You can't just cut your troubles away: Poor educational system; low education; high income inequality; low real income growth rate; high rates of drug addition; low social mobility; housing shortages; poor public transit; decreased access to healthy food; private equity buying everything and jacking up the prices; etc.

In fact, most solutions to troubles require spending time and/or money. Very few are resolved by "do less, and do it worse".

> At some point there need to be painful austerity measures - budget cuts, increased taxes, and the like.

Perhaps: america can start with increasing taxes on the rich, instead of decreasing taxes on the rich and increasing taxes on the non-rich. That should get america more money and hurt fewer people.

But you also can't just cut taxes forever. The tax cuts being proposed by the current Republican budget are projected to add even more to the deficit.

you have a fundamental misunderstanding of govermental debt and the US.the US CAN 100%, its not a guess its a fact, spend away their troubles forever.

learn how the global economy is, understand what fiat is, find out what your missing. (first hint, money is a construct - and follow the tbills)

you know what does make the US have to do "painful austerity measures - budget cuts, increased taxes, and the like. It's unpopular to do painful things, but it's necessary for survival" ??

Watch everything the current administration does because they dont understand modern economics and you'll see.

Trump is looking to increase spending. Musk's future is dependent on increasing spending. Where do you get the idea they're cutting the budget? They're cutting normal people ...