National Debt Tops $18.2 Trillion

[mrjarrell]

This is an untenable number and the democrats and republicans who have brought it to us are poised to take us even higher. This current debt is 102.6% of our GDP. These cretins are destroying our economy and our very livelihoods. Each of us now owes $154,161 towards that debt. And it's slowing the economy, as it dissolves the middle class. Next time one of these smooth talking republicrats wants into office maybe you can ask them what they're actually going to do about the debt, (no matter what they say the actual answer is "continue growing it"). All of these hucksters, on both sides, have no care for what they are doing to this country, its people and our future. They are all liars and folks have been eating up those lies with relish. The fact of the matter is that we are ****ed and they don't give a rats ass. They're going to continue to feed our futures into their pet machines, whether it's welfare or warfare. Maybe one of these days folks will wake up and tell them to slam on the brakes and reverse course, but I don't have a lot of faith in that. Too many people in this country have a yen to spend others money supporting their heroes and villains.

National Debt Tops $18 Trillion: Guess How Much You Owe? - Forbes

 

[Twangbanger]

Don't worry...the wife of the man who gave us the "surplus" is coming back to save us.

It will be all right, because...war on women, and stuff.

 

[zippy23]

I believe this is the single biggest problem facing this country. Obamacare is number 2. No one is even speaking about the debt. The left only talks about social issues to get people to hate each other. The republicans dont say anything knowing they will win because of how awful the democrats are, but then they just pass the liberal agenda. It is pure sickness in washington.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Don't worry our current pro-growth economic policies will render this a . . . nevermind.

 

[Mgderf]

This is an untenable number and the democrats and republicans who have brought it to us are poised to take us even higher. This current debt is 102.6% of our GDP. These cretins are destroying our economy and our very livelihoods. Each of us now owes $154,161 towards that debt. And it's slowing the economy, as it dissolves the middle class. Next time one of these smooth talking republicrats wants into office maybe you can ask them what they're actually going to do about the debt, (no matter what they say the actual answer is "continue growing it"). All of these hucksters, on both sides, have no care for what they are doing to this country, its people and our future. They are all liars and folks have been eating up those lies with relish. The fact of the matter is that we are ****ed and they don't give a rats ass. They're going to continue to feed our futures into their pet machines, whether it's welfare or warfare. Maybe one of these days folks will wake up and tell them to slam on the brakes and reverse course, but I don't have a lot of faith in that. Too many people in this country have a yen to spend others money supporting their heroes and villains.

National Debt Tops $18 Trillion: Guess How Much You Owe? - Forbes

I've noticed you have a penchant for condemning the powers that be. You are quick to find fault, but I rarely see you offer an alternative.
Since you are so discontented with the course of the county's political agenda, why not offer your services to turn the country around?

You seem to have identified a good bit of the nation's ills. Why not actually do something about it, besides bellyache?

 

[dusty88]

Whether or not they "care" doesn't matter. They can't speak the truth about what needs to be done and still get elected.

 

[findingZzero]

Not the best time to lurch toward austerity. With interest rates this low, it's a good time to rebuild our infrastructure at minimum borrowing costs.
Not the right moment for lurch to austerity | Lawrence H. Summers

 

[Mgderf]

Not the best time to lurch toward austerity. With interest rates this low, it's a good time to rebuild our infrastructure at minimum borrowing costs.
Not the right moment for lurch to austerity | Lawrence H. Summers

It's NEVER the wrong time to do the right thing.

 

[mrjarrell]

I've noticed you have a penchant for condemning the powers that be. You are quick to find fault, but I rarely see you offer an alternative.
Since you are so discontented with the course of the county's political agenda, why not offer your services to turn the country around?

You seem to have identified a good bit of the nation's ills. Why not actually do something about it, besides bellyache?

Not allowed to talk about something unless you have the solution. Pretty typical of the supporters of partisan spending. The solution is staring us in the face and is painfully obvious. Spending has to actually be cut, not this BS "cut the rate of growth" that republicans and their dem buddies are enamoured of. Nothing can be left off the board. No pet spending of either party can be exempt. Of course the republicrats will scream that their pet defence must continue to bleed us dry, despite needing to be cut. And the dems and republicans will scream about cutting medicare/aid. Social Security will be off the table, because neither of them want to alienate their core geezer voters. Cut and reduce. That's what I, and virtually every other person concerned about the debt have been saying for years. Can't help that you haven't been paying attention.

 

[D-Ric902]

This is an untenable number and the democrats and republicans who have brought it to us are poised to take us even higher. This current debt is 102.6% of our GDP. These cretins are destroying our economy and our very livelihoods. Each of us now owes $154,161 towards that debt. And it's slowing the economy, as it dissolves the middle class. Next time one of these smooth talking Paulites wants into office maybe you can ask them what they're actually going to do about the debt, (no matter what they say the actual answer is "continue growing it" then why ask them?). All of these hucksters, on all three sides, have no care for what they are doing to this country, its people and our future. They are all liars and folks have been eating up those lies with relish. The fact of the matter is that we are ****ed and they don't give a rats ass. They're going to continue to feed our futures into their pet machines, whether it's welfare or warfare. Maybe one of these days folks will wake up and tell them to slam on the brakes and reverse course, but I don't have a lot of faith in that. Too many people in this country have a yen (yen, ha ha) to spend others money supporting their reelections.

National Debt Tops $18 Trillion: Guess How Much You Owe? - Forbes

fixed it

Liberaltarians are strong today

 

[D-Ric902]

As far as the debt
I heard from none other than the expert, Bob Beckel, that the U.S. Could carry 22 to 23 trillion without any problem.

(he said that on "The Five", I thought Eric Bolling's head would explode)

I have no doubt that the same rant was being made when the debt reached 1 trillion, 5 trillion, 10 trillion.

its on course now to hit 20 trillion while a Republican is in office.
Designed that way? Who knows
but the Dems will scream and rant until they get into office again.


round and round we go

 

[findingZzero]

Here are a few charts to clear up this issue;

1. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   United States federal budget - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   ​
   en.wikipedia.org960 × 720Search by image
   Total Debt $ and % to GDP 2000–2013
   ​
   
   
   

Related images:









US Federal Debt as Percent of GDP since World War II, with presidential terms marked.

Now you know.

k

 

[dusty88]

fixed it

Liberaltarians are strong today

'

You can disagree with libertarians, or Ron Paul, or whomever. But your changes don't support your assertion. Paul absolutely proposed serious cuts, and he doesn't in the least give the suggestion that we can "grow" out way out of the debt.

You can agree or disagree with his ideas, but he didn't obfuscate.

 

[dusty88]

round and round we go

I don't think it's "round and round" . I think it's more akin to a Ponzi scheme.

Much of our economic growth has been debt-driven.

The amount of "growth" we now get as compared to new debt is declining, even with extremely low interest rates.

Why people continue to buy bonds is tough to explain, possibly because they know the stock market will experience a larger drop than the bonds.

It's not going anywhere "positive" unless we have some unpredictable form of growth, akin to a technological revolution.

It's theoretically possible to continue to see incomes decline relative to inflation, and for people to accept the change as we lose wealth. It's more likely though that this pops like any other bubble and the result is worse than the Great Depression.

 

[dusty88]

Not the best time to lurch toward austerity. With interest rates this low, it's a good time to rebuild our infrastructure at minimum borrowing costs.
Not the right moment for lurch to austerity | Lawrence H. Summers

And what about when we can't sell bonds at low rates? How much of the federal debt is rolled over with new bond auctions?

Here are a few charts to clear up this issue;

any chance of consolidating your thoughts into a few clear points, and then mentioning the specific relevant chart(s). I'd like to hear what you have to say, not spend 60 min trying to guess what your point is.


Edit to add: your charts are all about government debt (which is understandable; that's the topic of the thread). On the basis of the overall economy, though, private sector debt PLUS government debt needs to be considered. That total is rather epic, and where the overall evaluation needs to be.

 

[Kutnupe14]

That's worse than a longcat.

 

[D-Ric902]

'

You can disagree with libertarians, or Ron Paul, or whomever. But your changes don't support your assertion. Paul absolutely proposed serious cuts, and he doesn't in the least give the suggestion that we can "grow" out way out of the debt.

You can agree or disagree with his ideas, but he didn't obfuscate.

High school Government class

purse strings............congress

President......sign or don't
President submits a proposed budget, when was the last time one was passed?

the Paul's had the chances to change everything they could in congress the President just signs the checks, he doesn't write them.
i can "not obfuscate" about the debt, condemn it, rant against it, blame the "others" for it. But if I Have very little power do do anything about it............I'm just campaigning

 

[D-Ric902]

FindingZzero

dude,
your Google fu is killer

 

[Mgderf]

Not allowed to talk about something unless you have the solution. Pretty typical of the supporters of partisan spending. The solution is staring us in the face and is painfully obvious. Spending has to actually be cut, not this BS "cut the rate of growth" that republicans and their dem buddies are enamoured of. Nothing can be left off the board. No pet spending of either party can be exempt. Of course the republicrats will scream that their pet defence must continue to bleed us dry, despite needing to be cut. And the dems and republicans will scream about cutting medicare/aid. Social Security will be off the table, because neither of them want to alienate their core geezer voters. Cut and reduce. That's what I, and virtually every other person concerned about the debt have been saying for years. Can't help that you haven't been paying attention.

Oh I've been paying attention.
That's how I recognized your bellyaching.
I agree, spending needs to be reduced drastically. My point was that you seem to constantly complain, but offer no real-world solutions.
Sure we need to cut spending. Any moron can see that.
My question is HOW?

You're allowed to talk about anything you wish, solution or not.
I just get the impression that you would much rather complain than actually DO something about it.

 

[dusty88]

High school Government class

purse strings............congress

President......sign or don't
President submits a proposed budget, when was the last time one was passed?

the Paul's had the chances to change everything they could in congress the President just signs the checks, he doesn't write them.
i can "not obfuscate" about the debt, condemn it, rant against it, blame the "others" for it. But if I Have very little power do do anything about it............I'm just campaigning

Well of course he had little power. But that wasn't the point of your fixed quotes. You suggested that someone who makes significantly different proposals was still suggesting we could "grow out" of the debt.

If people choose not to listen to the truth because they are scared to upset the status quo, then they can't be helped.