To Fix National Debt Someone Has to Lead and Make Hard Choices

When I was an undergraduate at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, my political science professor, Dr. H. Ray Childers, had a saying he repeated often: "Your generation is going to be screwed because no politician has the guts to tackle this problem or the overall size of government spending." That was in 1984, when the national debt was just over $1.5 trillion. Now, in 2024, the debt has ballooned to an astonishing $36 trillion. (See this blog post explaining how large $36 trillion is). Dr. Childers saw it coming. Many others saw it coming. And yet, here we are.

One of the biggest financial concerns back then was Social Security. Even in the 1980s, projections showed that the system would become unsustainable if major changes weren’t made. But instead of tackling the issue, politicians kicked the can down the road. And they kept kicking it—through multiple administrations, Republican and Democrat alike—because real solutions require tough choices, and tough choices don’t win elections.

Now, we’re facing the consequences. The national debt is so large that just paying the interest is eating up a significant portion of our budget. Every dollar that goes toward interest is a dollar that can’t go toward schools, roads, healthcare, or defense. Meanwhile, politicians continue to promise more benefits and programs without any real way to pay for them. It’s like a family maxing out its credit cards, refusing to cut back on spending, and then getting upset when the bills come due.

We see it in the news all the time—people protesting and threatening government shutdowns over budget cuts. But here’s the reality: We don’t have the money for extras anymore. In fact, we barely have the money for essentials. The longer we ignore this problem, the worse it will get. And if we don’t act soon, we won’t have a choice—the system will collapse under its own weight.

So what’s the solution? It’s simple but painful: spending cuts and fiscal responsibility. Some pet projects will have to end. Some benefits will have to be restructured. Some tough decisions will have to be made. It won’t be easy, and it won’t be popular. But it’s necessary.

The only way to truly fix this problem is for a leader to step up—someone who isn’t worried about re-election, but about the future of this country. Because if we don’t take action now, we’re not just handing our children a mess—we’re handing them a disaster. And that’s something none of us should be willing to accept.

Written by David L. Burton

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