TWENTY-FOUR TRILLION DOLLARS?!

The Market-Ticker ^ | July 20, 2009 | Karl Denninger

[DuncanWaring]

I didn't see any sign in the article he thinks Congress will "get us out" of this - he merely suggested (with no apparent belief it would actually happen) what they should do.

[wastoute]

JasonC will be along any minute (I hope) to explain all this.

Μολὼν λάβε

[lafroste]

The amount doesn't really matter. We'll be back in the middle ages by the time it hits 5 trillion.

Very true. War, revolution, total collapse will occur before this sum is even seriously considered to be paid (unless it is stretched out over 10,000 years). We are all social creatures, and our trap has been sprung. But when the trapmen come to claim their prize, I suspect they will find some pretty pissed off lobsters in that trap.

[OldNavyVet]

You sir, are an alarmist. One trillion dollars could be quickly and easily raised in one short year by a mere 50,000,000 member workforce laboring normal hours while being paid an annual wage of $40,000 and taxed at the scandalously low rate of 50%.

You, Sir, are correct - as am I - both in math and observation.

I shall remain; your forever-sleepless alarmist.

[toast]

But when the trapmen come to claim their prize

The funny thing is, on paper, somebody is owed this money. Do they actually think they will be paid?

[badgerlandjim]

I shall remain; your forever-sleepless alarmist.

LOL. I'll probably never be sleepless again if the new health-care package goes through and I'm ordered in for my required counseling.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

“50,000,000 member workforce”

Isn’t that about the number of hardcore liberals we have in this country? Great... they made the debt, let them pay it.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

More visualizations: A stack of 23.7 trillion one-dollar bills could reach the moon more than six times. Laid end-to-end, 23.7 trillion one-dollar bills could reach the moon about 9400 times.

[SaraJohnson]

He wants special prosecutors to start issuing indictments to those who put Uncle Sam on the hook for 23 trillion dollars without Congressional approval. That would be good to nab a bunch of fascist banksters and their pals.

I want a fleet of special prosecutors to start issuing indictments for the election overseeing officials and elected officials who permitted a constitutionally unqualified President to enter the oval office. That includes you, McCain.

Man, we could take out a whole bunch of “too smart to fail” treasonous stinkers in one swoop!

[jellybean]

UPDATE: Here's another visualization of what one trillion dollars looks like. Just multiply the final image by 23.7. (Thanks to jellybean for the link)

Wooo Hooo! I'm famous! Did you happen to notice the little guy down in the left hand corner standing next to the trillion dollars? He's so small compared to the stacks of money it's easy to miss him.

Something else you might be interested in: The US Debt Clock.