Visualization of federal budget

Given all of the angst being raised by people about the federal budget (and I have some of my own concerns about the amount being spent to bail out banks and derivatives traders), it’s helpful to get a handle on what the federal budget actually contains. This visualization can be enlarged, and provides some interesting comparisons. Notice how big the military (both discretionary and non-discretionary) portions of the budget are. This graphic reminds me of the Ben&Jerry’s oreo cookie animation.

Christians need to keep in mind what the Catholic bishops, among others, have been saying consistently:

The moral test of a society is how its most vulnerable members are faring. The option for the poor…states that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first” (Sharing Catholic Social Teaching, U.S. Catholic Bishops).