Vote or Die: Avoiding a debt Armageddon

On the off chance that you spent all of July and a few weeks of August buried underneath a rock, you may have missed out on yet another classic example of the United States government's inability to get anything productive done. On Aug. 3, the world came about as close to a financial Armageddon as it ever has before. This is due to the gargantuan amount of debt that the U.S. has accrued, and until Aug. 3, was in serious danger of defaulting on.

If you don't know a lot about the debt crisis then here is the basic rundown: The U.S. government did not have enough money to make interest payments on its outstanding debt, so it needed to find a way to raise enough money to pay off its creditors and thus prevent a chain reaction leading to the end of the world. In order to raise enough money to make our payments, we needed to borrow more money. This was a problem because there was a legal limit on the amount of debt the U.S. could take on. In order to fix this cluster of problems, the Boehner Bill was passed, which raised the debt ceiling to a level that allowed us to borrow enough to make our payments.

Unfortunately, the Boehner Bill just postpones our debt problems for two more years, when the U.S. will yet again have to fight off judgment day. This is like a man getting a giant cut in his femoral artery, looking at it, realizing that if he doesn't do something to stop the bleeding he will likely bleed out, so he throws a paper towel on it and proclaims: "I think I'll wait a few years before I head to the hospital." Brilliant.

While the debt situation seems pretty hopeless at this point, there are some positives that can be drawn from the great debacle our country has so courageously faced.  First, we learned that our politicians are superb negotiators. In fact, they are so good that they managed to hold their ground for long enough to keep from reaching an agreement until there was barely enough time to hastily pass an ineffective bill. More great news arrived when Standard and Poor's, a credit rating agency, downgraded the creditworthiness of the U.S. Government from a AAA rating to a AA+ rating. This means we will be paying a higher interest rate on our debt because we are now a riskier investment for anyone who still thinks it is a good idea to loan us money. That's perfect, because if there is one thing Americans know how to do, it is rack up debt; now when we do it, we can pay even more interest. Perfect.

The period prior to Aug. 3 was a prime example of the inefficient and corrupt government that Americans have come to hate. Instead of a group of professionals working collectively toward a better, stronger and safer nation, we were stuck with a collection of individuals focused on their own re-elections. Each of the two major parties can't even seem to work as team with the fellow, like-minded members of their party. The general disapproval of Congress is nothing new to Americans. According to Gallup, the average approval rating of Congress in 2008, 2010, and 2011 was 19 percent. Still, a senator brings home $174,000 in annual salary.  That's like putting premium gasoline in a car that only starts one out of every five tries.

So, what are we to do?  Don't forget that a government is merely a representation of its constituents.  Those who serve in our Congress are there by our graces and are there to bring our beliefs and ideas to the table in Washington. Congress didn't turn into one of the most disapproved institutions in America overnight, the American population let it get there.  It was we who let it happen, so it is we who must fix it.

We are not doing too well.  In the 2010 election a measly 37.8 percent of the voting age population chimed in to voice their opinion by voting.  If you don't like what is happening in Washington, do something about it.  You can't complain about what is going on without offering some sort of solution, so we suggest that more than 37.8 percent of the voters in this country start to take part in shaping the institution that is a direct reflection of their political opinions.

With a little bit of effort and the time it takes to make a trip to the COG, you can at least make your voice heard. So before the financial armageddon of lore catches up to us, do your part and get involved before it's too late.