The Second Principle for Avoiding the Fiscal Cliff

Our dilemma, my fellow Americans, is how are we ever going to reign in our debt without reducing how much money we spent. You see, we can't just quit spending, for if we cut how much money is circulating in the economy, then we do quite the opposite thing from a stimulus.

And, lest it go unnoticed, a lot of the foreign aid money does not circulate here in America.

True, we must consider humanitarian needs. Some of them we might not be able to afford, but certainly whatever funds are saving lives must not be cut.

And, some foreign aid money might be justified, that which, indeed, does return to the U.S. We help fund Israel's military, but much of that money returns as Israel buys weapons from U.S. contractors.

What percentage of the U.S. budget goes to foreign aid? Maybe 1 or 1.5 percent? And, without looking at each item, we don't know how much of that we will even be able to cut. Still, albeit a small start, cutting a budget must begin somewhere. This, then, is the beginning point.