We are gutting government. It is an extreme irony of the Obama presidency that a proud liberal — someone who believes in government's constructive role — is presiding over the harshest squeeze on government since World War II.
What's happening is simple: Spending on the elderly and health care is slowly overwhelming the rest of the federal government. Spending on other vital activities (from defense to financial regulation) is being sacrificed to cover the growing costs of a graying nation.
This is the central budget issue of our time. It is largely ignored, as it was in the recent unveiling of the administration's 2016 budget. President Barack Obama consistently avoids it; most Republicans take refuge in his silence. Without political leaders to define the debate, the media find it hard to clarify the conflicts and choices. Policy proceeds by default: Spending on the elderly receives a pass; cuts fall on other programs.