I.O.U.S.A.

In the movie, I.O.U.S.A., they discussed the four types of our national deficit. The Budget deficit is the one that most people are aware of. Simply put, we are spending more money than we are earning based on our Gross Domestic Product. The second deficit is the savings deficit which means that the citizens of America are not saving like they have in the past. There is a debate on whether or not this is a personal choice or because they are unable to save due to bills and taxes. The trade deficit is caused by importing more goods than we are exporting. The fourth trade deficit is one of leadership. This movie argues that we cannot "Do Nothing", that we cannot leave this tremendous debt to future generations, and that we must cut spending to solve this problem as quickly as possible. If we don't we will only incur more debt.

At the end of the movie, while the credits were rolling, David Walker said that we are by no means the only country suffering from a fiscal crisis. However, he said that it is no excuse not to act saying, "What's the point of being the best looking horse in the glue factory?" I wholeheartedly agree that drastic action should be taken to reduce this nation debt, especially being part of the generation to whom it will fall if a solution is not created. I was really impressed that there is an organization created by the youth, Concerned Youth of America. This deficit will primarily affect us and the fact that many of the youth choose to ignore this problem sometimes makes me feel like there is no hope for America. This is the most frustrating part coupled with the fact that people call for change and yet they refuse to help enact it themselves. I know that change requires work and that it's a scary thing, it scares me. But what scares me more, are the consequences of doing nothing. The consequence that I believe will result from a lack of action on the part of the people: the fall of the United States of America. It may sound like doom and gloom, but it's preventative.