Mrs. GodWords and I cut up our credit cards in 1990. Yes, I know that was before some of you were born...but it wasn't before we were born. We'd been married a year, and already felt that we were out of control with our spending. No, we hadn't racked up $50,000 in credit card debt. It was just a few thousand, but we - being a youth minister and a school teacher - knew that we needed to change our ways if we were to avoid more trouble.

We went to a debt counseling service, and someone helped us figure out what to do. We did it, which took a few years. We do have a credit card now...my wife likes to shop at Kohl's, and we found it a convenience. It was a little too convenient, and so we don't charge on it anymore.

That's a lot like Greece. They found spending someone else's money very convenient, and didn't want to stop. They're in a bit of a pickle, having accumulated so much debt that they need the rest of the European Union to bail them out. Anybody who's saved any amount of money for any amount of time to buy something of value can tell you that it's idiotic to spend more than you have on a regular basis. It's financial suicide, to be more precise.

What's even MORE idiotic than Greece spending itself into oblivion is the notion that a European Union is - financially speaking - a good idea in the first place. Some said at the time it was created that there would be safety in numbers, and that they'd be able to prop each other up in tough times. Well...guess what? Tough times are here, and Greece is the tip of the iceberg.

The only thing the EU is good for, financially speaking, is dragging each other into massive, unpayable international debt. When Greece has to pay its bills, it will rely on the international community for the money. Unfortunately, the international community that will take part in that bailout has financial problems of its own, and will have to borrow the money to lend to Greece so they can pay their debts that they borrowed for in the first place. It's a ridiculous situation that a 12 year-old could have predicted.

More unfortunately, America is involved in this stupidity as well. We don't have any excess money at the moment, but we're ponying up a great gob of dough to make sure that Greece's irresponsible entitlement culture can continue unabated.

As usual, Clarke and Dawe have graciously provided us with a common-sense explanation of the unbelievable farce in which we currently find ourselves...all of us, that is, who pay taxes.