The Ignorant Investor

Americans paid their lowest level of federal taxes since 1950 last year, but according to the media the problem we have with our deficit is that "spending is too high." Seems like there's a disconnection between reality and reporting. You can cut spending or you can raise taxes. The public says it wants to cut government spending, but it also says it wants the programs like medicare social security not to be cut. So what other alternative is there to raising taxes?