Yes, it comes down to leadership, and thinking in the long-term, and advocating for people who haven't been born yet. But that future cohort obviously can't vote, or bitch on social media about this or that, or  express an opinion when public funding of schools, infrastructure, etc. is debated. It's like paying for the maintenance of some public building or highway. Pay me now, or pay me later, and later usually costs a hell of a lot more! The debt we are accumulating won't be paid by us, but by our children, in the form of things that can't be done using public funds like education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc. I don't know how we overcome our often selfish nature. 

Peter T.