National Debt Clock runs out of digits
In 1980, Seymour Durst began sending holiday cards to senators and representatives reading "Happy New Year. Your share of the national debt is $35,000." A bit of an exaggeration at the time, but his point was well made. In 1989 Artkraft Strauss took this idea a step further and erected the National Debt Clock on the Avenue of the Americas in New York. At the time, the national debt was a mere $2.7 trillion dollars.
The clock was actually disabled for a couple of years starting in 2000, as the national debt was shrinking and the clock was unable to run backwards. Sadly, it was plugged back in July of 2002 as the debt once again began to climb. Now, reminiscent of the 2000 debacle created because programmers couldn't imagine the next millennium, the clock has required an upgrade. To add a digit.
Yes, we've now exceeded the $10 trillion mark in public debt. Over $33,333 for every man, woman and child in the country. The digits are flying by faster than those on the gas pump gauge.
But wait, there's more. According to a recent article in the Economist, when we add in the present-day value of foreseeable Social Security and Medicare shortfalls, our national debt is more like $70 trillion. Perhaps they should have added a couple of more digits, just in case.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-13-2008 @ 10:34PM
John Johnston said...
RECOVERY THOUGHTS FOR G8 DEBT ISSUES:
Crosus41@yahoo.com J Johnston
The top civilized governments of this world are ALL in
big DEBT problems. The G8 should meet to revise the
old system using John Maynard Keynes and Britton Woods Agreement or post WWII to rebuild
the govs of
Europe and devote 50% of the World Bank and Internatl
Monetary Funds Projects to G8 gov needs currently or
stop giving it ALL away to fourth and fifth world govs.
There wont be any need for all that with defunct world gov treasurys.
Projects undone by
USA,UK,France,Russia,Germany,Japan,China,Canada,Spain,Italy,Iraq,Mexico,Poland and
probably six more majors
should now be invested into by offshore bank trading regimes with Billion Dollar Tranches
to aid NOW developing countrys as well. Their treasurys can’t fund
their negleted hospitals,welfare issues,roads,school
buildings,new sources of energy,new hybrid autos,global warming filters for coal and
fossel fuels
power plants etc. THEN OUR GOVS can concentrate on
paying off our debts EARLIER and the dollar should soar
as the ORIGINAL BENCHMARK as intended by Britton
Woods and top 25 Bank Trading Programs. Please check
boulat.com for more specific info on these programs and
how they work. Thanks very much. Also…concerning our
G8 taxes which is a thorny issue of course…our govs should invest in tranches to the
Worldwide Bank Trading
Programs run by the US Fed Reserve and major world
banks and the IMF and World Bank so that the original
one dollar of revenue in our treasury would summate
at the end of one year to 10 up to 15 dollars return on
TAX INVESTED FUNDS to help pay off Treasury Issues
of our mutual World Govs.SO dont raise taxes dear govs simply wait one year to begin your
pet projects Domestic of course not military.
Make your money on the
ten year advancing dollar against lesser currencys while
your “tax man” is at it HUH? Keep doing that until we
ALL RISE ABOVE THIS DEBT DEBACLE…HURRAH! Thanks
from J Johnston…PS The Isle of Man, Gibraltar and the
Isle of Curacao have banks to help us do this today!
comments back to Crosus41@Yahoo.com please and Good Luck!
We should also install a concentrated G8 gov effort to mine
our mutual gold "in situ" resources untapped by a new FDR program
to put our peoples to work mining precious metals to turn it
into gold bar and silver bar etc. to our mutual Fort Knoxes
of our G8 world. This to help offset a world cry for return to
metals "backed currencys" just in case or "treasury Life Insurance
policys if you like". The USA has LOADS of gold and silver reserves
yet even to be "discovered" for our treasurys much less mined for
our treasury's securitys efforts. Please see www.accuratelocators.com
for the best semi professional gear for our new "gold and silver"
searchers brigades or "forrest scouts" if you like to lead the
way to our mining machines and workers for our MUTUAL BENEFITS.
The USA has vast untapped Federal Lands itself for a showcase
project initiator if need be.
Best Regards,
Crosus41@yahoo.com 10/08/08
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