The National Debt

Everyone can agree that the U. S. National Debt is a problem that cannot be ignored. There is enough blame to go around for both parties and others as well. Regardless of how the country got to its present debt, what will help solve the problem?

Vintage Image: Files of Nancy Oram

I've spent hours now researching and trying to get a grasp on what a trillion dollars is. I've seen many graphics and explanations, and I still can't wrap my mind around it. A trillion is a one followed by twelve zeros. Look carefully at the diagram. It shows two football fields and a huge jet plane for scale. The middle picture is huge ten-foot high pallets of solid hundred dollar bills. Still beyond my comprehension and remember that that is just one trillion!

Graphic: YouTube - see below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL0nZcx4jr4

We all know what happens when a family gets into debt over its head. There aren't many options about dealing with it. Should the government have options in avoiding/delaying dealing with the nation's debt?

What do you think?

Do you want a reminder of the state of the country's finances? Or would it just be too depressing? Either way, it's quite a novelty.

Besides being big, fat, and in the red, this calculator can display numbers in the trillions!

Photos used with permission are credited in individual modules. Every other photo on this lens resides in original form in my personal collection.