66 The Solari Report / 2018 Annual Wrap Up / Part Two The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of some of these structural issues in the hope that more citizens will be encouraged to consider how the federal finances flow through the im- mediate world around us—our household budgets; our businesses, farms, or places of work; our municipalities—and understand the government-sponsored organized crime and fraud draining us, so we can begin to implement real solutions. Ultimately, the fiscal cliff is the tip of the iceberg of our economic and cultural woes. Our prob- lems are deeper. The more of us there are who are prepared to look honestly at our situation and take responsibility for it, the sooner authentic solutions will become possible and emerge. As we look over the fiscal cliff into our financial abyss, now is a good time to “Come Clean” about the real state of our lives, our communities, and our economy, starting with the U.S. feder- al finances that flow deeply and intimately throughout every aspect of our lives. First, a Story Imagine that you live in the historical mansion of a large, privileged family on a fine property— rich with good land, good water, and natural resources that your ancestors originally acquired through surreptitious means. Imagine that the mansion and estate have serious structural problems that have accumulated over many years. The reasons are complex. There is enormous distrust within the family. As the vigor of the generations dissipated and expenses rose, numerous members began turning to activities that were unproductive at best, or fraudulent and criminal at worst. Those in charge of family finances, highly dis- trustful of the collective family intelligence and wisdom, mortgaged the estate and cut rein- vestment in infrastructure to liquidate as much capital as possible to reinvest abroad—albeit in hidden legal forms. They engaged in numerous criminal activities, including ones that signifi- cantly harmed the neighborhood economy. Almost no one in the family objected as allow- ances continued to be funded—even increased— and promises continued to be made. As long as everyone was getting his or her check, almost ev- eryone was willing to ignore the deterioration of the real human and physical assets and equity on the family balance sheet. They were also willing to ignore the harm done to their neighbors. The occasional relative who demanded a financial accounting of what was happening, or was not satisfied with petty bribes of various kinds, was sent packing or to work abroad, or even occasion- ally dealt with in a way that we pretend never happens—they developed diseases, were admitted to mental institutes, were said to have committed suicide, or just disappeared. These instances were