National debt is political tool, not life or death for U.S.

In a recent Letter to the Editor, a reader tried to “both sides” the issue of the rising national debt, and I just wanna say that if you watch it closely, the national debt often rises under Republican administrations and lowers under Democratic ones. Bill Clinton even managed to have surpluses during his last term.

It’s very easy to put the blame for a rising debt on welfare and COVID programs, but the reader failed to mention that tax breaks for the wealthy often cause the debt to skyrocket.

The national debt isn’t life or death as folks make it out to be. America isn’t a college freshman being reckless with a credit card and China won’t foreclose on Mt. Rushmore. We’re a nation with almost 300 years of history, and we’ll have plenty of time to pay our dues.

The national debt is only useful as a political tool for the minority party to guilt the majority into not enacting the policies they were elected to make happen.

AMRAM GAINER, ATLANTA

Consider Haley-Scott as youthful middle-ground ticket

As a progressive, I find conservative positions on the environment, racial inequities, education, healthcare, gun control, taxation and economic disparities pretty indefensible.

I also refuse to believe that this great country could elect to the highest office in the land a person who intentionally tried to overthrow our democracy.

That said, if the GOP would ever wake up and realize that a Nikki Haley-Tim Scott ticket could pull a significant number of voters into what would appear as a youthful middle-ground camp to many – perhaps millions -- it could probably win handily.

But we all know that the GOP, renowned for its misogyny and racial inequities, would never do that.

BOB DICKINSON, ALPHARETTA

Keep Reading

In this photo from 1997, then-U.S. Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga. (in wheelchair), and fellow senators (left to right) Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.; John McCain, R-Ariz.; Charles Hagel, R-Neb.; John Kerry, D-Mass.; and Chuck Robb, D-Va. walk along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall behind the wreath they would lay to commemorate the 15th anniversary of groundbreaking for the memorial. All six senators served in Vietnam, and Cleland lost both legs and an arm in that war. (Rick McKay/Washington Bureau)

Credit: Rick McKay

Featured

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat gives a tour of Fulton County Jail in  2023. (Natrice Miller/AJC 2023)

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC