Thread: 14.5 trillion in debt, and....

Please refrain from personal comments in this thread. Caution note - flaming is extinguished with infractions.

Just for the record, everyone should know that I do stand for something:

I stand to pee, sometimes twice daily if the Gods permit. This is in the face of extreme opposition from the Lady Capulet, but should not be confused with "in the face" of Lady Capulet, which would garner even more extreme opposition.

Originally Posted by Capulet

Just for the record, everyone should know that I do stand for something:

I stand to pee, sometimes twice daily if the Gods permit. This is in the face of extreme opposition from the Lady Capulet, but should not be confused with "in the face" of Lady Capulet, which would garner even more extreme opposition.

Yes, but do you succumb to tyranny and put the seat down afterward? Why do WE have to LOWER the seat? Can't they raise it for US?!

On a serious note, I belong to Ideologues Anonymous (I.A.), not to be confused with the cops that investigate other cops.
I like having an opinion. I like hearing other's opinions. I mean, think how boring life would have been if the Clovis people just sat around their caves, and no one debated the utility of flint arrow points.
We would never have progressed to having Cruise Missiles and B2 Bombers to argue about.

Originally Posted by Capulet

Just for the record, everyone should know that I do stand for something:

I stand to pee, sometimes twice daily if the Gods permit. This is in the face of extreme opposition from the Lady Capulet, but should not be confused with "in the face" of Lady Capulet, which would garner even more extreme opposition.

That was hilarious.

I give up.

Will someone, anyone, please answer my question.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

Will someone, anyone, please answer my question.

Someone did answer the question. Most of it is owed back to US interests. The exact breakdown is linked to somewhere way back in the thread.

Quote: but the county is 14.5 trillion in debt-and growing. Unquote

The great thing about owing that much money to whomever is that it doesn't really matter.
The USA can't ever pay it back, you might just a well have stolen it.

And what's more - even the Chinese can't afford to buy it.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

For once I'm with Querty. Who do they owe it to?

Originally Posted by Capulet

Someone did answer the question. Most of it is owed back to US interests. The exact breakdown is linked to somewhere way back in the thread.

1 : External Debt (Current Account)

1	United States	14,590,000,000,000	9 August 2011	47,568	99

2 : Public Debt (Government Debt)

37	United States	58.9[a]	2010 est.	92.7	2010	North America

This would suggest that it's not owed back to Americans, and is indeed foreign. You'll read that they'll claim it's majority American owed debt because American sources hold a majority of US bonds; but that's a pretty weak case as American non-governmental sources owe money to non-American sources. I guess it depends on how tricky you wish to be with your statements.

Originally Posted by Rustgold

1 : External Debt (Current Account)

1	United States	14,590,000,000,000	9 August 2011	47,568	99

2 : Public Debt (Government Debt)

37	United States	58.9[a]	2010 est.	92.7	2010	North America

This would suggest that it's not owed back to Americans, and is indeed foreign. You'll read that they'll claim it's majority American owed debt because American sources hold a majority of US bonds; but that's a pretty weak case as American non-governmental sources owe money to non-American sources. I guess it depends on how tricky you wish to be with your statements.

You're going to have difficulties comparing a dollar amount to a percentage of GDP, and what you've chosen does not directly compare.

But your source (unlisted but found) does have one nice feature:

List of sovereign states by public debt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The total United States public debt is numerically very similar to United States external debt, but only about a third of United States public debt is external. [1] For discussions of debt ceilings and government defaults in the US and Europe, public debt figures need to be considered.

(colouring is mine)

Originally Posted by Capulet

Just for the record, everyone should know that I do stand for something:

I stand to pee, sometimes twice daily if the Gods permit. This is in the face of extreme opposition from the Lady Capulet, but should not be confused with "in the face" of Lady Capulet, which would garner even more extreme opposition.

Woah, even I don't stand for that... well, when I've had more than a couple.