Just when you though it wasn’t possible to be anymore pessimistic about the direction the Obama administration is pursuing on the economy and its attitude towards increased spending and using taxes as a punitive tool, the Washington Post has to come along and do an interactive feature on how Canada has balanced its budget every year since 1998 by cutting spending while reducing taxes.

Washington Post Interactive: Great Right North

Reports last week that the recession is draining Social Security and Medicare funds were just one more reminder that the United States needs to fix its finances. For inspiration, why not look to Canada? Long derided by American conservatives as “socialist” and praised by the left for its generous government spending, Canada is casting off those stereotypes. Over the past few years, while U.S. politicians presided over huge increases in spending and debt, the Canadian government tightened its belt, slashed tax rates and balanced budgets.