[NormsRevenge]

Their basic message is this: 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. That's almost as much as the total net worth of every person in America — Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and those Google guys included.

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The alarm bells have been ringing for years ...

[gb63]

"a national debt that is already 8.5 trillion could reach $46 trillion or more, adjusted for inflation. That's almost as much as the total net worth of every person in America"
Would you please read that statement over a few times and look for a fatal flaw in the logic....give up? You are comparing against an unknown wealth level at that future time. There is no way you can predict the total wealth in a future decades away. Every previous attempt has been a failure. If the wealth level is high enough, all of the problems cited become solvable.

[speekinout]

The article combines the current deficit with the shortfall in funds for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. That is very misleading. Bush tried to convince people that the entitlement programs were going to lead to disaster, and he tried to fix SS. That's what has to be done.

This is nothing more than election time propaganda from a Dem.

[Moonman62]

Don't you think it's a bit deceiving to be comparing tomorrow's debts with today's assets?

[MNJohnnie]

Social Security is a much less serious problem

All you got to do is read this lie to know this is pure BS. OH, They need to pretend they are upset about Spending but they cannot talk about SS since Bush tried to fix that and they blocked it so we will lie and say SS is not a problem. Then the lie about a spint in Govt helps controlling spending. Hey AP Reagan, was a Republican, Congress was run by Democrats and their was NO restraing the Defecit Spending. MAYBE having a Republican Congress and a Democrat President might reign in spending but not vice versa. Another day, another set of lies from the Democrat Noise Machine.

[Clintonfatigued]

There are two things which would help, although not fix the crisis by themselves. One is to raise the retirement age. The other is to vastly increase the social security earnings limit.

[truth_seeker]

"The alarm bells have been ringing for years ..."

Ross Perot time again?