No one likes it, but for the country to keep paying our national debts and to uphold American living standards, we need to raise taxes, especially on the millionaires and billionaires. Let’s face it: There’s no free lunch in America these days. These are hard times. Unemployment is at 9 percent. My solution to earn billions back for the United States Treasury is for us to get out of these no-win wars. Let’s save American, Iraqi, Afghani and Yemeni lives. The U.S. can do more good when it gets its own house in order.

No one likes it, but for the country to keep paying our national debts and to uphold American living standards, we need to raise taxes, especially on the millionaires and billionaires.

Let’s face it: There’s no free lunch in America these days. These are hard times. Unemployment is at 9 percent. My solution to earn billions back for the United States Treasury is for us to get out of these no-win wars. Let’s save American, Iraqi, Afghani and Yemeni lives. The U.S. can do more good when it gets its own house in order.

For more than eight years, former President George W. Bush falsified reasons for invading Iraq and to this day has not explained the reason why we went to war. Bush is lucky that he has not been held accountable for the war, which has no end in sight.

The murder of Osama bin Laden is a green light to get out of Afghanistan. We’ve exposed the breach in friendship with Pakistan, and we should stop the wanton drone attacks on civilians. The Pakistanis want only our billions. By not notifying the Pakistanis in advance during our attack on Osama, we humiliated their secret police and military. That could be unforgivable for any country. It showed a lack of trust, to put it mildly.

But back to our debt problem. A tax increase is always unpalatable, especially with the upcoming 2012 elections. Tough! Something’s gotta give.

Don’t waste your sympathy on the politicians – especially the Republicans – and the Wall Street profiteers who put us in this fiscal predicament. The GOP on Capitol Hill wants to destroy much of our public assistance programs. The Republicans are proposing vouchers to replace Medicare, a government program that works and has worked since 1965. They should lay off. We all have to pay higher taxes – that’s the reality if we want to have public education, mass transit, libraries, national parks and all of the other needs for a decent sharing society. Our moral compass demands that.

A tax boost is happily being avoided by both parties for the time being. But the day of reckoning is coming, and the GOP and Democratic leaders will have to face the music. The Democrats who still control the Senate have been unable to draft an alternative agenda that tackles the fiscal problems. Both parties are suffering from internal dissention on how to reduce the deficit. But raising taxes is inevitable. There has always been a struggle over the deficit, but this time both parties seem to have hardened their positions.

The politicians on both sides of the aisle should be thinking about the country and not themselves. As John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the House Budget Committee, is new at this game, and as popular as a skunk at the proverbial garden party.

President Barack Obama has stayed outside of the fray, but he has his eyes on his re-election plans. At some point he has to take a strong stand. Fish or cut bait.

There is no question that both sides are worried over whether to slash spending or raise taxes, but time is running out for an agreement on an increase of the debt ceiling. Otherwise bankruptcy looms for the nation.

To ease the pain, let’s not call it a tax increase. It might be preferable to resort to first President Bush’s words, by calling the hikes “enhanced revenue.”

It’s time for the deep pockets to give back to the country instead of giving to their special interests. It’s time for the American industry to innovate in this country instead of looking for cheap products and labor abroad. Hear that U.S. Chamber of Commerce?

If the U.S. fails financially, China will overcome us.

Charity begins at home, which is in dire need to keep up with our obligations. Obama has to step up to the plate with government programs to provide jobs. Republicans have to stop picking on government workers wages and pensions. Teachers affect eternity. Exactly what do the Republicans value in this country?

They may find the American people may make a distinction between the rich and the poor and why – at the polls in 2012.