All the back and forth between the left and right about various ideas being floated in the area of budget-balancing is almost laughable. If it wasn't such a dire situation, it would be laughable.

All the soundbites being put out by the various politicians have little to do with what's really necessary to balance the federal budget and begin to whittle away at the national debt. Their soundbites are designed to appeal to various segments of the voting public, little else. The politicians from both the left and the right have done the aritmetic. They know how serious the fiscal problem is that faces us in the next couple of years. And in the end, they know what will be necessary to fix the problem. They may not like what's necessary--none of us will--but each and every one of them knows what will have to be done. Everyone's ox will be gored--the progressives will have to give up important social programs, the conservatives will have rto agree to increasing taxes, the hawks will have to get used to a lot less military power, the doves will have to get used to not being able to help every country or group that gets in trouble somewhere in the world.

They may all fight it, but they know what eventually has to be done.

• There will have to be significant changes to the entitlement programs, changes that will effect all of us.

• There will have to be deep spending cuts to the discretionary budget that each and every one of us will notice...and we won't be happy with the changes.

• There will have to be significant cuts to the defense budget, dramatically more than has been suggested by anyone so far. The days of the U.S being able to afford to settle every war or affront to human rights everywhere in the world is over.

• And yes, tax revenues will have to increase. The only question is who's going to pay them. Will it be the wealthiest individuals, corporations, or all of us (as with a VAT tax)? Uncertain. But what is certain is that the fiscal problems faced by the country cannot be solved with spending cuts alone.

If you don't believe it...DO THE ARITHMETIC!!