U.S. is broke, but giving money away

For what seems like forever, we have been hearing gloom and doom about the impending fiscal cliff and now sequestration.

On March 4, The Roanoke Times apparently no longer thought this to be front-page news but did run an article on page 3, "Spending cuts might be here to stay," that implied all Americans might have to live with less.

On page 4 the same day, an article titled "Kerry: U.S. to give $190 million," referring to the U.S. pledge of foreign aid to Egypt, appears. Since we are essentially broke, I assume we will be borrowing that money, most likely from China.

Just how misguided and dysfunctional our government has become is obvious.

We have been trying, frequently unsuccessfully, to buy loyalty for decades.

And this is not a partisan rant. I have every confidence the opposition party would have done the same.

Americans deserve and should demand better.

BILL WEIKART
TROUTVILLE


The rich get poorer, the poor poorer still

Re: "American finances and the rich," March 5 commentary by Robert A. Young:

While Young compares apples to oranges (U.S. to Europe), I devised a plan based on his writings:

First, the rich liquidate all assets and split the proceeds between Sierra Leone and the less fortunate, whom he calls peasants.

This eliminates lawsuits based on greed and prevents rich brokers and lawyers from getting richer, leaving less to pass on to their heirs.

Second, the rich get rid of their boats. They can't sell them, that would be bad. Just get rid of them.

Third, the rich put their "monumental" egos in check and take huge pay cuts so we all live at the same income level.

With all of the stock brokers, marina owners, boat builders and suppliers and their employees unemployed, and a massive reduction in "death" and income taxes, the federal government has to cut U.S. Forest Service jobs.

It would be a shame if Young became unemployed, but we did everything he asked.

RON WOOD
ROANOKE

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