National Debt Clock

[Rakala]

The national debt for the US is ridiculous. Observe.

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

[Alondro]

Wow... so we could pay it off if everybody chipped in about $30,000? 

Ok!  I have a great idea!  Everybody take out a variable interest loan from Chinese banks for $30 G and we'll save the country!

*two days later, as the Chinese national flag is planted in Washington, Charles can only ask*  Wha' happened?   

[Valynth]

Between hyperinflation and having debt, I'm gonna have to side with having debt.

[Fuyudenki]

see, this is why all politicians should be elected based on their skills at SimCity.

[Jack McSlay]

- President, what does the counter say about our debt level?
- It's over nine TRILIOOOOOOOOON!!!!!!!

sorry, I coudn't resist. but is this serious? never thought it was tha much, with that money you can buy Microsoft 40 times over

[Suwako]

I thought it was common knowledge that the US had one of the worlds greatest national debts, Oh well my English teacher keeps repeating it so I won't forget.

[Alondro]

African nations would have higher debt, but everybody keeps forgiving it...

Then they just get themselves in debt all over again.

The USSR would have had higher debt, but it totally collapsed.

Germany and Japan would have had higher debt after WWII, but we kinda blew up their governments.

So, it's not as bad as it could be...

yet.   

[techmaster-glitch]

NINE trillion? Last I saw it was three! (but then again, that was Cold War times, so...) I agree entirely with Raist...I mean Volfram

[Darkdragon]

Furthermore, with how the US economy is going at the moment, it does not surprise me that this value is to rise, and I expect it to rise faster.

[Rakala]

We were doing okay until Bush took office. >.>

[Alondro]

If we blow up the rest of the world, we won't owe anybody anything!

See how easy it is to fix this sort of thing?  

*Super-villain logic saves the day!*  

NOTE:  We were doing ok until the dot.com crash/Enron debaucle plus some lunatics deciding to crash planes into the World Trade Center.  That combination started the whole mess.  Feh, shoulda just nuked em all, woulda saved alot of money!  Why have nukes if ya ain't gonna use em!  *How Charles Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb*

[Tapewolf]

Feh, shoulda just nuked em all, woulda saved alot of money!  Why have nukes if ya ain't gonna use em!  *How Charles Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb*

I think you misspelled 'Charline'.

[Fuyudenki]

Charline doesn't exist outside of Lost Lake Inn, I thought. 

If we're on the topic, though, why isn't Afghanistan glass?  If the heat didn't kill him, the lack of supplies due to being sealed in a Silicon-dioxide tomb would.  Problem solved!

[Jack McSlay]

NINE trillion? Last I saw it was three! (but then again, that was Cold War times, so...) I agree entirely with Raist...I mean Volfram

that's why was I was impressed, it was about that amount when I had the curiousity to check

but by checking out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_external_debt (which claims 12tri instead o.O )

I found UK's debt even more impressive, meaning that each citizen would have to hand out
U$136.662,31 to the country to make up for the debt.

that's why economy drives me nuts, the nation with both higher external debt and lower account balance ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_current_account_balance ) is the wealthiest nation in the world

[Alondro]

I'm moving to Brunei.

That country is so friggin rich.  They have free EVERYTHING! 

[Cogidubnus]

If a man owes you a hundred dollars, you have power over him. If a man owes you a million dollars, he has power over you. If a man owes you nine trillion dollars, well...