Polarization is great for shades - not so much for politics. It's hard to touch on a topic of discussion nowadays that won't eventually devolve into party line-taking if allowed to go on long enough. That's why I don't belong to a party, and never will.

The problem is simple, the solution not. Onerous, crushing, unsustainable debt is bad. Very bad. For individuals, companies, or countries. No one in their right mind can look at out national debt and say, "no big deal." The piper always gets paid.

Two solutions exist - and only two. Generate a lot more topline (usually higher taxes in the absence of a steamroller economy), or slash the expenses and piss innumerable constituencies off. Neither is likely to happen in the current polarized environment. I failed to mention the 3rd cure - printing more money - but the downside to that is self-evident (although it's not stopped Uncle Sam from doing so on many occasions).

The Catch-22, though, is the fragile economy. It likely can't take a hit of any significant tax increases due to the repercussions in GDP and job losses, nor can the budget be slashed to any appreciable degree due to that same ugly spectre of resulting unemployment. Either approach would send the economy into a tailspin again. And there would be hell to pay at the polls - which is the dominant theme in Washington.

So, stalemate. And anything that is implemented will be almost purely cosmetic and designed to appease one base or another. If we can't come to agreement on stopping the bleeding (reducing deficit spending), how will a real cure (significantly reducing the debt) ever become a reality?

The national debt is borderline unsolvable. It may be past that point already. These "solutions" that are being promoted by both parties barely scratch the surface. We're rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.