The Poorest Country in the World?

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

Americans are stupid. They must have the latest I-Phone, the most expensive car, the biggest house, have their children attend the most prestigious colleges and universities, and more recently have their food delivered rather than cook for themselves. The citizens of the United States are the most wasteful people on the planet.

However, compared to our government, we are all misers.

With Trump as your illegitimate president, the national debt is rising as fast as the Atlantic Ocean, a result of climate change. His failed fiscal policy is a disaster and has made America the poorest country in all developed nations.

OUR GREAT GRANDCHILDREN ARE ALREADY IN DEBT

The national debt is over 39 trillion dollars and rising. Between 2017 and 2021, Trump added 4 trillion dollars to the national debt. During the first year of his second term, 2025, Trump added a whopping 2.2 trillion dollars to the deficit.

At the same time, his 989 oligarchs/billionaires, an increase of 87 from when he took office in 2025, continue to receive tax breaks. Many of them pay no taxes at all, taking advantage of a moronic tax code which contains 74,000 pages, most of which are instructions about how to avoid paying taxes.

“POLITICIAN” HAS BECOME A SYNONYM FOR “MORON,” AND THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF CORRUPTION

Did your parents or grandparents ever tell you that “you cannot spend more than you make?” Sounds simple, but our government just doesn’t get it.

In 2025, the national treasury’s input was about 5.26 trillion dollars. However, Trump’s failed policy added 2.2 trillion. Today the deficit is more than 39 trillion, and will continue to grow.

Let’s look at one example of how incompetent our federal government has become.

THE PENTAGON FAILS AGAIN, BUT CONTINUES TO RECEIVE AN ANNUAL INCREASE

Trump illegally declared war on Iran on February 28, 2026. He and our military leaders in the Pentagon are spending more than one billion dollars each day with the use of Tomahawk Cruise Missiles and drone attacks, but have failed to bring the current regime to its knees. 50 days of war and 50 billion dollars of waste and futility.

Facts your government and the mainstream will never tell you.

Our nation’s military leaders have lost every war since WWII, and are losing their current effort.

Several watchdog groups continue to claim that 50 cents out of every dollar received by the Pentagon goes to waste.

What we do know.

The Pentagon’s budget for 2026 is $838.7 billion. Trump’s proposal for 2027 is $1.5 trillion. Yes, that is the actual number.

SOCIAL PROGRAMS ARE UNDER ATTACK FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AISLE

While the super-rich and their huge corporations receive tax cuts, and the Pentagon’s failures are rewarded with an increased national budget, social programs are in decline. Once again, the motto of our nation’s corrupt government “profits before people.”

It may surprise you, but most men and women who are employed in our three branches of government are heavily invested in the military industrial complex. None are invested in programs designed to provide healthcare for all Americans, or lowering the cost of higher education for the masses. They know those programs will continue to receive reductions.

Everything from food stamps to Social Security have been reduced. Although my wife and I received a 2.5 percent increase in 2026, inflation rose between 12 and 60 percent, depending on the commodity.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO FAIL THE PURPOSE FOR ITS EXISTENCE

Our Founding Fathers created a system of governance known as a “Democratic Republic.” Every two years voters are allowed to choose the men and women who represent them in Washington.

The failure of their intent comes from two facts: our elected officials work for themselves, not their constituents, and voters fail to “vet” the candidates whose names are on their ballots.

It is an irrefutable fact that the men and women who share the privilege of serving in all three branches of our federal government are incompetent and corrupt.

When was the last time you read something or watched television “news” and learned that our government had passed legislation which would improve your quality if life? I have a great memory, but it’s not that long.

THE FULL TRUTH

You and I will never see a reduction in the national debt in our lifetime. Neither will our children or their children’s children. It’s impossible under our current government.

Until every American citizen, and every corporation are required to pay their fair share of taxes, both the national debt and income inequality will continue to be our country’s biggest problems.

The next time you hear a failed politician claim that “America is the richest country in the world,” try not to laugh too hard. How much money is in your bank account?

Op-ed by James Turnage

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Sources: crfb.org: Gross National Debt Reaches $39 Trillion

jec.senate.org: FY2025 Debt Increased by $2.2 Trillion, Stands at Over $37.6 Trillion

finance.yahoo.com: Trump just raised the $39 trillion national debt with the largest budget hike since World War II—and nobody can figure out how to pay for it