It's under Oak Island, I swear

Warning: This is just a rant, I expect no answers for this post.

In my classes and in the media with the US election and Canadian Parliament back in session, stories are swirling around on money, in terms of how to pay for programs, who's hiding it where, etc. In a recent class we discussed municipal infrastructure and how there's a deficit of it, requiring billions of dollars to not improve our infrastructure, but merely to provide it to people who don't have it. Meanwhile, Ralph Goodale just happened to come upon 9.1 Billion dollars from between his mattresses to pay down our debt and there's the ever constant bickering over health costs and how to pay for it. In the US, election promises abound in terms of social security, medicare, deficits, blah blah blah blah blah.

Lowballing budget estimates and US politicking aside, it's got me wondering about where the hell our money's going? I'm not advocating for lower taxes or any of that nonsense, I'm just baffled. Western nations are the richest in the world and yet we can't even take care of our own citizens or provide for their welfare (no, not the payment, but life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and all that jazz).

Are our expectations of our government (and conversely, their promises) that out of touch with the fiscal and financial realities of our society? In the pension issue, if I believe my public policy prof, then yes, we are WAY OUT OF TOUCH. In that case, we've promised too much to too many (baby boomers, I'm looking at you) and NO ONE has any idea how to pay for it. Lots of talk and sitting of hands, no politician coming out and telling the awful truth.

But for everything else, where's the money at? Corporate profits and the wealthy elite? Seems like an easy way out to blame them (though they may share in a part of it perhaps). Is there some sort of financial black hole in the global market that aren't being taught in Economics? Or is it just illusory, our wealth just 1s and 0s that financial geeks just toss around because they can and if they wanted, could provide all the wealth anyone would need?

The money's out there, and if you have it, let me know, we'll go make a few people happy.