Probably won't "give" until we feel enough pain. As a nation, we haven't felt enough pain yet. Not that I want anymore suffering in my country (USA), but isn't that the way it always goes?
The Northern Europeans are exceptionally bright, industrious and socially-minded. Most other countries are not.
Other "healthy economies" are not spending $700B/yr to be policeman to the world, either. America spends too much on war and defense. We spend too much on parasitic tit-suckers. We spend too much on government employees... not only too many of them, but too much compensation and benefits. ALL of those must be addressed with SHARP cutbacks... otherwise, we die.
Why so? Our deficits were not so large before Odumbo when on he went on his wrecking crew spending spree... we weren't in depression then. Why would we be so now?
You assert that like it's fact but I rather doubt it is. Government is inherently a drag on the economy so just cut it drastically and let nature take it's course. The people that lose their Public Monies will have to get busy and do something productive and that is the essence of an economy... I'm still astounded that Obama and company have not reregulated Wall Street and the Lending Sector... that means that nobody, neither major political party at least, is going to reregulate the sectors that nearly killed the world economy..
Until it reaches a ridiculous size, it demonstrably is not a drag on the economy, for any society grown past the tribal stage. It is, in fact, the exact opposite, it is what enables the economy. "Do you have a flag?"