US National Debt - Willful Stupidity

In classical times, concepts such as Virtue and Prosperity were considered to be gods. Modern times seem to have made Willful Stupidity a god - the discussion of the current economic crisis being the prime example. What follows is based on data from these websites:

http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

http://www.conservapedia.com/National_debt

These show that the national debt increased under Ronald Reagan from $1.0 trillion to $2.9 trillion = $1.9 trillion increase;

under  Bush I, a $1.5 trillion increase;

under  Clinton, a $1.4 trillion increase;

under  Bush II, a $6.1 trillion increase;

under  Obama, a $2.7 trillion increase - so far, up to $14.6 trillion.

(These are raw numbers, and don't show more important data, such as the ratio of debt to the Gross Domestic Product - post-WW II debt to GDP reached 120 %, still the high; it is slightly less than 100 % currently.)

Prima facie, Bush II seems to be rightfully blamed for the current mess. Even before  any one had heard of Obama, Rush Limbaugh had begun complaining about B. II's increase of the national debt.  B. II's fiscal irresponsibility was the foundation of the Tea Party, despite the media's insistence that the Tea Party is nothing but an anti-Obama, racist hate group (and terrorists).

But those raw numbers also don't show the events that underlie them. Reagan's huge increase in military spending broke the back of the USSR, hastening its demise. Clinton's increase came despite two big factors - the dot.com phenomenon and the housing spree, the latter based on the governments coercion of loans to unqualified buyers (i.e., mostly blacks, and therefore 'racist').  Bush II suffered the 9/11 attack, exasperated by the two discretionary wars, his own Big Pharmacy handout,  and the bursting of the housing bubble.

Yes, Obama inherited all this mess. But his solutions have not solved anything. Like the policies of FDR, his solutions have prolonged the problem. Continuing the two wars, the bail-outs to giant corporations, and the insistence on greater taxation will, I hope, led to the demise of the Democratic Party, as Bush II should have led to the demise of the Republican Party.

Eventually, the phrase sic semper  tyrannis, may have be pulled out of the "dung heap of history."