If you are on a pleasant walk and someone comes out of nowhere to demand that you stop and turn around, you may regard him as an unwelcome interloper. Until, that is, you learn that he’s saving you from going over a cliff. In that case, you might realize that a real friend is someone who tells you the truth even when it isn’t welcome.
That’s the position of Paul Ryan as he undergoes a frenzy of flagellation from Democrats outraged by his Medicare plan. President Barack Obama’s campaign has a new ad accusing Ryan and Mitt Romney of a scheme “ending Medicare as we know it.” But the real enemy of Medicare “as we know it” is not Ryan. It’s arithmetic.
Medicare is the second biggest item in the entire federal budget and one of the fastest growing. Over the past 30 years, its cost has doubled as a share of our gross domestic product, and over the next 30, it’s on track to double again.
But the revenues that pay for it are not keeping pace. The Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund is expected to run out of money by 2024.
At the rate we’re going, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest payments will consume the entire federal budget by 2025—leaving nothing for defense, law enforcement, national parks, highways, food stamps and all the other responsibilities the government is supposed to handle. Either drastic spending cuts or staggering tax increases would be needed.
Read More at reason.com. By Steve Chapman.
Please share this post with your friends and comment below. If you haven’t already, take a moment to sign up for our free newsletter above and friend us on Twitter and Facebook to get real time updates.
Follow @WestJournalism


Well, first off, taxes collected by the IRS DO NOT go to pay for govt services. These taxes collected always go to pay for the interest on our debt. Taxes are illegal. The IRS’ own handbook says ‘income is not taxable.’ What????!!!!!
You see, America we’ve been scammed from day one, continue to be scammed and there are way too many Americans in our land that don’t want to hear or face the truth. They’re like ostriches, perpetually hiding their heads in the sand for fear of facing the truth. Don’t believe me? I don’t have the time nor the desire to outline all the info out there. I found it myself. Take the time out of your busy day to do some research yourself.
Paul Ryan is right there is going to have to be drastic cuts,, for anything the country does not need,, We need #1 bring our men and women home #2 close all foreign bases that do not absolutely need to be there #3 put soldiers on our borders #4 stop giving money we are borrowing to other countries #4 jobs , jobs for American citizens
The wants of the President to buddy up to foreign nations, bowing to them , making America look ignorant should be stopped and when the U. S. has time to turn things around we will show them all ,, you cannot stop Americans when they work together,, So my kids will take care of me when I am old that is how it used to be,, Families were families ,, income is not taxable but capitol gains are,, seems it has been turned around somewhere.. You can find the info if you look