Our nation's greatest threat

Our national debt is our greatest threat, greater than ISIS, global warming, Russia, China, etc, not just because of the cancerous financial burden it poses, but also because of what it represents.

The runaway spending is evidence of a broadening entitlement mentality. It shows our willingness to mortgage future generations to pay for today's excesses. It allows politicians to buy votes rather than exhibit leadership. It creates an economy that is not sustainable and a society that lacks discipline. It erodes independence and breaks up the family unit by making people dependent on government.

Politicians say they oppose the decadent spending and they give lip service to a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, while at the same time approving deficit budgets.

We are all to blame. And I'm not just talking about poor people who get assistance. I'm talking about everyone -- the bankers, farmers, executives, all of us, who get government handouts and call them incentives, subsidies, grants, price supports, or something else to hide the reality and soothe the soul. It's called rationalization.

We must stop the madness and restore sound fiscal management. I know many of you will roll your eyes and say this too shall pass, but consider that we now owe almost $20 trillion, which amounts to more than $60,000 for every man, woman, and child in this country.

We are condemning future generations to mediocrity by burdening them with such massive debt.

Gary L. Gaines, Cape Girardeau