You work.
asserted
You → work → ?
You get paid.
asserted
You → pay → ?
Washington takes its cut.
asserted
Washington → take → cut
But have you ever stopped to ask one simple question: Where does the money actually go?
asserted
money → stop → question
Most Americans can't comprehend the difference between $1 trillion and $7 trillion anyway.
asserted
Americans → comprehend → trillion
Let's shrink Washington down to something we all understand: a $100 bill.
asserted
we → let → something
In fiscal year 2025, the federal government spent roughly $7 trillion.
asserted
government → spend → trillion
Social Security alone consumed about $1.6 trillion.
asserted
Security → consume → trillion
Major federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, were another enormous piece.
asserted
programs → include → Medicare
Defense approached $900 billion.
asserted
Defense → approach → billion
And then there's the number that should make every taxpayer spit out their morning coffee: interest.
asserted
taxpayer → be → coffee
The federal government spent about $970 billion just on net interest on the national debt.
asserted
government → spend → debt
That means roughly $14 out of every $100 Washington spent went toward interest on money we've already borrowed.
asserted
we → mean → money
Imagine earning $100 and immediately throwing $14 in the fireplace because of credit-card balances you accumulated years ago.
asserted
you → imagine → balances
You'd probably say you have a spending problem.
asserted
you → say → problem
Washington calls it a budget.
asserted
Washington → call → it
So where did the rest go?
asserted
rest → go → ?
Roughly speaking, out of every $100 the federal government spent in 2025, about $23 went to Social Security, approximately $26 went toward major health programs, around $13 went toward national defense, and about $14 serviced the interest on our debt.
asserted
14 → speak → debt
The remaining dollars funded everything from veterans' benefits and income-security programs to transportation, education, federal agencies and thousands of other government programs.
asserted
dollars → remain → programs
You can argue all day about which of those programs are worthwhile.
asserted
which → argue → programs
But here's the part Washington doesn't put on your receipt.
asserted
Washington → put → receipt
We didn't have the $100.
asserted
We → have → 100
Federal revenues were only about $5.2 trillion while spending approached $7 trillion.
asserted
spending → approach → trillion
In other words, for every $100 Washington spent, it collected only about $74 and borrowed roughly $26 to make up the difference.
asserted
it → spend → difference
Eventually, your banker is going to have a conversation with you that nobody in Congress seems interested in having.
asserted
nobody → go → Congress
Politicians love telling you about the benefits they're going to protect, the programs they're going to create and the taxes somebody else is supposedly going to pay.
asserted
somebody → tell → benefits
Nobody likes telling you the truth.
asserted
Nobody → tell → truth
We have promised ourselves a government we aren't currently willing to pay for.
asserted
we → promise → government
And taxpayers should demand something that every restaurant, grocery store and hardware store already gives us.
asserted
restaurant → demand → us
Imagine earning $100 and immediately throwing $14 in the fireplace because of credit-card balances you accumulated years ago.
asserted
you → imagine → balances
You'd probably say you have a spending problem.
asserted
you → say → problem
Washington calls it a budget.
asserted
Washington → call → it
Every year, Americans should be able to see exactly how Washington spent every $100 it collected and how much additional money it borrowed in our name.
asserted
it → see → name
Because here's the number that scares me most.
asserted
that → scar → me
The Congressional Budget Office says net interest costs are projected to exceed $1 trillion in 2026 and could reach about $2.1 trillion annually by 2036 under current law.
uncertain
costs → say → law
That's money future taxpayers will send to Washington before Congress buys them a single bridge, missile or Medicare benefit.
asserted
Congress → send → bridge
Americans argue constantly about whether our taxes are too high or too low.
asserted
taxes → argue → ?
Maybe we're asking the wrong question.
asserted
we → ask → question
Before Washington asks Americans for another dollar, taxpayers should be asking: What did you do with the last $100?
asserted
you → ask → 100
The Aporia
