"If Reagan came back today, right now, with a solid conservative majority at the helm, would or could things be different, or are we too far gone at this point?"

Here’s my thought… you can put a solid conservative majority at the helm, but that majority would absolutely have to cut defense spending dramatically. We’re still at or above Cold War spending levels in defense (which Reagan partly contributed to) and this accounts for $613 Billion per year (as of FY08). Pairing this with Social Security (612 Billion) and Medicare/Medicaid (682 Billion) plus the interest on our national debt (249 Billion as of FY 2008) we’re obligated to 73% of our 3 trillion dollar budget for these four things alone.

My suggestion, and no politician will EVER do it out of fear for their job, is:
1. Cut defense spending in half. Yes, in half. That will free up 300 Billion dollars.
2. Create an opt-out option for social security. Allow people to leave the program and cease to contribute to it. Allow no further participants to join (remove mandatory registration at birth policy) Fund the difference with the 300 Billion saved by slashing defense spending. This will allow Social Security to die/phase out within a generation.
3. Repeal Bush’s expansion of the Medicare Rx drug program. Use the additional funds freed up to pay down on the national debt. Repeal it at a later date, or propose a similar ‘opt-in’ legislation where taxpayers who utilize the service pay taxes for it, and those that do not, get to opt-out, very similar to Rx drug insurance.
4. Cut any discretionary spending possible. No statues to congresspersons, none of the no-bid contracts, no nation building

As Social Security dies out, we can use that surplus to pay down the debt relatively quickly. In the process, every politician worth their salt will lose their job for “hating the poor” or “being weak on defense” but it is the only way I think to cease America’s whoring of herself to China and other creditors, to put it bluntly. We can’t afford to run an empire or welfare state any longer, it is bankrupting us. Since all of our politicians put their personal interest of staying in power ahead of the nation’s interest, we’ll never see this happen, and our nation will collapse under the weight of our collective greed, fear, and government dependence.

Our descendents do indeed face a taxing (fatigue-to borrow your expression) time ahead. But I really don't think it will wait that long. We will very soon start seeing an increase in every tax imaginable.

I should have said payoff the Chinese. And weakening our dollar is not gonna cut it with them.

Your forecast(s) are the bitter truth, that the descendants of our descendants have a very bleak future (or present if you will). To have our debt nullified through collapse is like saying terminal cancer is cured by death. My being dead by the time this really goes down is not helping much. I can't believe that all we can do is sit and watch it develop. I know, I know, we had tea parties and all that, and obama knows that a couple of us are not happy with him, his policies, his administration. Yes, I'm sure our dissent has him tossing and turning at night. My question to you is, if Reagan came back today, right now, with a solid conservative majority at the helm, would or could things be different, or are we too far gone at this point? Am I off base in my theory that the MSM is enemy #1?

Obama calling Clinton a liar and a loose cannon? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, as it were.

http://despair.com/changewinds.html

SEMA for years has been against state and federal programs like this. Makes it harder to find parts to fix or repair antique cars, or start a new restoration project. It also hurts low income drivers who cant afford a new car even with the taxpayer cash and have to just keep their old car running.

I think this poster is also insightful.

http://despair.com/government.html

Neal I live here and this is not a problem for White people because it is mostly a drug turf war and it is mostly real young black kids that are killing each other. And it is they parents fault letting them listeing to rap and playing video games this is why if we the people don't stop supporting them they will never change and it will spill out to white kids. If they knew how stuiped they look with there low riders and cap turn on there head I tell then all the time you can run from the white fokes with your paints down around your ankels.

P.S. this security code thing SUCKS you have to do it more than once

A tax is being paid on internet sales already. It under the name "shipping".

Especially the USPS! The only time I ever even consider using them is on an Internet sale. At least then I don't have to deal personally with some bureaucratic bungler with a bad attitude. I have been using bank-by-mail for years now. Can't even remember the last time I wrote a paper check!

"some of the money will be wasted". Whaddaya mean "some"? He really means MOST if not ALL......

A tax is being paid on internet sales already. It under the name "shipping". If using USPS its a form of tax. If using FedEx or UPS, well.. its taxed as income for them. Leave internet sales alone or you'll see income reductions in both USPS and other carriers.