush engaged in “socialized medicine” while the anti-war folks on the left haven’t exactly been in the streets attacking Obama as a warmonger, even as he is poised to send tens of thousands of more troops to Afghanistan.

It just goes to show that much of our politics is about sheer partisanship, cheering for ones own party, or rather team instead of principals. The bigger problem, and one that transcends both parties and all elections, is that we as a society, and this includes both the left, right, moderates and independents, simply don’t recognize limits. This is why both the government and many American citizens aren’t living within their means financial. Debt is simply a symptom of a greater problem.

Perhaps our economy will recover soon. If it does, we may be able to outgrow our debt. But if it doesn’t, and if we continue to pile up debt as both Bush and now Obama have done, and their successors may continue to do, we may likely face decline as a nation. After all, debt and economic decline have brought down other empires in the past.