The coming entitlement meltdown

About one-third of this $3 trillion [2008 Federal Budget] is so-called discretionary spending; the remaining two-thirds is deemed "mandatory" entitlement spending, which means mostly Social Security and Medicare. I'm sure many American voters would be shocked to know their elected representatives essentially have no say over two-thirds of the federal budget, but that is indeed the case. In fact the most disturbing problem with the budget is the utter lack of concern for the coming entitlement meltdown.

Ron Paul, R-TX, Remarks on the 2008 Federal Budget