Gambling was a blast the first time I went to Vegas. I hung out at the Roulette table and had a pretty long run. Eventually, I ran out of chips and the thought “I need more chips” crossed my mind. It took several minutes to remember that those chips were actually money. That isn’t by accident, the casinos know exactly what they are doing.
In the same vein, I’m getting sick and tired of hearing “The federal government” will pay for program x, y, and z. I would like a law passed that would require all government employees to substitute the phrase “The American taxpayers” for “The federal government.” It sounds like a minor thing but I think that it would have some significant effects. Instead of hearing senators say “The federal government will provide a subsidy of $4500 for older cars,” we would have “The American taxpayer will provide a subsidy of $4500 for older cars.” That does sound different, doesn’t it? I want politicians, members of the press, and political hacks on all sides to stop deceiving themselves and others. I want them to stop playing games when it comes to spending money. Be truthful when talking about spending our money!