In a previous issue we looked at how the balanced budget narrative is misleading because it obscures how the federal budget transfers large quantities of tax dollars to the well-off – loosely defined as the top 10% of income earners. This was accomplished by privatizing the federal debt using tax dollars to pay the interest owed. The budget item is called debt service charges and is the third highest line item in the budget after seniors and health care. It is even higher than defence spending. How do the government and media manufacture our agreement or consent for this? It was never raised as an election issue. We talk about balanced budgets instead. We are shown the forest not the trees.