Borrow and spend, the delayed pain Ever thought of giving the future generations a little something to remember you by? How about the gift of debt? Whatever lens you want to look at the graph, you can blame the rise on: Out of control spending on the military or social programs; The end of the US being the swing producer of oil; Expensive wars; The money no longer being tied to gold or silver and instead being a fiat currency

No matter what the reason for the spending, the GAO warns: If the United States government conducts business as usual over the next few decades, a national debt that is already $8.5 trillion could reach $46 trillion or more, adjusted for inflation. Or If you don't like the graph due to the static nature, how about a clock so you can watch the numbers move upward?
posted by rough ashlar on Oct 31, 2006 - 80 comments