With America’s Economy in Shambles, I Offer You a Few Solutions

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

I have been interested in the future of my country since the age of 10,, in 1956. I believe that I have several legitimate ideas which could save our nation from economic ruin. It won’t be easy. Trump recently increased our national debt to the unimaginable number of $40 trillion. This is what that looks like: $40,000,000,000,000.00. Definitely not “pocket change.”

My ideas are inclusive: every citizen, rich or poor, black or white, Christian or non-Christian, young and old, will share in their responsibility for the existence of the United States of America and to its survival for another 250 years.

TAXATION

It is impossible for any democratic, socialistic, communist, or fascist nation to exist without some form of taxation. In most democratic nations, the rate of taxation varies according to income. The justification is based on the fact that laws and regulations often support the success of businesses, which in turn create jobs and increase the quality of life for everyone. With a wannabe billionaire defiling our White House, corporations and the super-rich who control them are not forced to pay their fair share.

The U. S. tax code contains 74,608 pages. The majority of which contain information related to the avoidance of paying taxes. The maximum tax rate in America, regardless of income, is 37 percent. The corporate rate is a flat 21 percent. However, with thousands of available deductions, not a single individual or corporation pays the maximum.

Because the average working-class man or woman is unable to take advantage of most of these “loopholes,” they pay a higher percentage than Walmart, Amazon, or Elon Musk.

This is the primary reason, approved by Donald Trump, why our nation’s national debt continues to climb. His policies between 2017 and today added about 8 trillion dollars to the deficit.

REASON NUMBER TWO

Social programs cost more than 4.8 trillion dollars annually. Last year, Social Security cost about 1.58 trillion alone. This is a helluva lot of money, but it doesn’t need to be that expensive if our government was not incompetent.

In 1935, the “People’s President,” Franklin Delano Roosevelt, signed the Social Security Act into law. To this day, it was the only perfect bill every approved by all three branches of our government.

It was extremely simple and inexpensive. This retirement program for the working class would be funded by employees and employers who contributed a percentage of their paychecks to the program. When an individual reached retirement age, generally considered to be 65 years, he or she would receive payments based on their and their employers contributions. The only cost to our federal government would be administrative.

Almost immediately corrupt and incompetent politicians began adding programs to Social Security, including Medicaid and other necessary programs for low-income and impoverished Americans. However, they did not add additional resources needed to finance these programs. They continue to bastardize Social Security today. This is the only reason why it is in danger of “going broke.”

My wife and I rely on Social Security for our entire income. It is our money: we paid for it, and it is not an “entitlement” as defined by Trump’s Fascist Party. What I and my bride receive is ours: we paid for it. By the way, there is no record of a single individual receiving the total amount they contributed in history when adjusted for inflation. There should be a surplus, but professional politicians are all liars and incompetents.

MILITARY WASTE AND FRAUD

Republicans want to end Social Security and at the same time support huge increases in the Pentagon’s budget each year.

Watchdog groups claim that our military brass waste 50 percent of its allotment each year. The fact that the Pentagon lost all five wars since WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iran, Afghanistan, and now, Iran, proves that they do not need or deserve the money they receive. There is no possible manner in which Trump and his failed administration can possibly achieve a single objective he announced to the press on February 28, 2026,

Ne next military budget will surpass $1,000,000,000.000.00.

I will focus on Trump’s war because everyone can relate to this current debacle.

There are currently 3 aircraft carriers in the region. If you think filling your vehicle with gas or diesel is expensive, consider this. Refueling a single carrier costs 5.1 billion dollars. The daily operation of a single carrier wastes about 5.8 million each day. You add it up. “Trump’s folly” has now cost the American people nearly $100 billion.

Trump and his party believe that you should be grateful to them for waging a war against another Muslim nation, and be more than willing to accept your pain at the gas station and the grocery store.

END THE “RIGHT” OF PUBLIC SERVANTS TO LIVE THE LIVES OF THE SUPER-RICH AT YOUR EXPENSE

Trump’s administration has been traveling around our nation and the world on private aircraft, not to perform their duties but to enjoy the lifestyle of the super-rich.

Trump’s personal spending is wasting more than 10 million taxpayer dollars each month. Just think about one factor responsible for this waste of money. Operating either Air Force One costs between $210,000 and $270,000 per hour.

Trump travels back and forth to Mar-a-Lago multiple times each month and additional travel to his golf courses. As I write this, he is using AF-1 to campaign for Republican candidates in red states across America. The cost of these unnecessary excursions will likely reach more than $500,000,000.00.

Fact, the men and women who enjoy their privileged lives in the House and Senate are required to be in Washington for only 100 days each year. When they are in our nation’s capital, they spend several hours each day on the phone begging for campaign contributions.  

The base salary for each of these 535 men and women is $174,000 per year. This adds up to $93, 090, 000 each year for salaries alone. They also have the best benefits available. This does not include their many “perks.”

Unfortunately, because our current government is corrupt and totally dysfunctional, I agree with Will Rogers.

“Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.”

FOREIGN AID

In 2025, our government gave aid to foreign nations in the amount of almost 60 billion dollars. Why. Not a single nation in the world gives our nation money without expectation of repayment.

First, that money is needed in our country. We are the only nation without universal healthcare and free or inexpensive higher education.

Most importantly, it’s past time for our nation to “keep their noses” out of the situations occurring in foreign countries. The word is “imperialism,” and it must stop.

Yesterday, your illegitimate president reported his intention to become involved in the situation including rape at Cornell University. He is an idiot. Trump has not addressed one problem which existed prior to the 2024 election. He must not become involved in any situation not concerned with the safety and welfare of all 340 million people.

More waste like his ballroom, arch, reflection pool, cage fighting match, his personal birthday party, and the failure of planning and conducting an acceptable celebration of our nation’s 250-year anniversary, are contributing to America’s economic ruin.

Addressing these problems seriously and with focus on the future of our nation, America could become a very good country, but not “great." That would require a complete overhaul of our federal government.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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