That would explain the increases in defense spending, but the two-thirds of the Federal budget that goes to social spending is buying the same old food, clothes, and shelter, even allowing for inflation. Even high-tech medical care has not gotten 200 times more expensive in constant dollars than it was in 1902.

Face it, the government is just doing one hell of a lot more than it did back then. We could argue all day about how much of this additional spending is "critical" to the well-being of the United States. Naturally, the government insists that all of it is. What else would you expect them to say?