The same fiscal hubris that pushed Greece’s economy past the breaking point has become Obama’s economic policy: spend without regard to future consequences. Spend regardless of revenue. Spend, and give no thought to the effect on the private sector. Just spend.
The consequences of this myopic policy are on frightening display in Greece. The formerly idyllic Mediterranean nation has been brought to its knees by its devastating debt and spending habits. Greek citizens are rioting in the streets, hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs, and the government is on the verge of total collapse. Greece’s welfare state, which allowed many to retire in their forties, has imploded. Greece fought economic law, and the law won.
Unfortunately, President Obama and the Democrats in Congress have decided to carry on that fight. Far from seeing this “Greek Tragedy” as a warning against a government spending beyond its means, President Obama used the recent G-20 summit as a forum to scold European leaders on the need to spend more! European leaders rejected this lecture, with the boldest critic, German Chancellor Merkel, stating that spending levels in Europe needed to be cut further. Sadly, our leaders just don’t seem to get it, as illustrated by Joe Biden’s “we need to spend money to keep from going bankrupt” quip.
Given their political record, it’s not hard to conclude that our Democratic leaders live in an alternate economic reality. Although their philosophies are based on illusions, the consequences of their policies are very real. The president’s confrontational stance toward American business and the fear of future increases in interest rates and taxes have depressed private sector job growth. America’s economy is becoming increasingly government-centric, while private sector initiative has been shackled by burdensome new regulations and uncertainty.
If our government doesn’t end its spend-now, pay-later approach, we will suffer the same fate as Greece. We are big, but we are not too big to fail. Our nation’s prosperity is not the result of our government’s ability to tax and spend its citizen’s wealth—it is the result of American ingenuity, innovation and entrepreneurial energy.
The time is now to learn from Greece’s failure. The College Republican National Committee is leading the charge to inform America about the danger our national debt and a government-centric economy pose to our young generation. We are standing up and speaking out as the voice for young conservatives, telling Congress “Don’t Put Your Debt On Our Tab!”
America is not too big to fail, but Washington is too big for us to succeed. That is why the College Republican National Committee works tirelessly every day to ensure Republican victory in November. Either we elect new leaders who believe in conservative reform, or the archetype of “Greek Tragedy” will be replaced by the phrase “American Calamity.”
Sign the petition today! www.crnc.org/petition.
Zach Howell is the Chairman of the College Republican National Committee. The CRNC is the nationally elected governing body for over 200,000 College Republicans and over 1,500 campus chapters. Zach sits in the same chair that Karl Rove, Lee Atwater, and Morton Blackwell once sat. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Utah.