I think what you are both saying is true. However, let me add a couple things.I agree that the government should not drive the economy, but we have let it. Right or wrong, we have let the special interest groups, initiatives, and programs come to life. And as you said, the bureaucracy grows. However, all people see are those things and the politicians who drive them. What they don't see is the hospital workers treating the vets, the food workers who feed the troops at the mess hall and the IT guys who keep the militarys reliance on technology running (I wont say smoothly since that is what I do...LOL) and secure. The salary range for this group is generally between $28K and $70K with an average probably around $45K. That isn't a lot, and far from the triple figures. But these positions, regardless of programs or initiatives, are crucial and critical to keeping the military and government functional. These are the people are not the cause of the deficit, but they are being asked to pay for it.I may be tilting at windmills, but this is truly where the problem is. And what is happening is that most of the country is screaming about making the government smaller and axing these "little people" and just ignoring the real solution because it is perceived as tilting at windmills. Everyone believes that correcting it must be futile, so let's just layoff the middle class... no big deal. Cutting these people is not going to solve the budget problem. The problem is at the top, and until the citizens stop and really look at the big picture, they'll just assume that "big government" is the average federal employee. Until change is made at the top, cutting federal employee jobs, salaries and such is nothing more than a band-aid and I truly think weakens our government. I have been thinking about the concept of the government being too big. I don't really think that is what most people care about. I think they care about the federal government being too intrusive and equating size for it's ability to have it's hand in everything. I believe in a considerably less intrusive government and making it smaller isn't going to be a horrible thing, but making it smaller will not make it less intrusive. Again, the problem is at the top and until THAT is solved, nothing changes... But scout just said what is the belief probably of the majority of people that "the power brokers in Washington are ever going to suffer the same hardships as normal people voluntarily." Probably not, but if it is ignored and swept under the carpet in hopes that it will fix itself, we have a BIG problem. And that is what is happening... We are throwing our hands in the air and just accepting how it is. I may be tilting at windmills, but I think unlike Don Quixote, our adversary is real, and with persistance the battle can be won.

Looking for some good resources to put together a well laid out, comprehensive and effective battle analysis PowerPoint presentation to be used in conjunction with a standard military-style battle analysis.This is for my American Civil War class... I will NOT be writing about Gettysburg  😉

I give in-class powerpoint presentations on an almost daily basis, and I normally give a few paper-based powerpoint presentations during the course of a semester.  I find that giving these presentations can be a fun and rewarding experience, so long as you have planned well enough in advance.Since you've already given presentations, perhaps you don't need this, but I did post a few personal presentation tips a while back:http://forum.writersofhistory.com/index.php?topic=156.0

I had not read that, and while I have an understanding of PPT, it's alwasys good to get back the basics and remind oneself that PPT is a tool to enhance a presentation, and not BE the presentation.

Right now it is a toss up between Antietam, Chickamauga and Wilson's Creek… I have done general PowerPoint presentations in regards to military research papers, but have not done a battle analysis PPT as of yet.