How long can we keep this up?

All of us should be absolutely terrified by this graph below.  Why?  Because it so clearly illustrates what kind of crazy mess we are already in, and what horrific magnification of this mess we will see in the next four years if President Obama and the rest of the Keynesian redistributionists get their way.

The most pressing question for Americans in 2013 is: are we a nation of free enterprise or of government intervention?  Case in point - almost 75% of the recovery jobs in the past 2 years are with the government or government funded entities (hint: propped up "green energy" companies don't count as private enterprise). We are looking at record levels of revenues but exponentially higher levels of government spending. Obama and most of the democrats are perfectly happy to continue on with this strategy, thinking that they will be able to tax "the rich" into submission, not really caring that even forcibly taking every cent of income from the rich will barely make a dent in the deficit spending and that we are mortgaging away our children's future to China. Ultimately, Obama would like as many people as possible dependent on the government, because that's what makes his redistribution plan possible, but the balance is tipping and soon private sector people won't be able to support everyone in made up government jobs.

How long can we keep going at this rate before there are not enough people to redistribute from?  If the current course is not changed, at some point we'll reach a point where no productive people will work in this country. It will become either Animal Farm or Atlas Shrugged.

And frankly the Republicans are little better than Democrats when it comes to spending.  Fortunately Tea Party Republicans are forcing the conversation in both houses, and now all Republicans are at least giving lip service to reducing spending.  It remains to be seen if they will actually follow through.  The debt ceiling discussions will be the perfect opportunity for Republicans to demonstrate that they are actually serious about massive cuts to spending and aren't just all talk.  They have already been embarrassingly willing to give in to Obama's "I won the election, so we'll do what I want" posturing.  Let's see if they are able to man up and grow a pair.  If not, then in 2014 it will be the rest of us that will be to blame if we don't elect representatives actually willing to stand up for the future of this country.  In the meanwhile, since all our elected representatives have shown themselves incapable of closing the checkbook (with the notable exception of Newt Gingrich's Contract with America congress under Clinton), American's need to actively lobby for a balanced budget amendment.