>>153835, >>153836, >>153837, >>153838, >>153839
DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican - We're Not Broke Because of Math; We're Broke Because of Corruption
This week, Elon Musk declared his intent to step away from politics, citing that he's "done enough" and sees no reason to spend his money on politics. This has fired off a lot of speculation.
I haven't commented on the Big Beautiful Bill until now, mostly because I think both sides are right. It's not enough. But it is also the best we're going to get for a long while.
And that's the crux of the problem.
The most "responsible" plan anyone can come up with still adds trillions to our debt, just at a slightly slower rate. That's the hard truth. Even with the most disruptive leader in modern history, this is where we landed.
Interest rates are creeping up again. After Moody's downgrade, mortgage rates topped 7%, and 30-year Treasuries crossed 5%. In 2023, we collected just under $2.2 trillion in federal income taxes. At 5%, debt interest alone eats up 80% of that. What's left barely covers anything. And the rest of our revenue sources? Mostly payroll taxes, locked up in programs we can't touch.
We are out of money.
We are out of time.
And still, we act like it's not a problem.
I'm not saying this to sound hopeless. But we have to face the truth: this is happening because of a culture of corruption.
Both parties know where the fat is. But even the ones who campaign on responsibility won't touch foreign aid, defense waste, or pet projects. They'd rather swing at Medicaid.
This isn't a math problem; it's a cultural one.
So that’s where my focus is going. Who benefits. Who protects them. Who looks the other way. Because we don't fix this by balancing a budget. We fix it by telling the truth: loudly and clearly, until the rot has nowhere left to hide.
Al Capone didn't fall because the system held him accountable. He fell because someone followed the money.
I'm going to keep doing that.
https://x.com/DataRepublican/status/1925384167115936249