Unfortunately, when the world has lent you some 40 TRILLION dollars...you're expected to do more than just lay back by the side of the pool, with a margharita and Tivo....an crticize the rest of the world.
http://mwhodges.home.att.net/nat-debt/debt-nat-a.htm
Do you understand the difference between debt and unfunded liabilities? Any discussion of debt without considering assets is useless. That's why Hodges' charts are meaningless.