No, we Can't simply GROW our way out of the deficit. The world economy, and our economy is not that simple. There are recessions. We grow. We shrink. Government WILL NOT sit idly by at the same size for 50 years. Should we? OF COURSE! I would be all for that. It WILL NOT happen. I am a realist...not a pie in the sky optimist.
I was the resource advisor and financial manager for my military unit, on top of wearing many other hats. My budget was stagnant for 4 years. ZERO growth. It was painful. Everything else went up....and I was expected to keep up the same OPS tempo.
And it was horrible. And we are the more patriotic branch of government. We saluted and did it. The equipment failed. We put people at risk (unnecessarily). Had Trump not increased the DoD budget (which you don't want)...we would continue down the same path...for 20...50 years? That is NOT possible. It is IMPOSSIBLE.
Meanwhile...project out inflation. Go back, if you can, to 1968 and see what the price of this and that cost in 1968 and ask my unit to do the job.
So again...we can't and we won't....not without CUTS somewhere.
And that won't happen. It CANNOT be done in a REAL world. In Eutopia maybe. Not here in our system. If you think it can...again...you've never worked for the government in any sort of managerial capacity and crunched the numbers...had people's lives depend on you...and had to complete the mission.
All you've ever had to deal with is 1) The private sector or 2) theory.
If there is no political will to hold spending flat then certainly there is no political to cut year over year. Are you mentally all there?
Me: "Poor Tom can't walk now that he has MS.
You: "Well then if Tom can't walk then we will just teach him to run.
Me: "You are crazy."