Root of all evil

I've gotten some very nice presents for my birthday so far, and it's not even quite here yet (December 14, 1979 - Wednesday).

Thanks Dad and Chris for the Settlers of Cattan book, and the Chukar Cherries.  We're already half way through the Cherries and I hope to start the book tonight.  My Mom actually came out to visit and she took Gretchen and I out to a very fancy Italian resturant.

These gifts have gotten me thinking about money and I just spent about an hour reading about the national debt.  I finished reading even more confused than when I started.

I'm very concerned that all of the information out there has been tainted one way or another by political motivations; for example:  When Scott Walker was elected in Wisconsin, he met with his allies and asked them to get him as much financial leverage as they could.  He, and his allies, then used that leverage to great effect to push through legislation that was related to finances, but motivated by his, and his supporters ideology.  Threating the finances of a state to promote an ideology is treasonous.  -  Proving his motivations to get him sent to jail would be, probably impossible; and probably not deserved - I'm sure he felt he was doing the right thing; I just don't like the way he did it.  Means don't justify the ends and all that.

The national debt is certainly a serious problem, but with so many political and wealthy people recklessly crusading, and using unbridled demagoguery, figuring out what information I can trust is quite difficult.

I think I need a stronger historical knowledge of countries, and their debts to properly frame this issue.