Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Washington’s $210 Trillion Deficit
Tea Party Economist ^ | March 12, 2015 | Gary North

Posted on 03/22/2015 8:14:15 PM PDT by concernedcitizen76

You read that right: $210 trillion.

A trillion here, a trillion there: pretty soon, we’re talking big money.

Professor Lawrence Kotlikoff of Boston University testified before the Senate Budget Committee. As usual, his testimony is shocking

The U.S. has a $210 trillion “fiscal gap” and “may well be in worse fiscal shape than any developed country, including Greece,” Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff told members of the Senate Budget Committee in written and oral testimony on Feb. 25.

“The first point I want to get across is that our nation is broke,” Kotlikoff testified. “Our nation’s broke, and it’s not broke in 75 years or 50 years or 25 years or 10 years. It’s broke today.

“Indeed, it may well be in worse fiscal shape than any developed country, including Greece,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at teapartyeconomist.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: debt; liabilities; taxes; unfunded
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-56 next last

1 posted on 03/22/2015 8:14:15 PM PDT by concernedcitizen76
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: concernedcitizen76

The word “broke” doesn’t even begin to describe it.


2 posted on 03/22/2015 8:15:43 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Be a blessing to a stranger today for some have entertained angels unaware)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: concernedcitizen76

Is that Y2K Gary North?

Yep, I believe it is.


3 posted on 03/22/2015 8:16:51 PM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: concernedcitizen76

There are about a quadrillion dollars worth of credit derivatives out there. If the economy goes TU we’re only on the hook for about $100 trillion or so. This is not including our debt plus unfunded liabilities with that price tag of $210 trillion.


4 posted on 03/22/2015 8:19:59 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: concernedcitizen76

Link not working for me.


5 posted on 03/22/2015 8:21:49 PM PDT by TigerClaws
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: concernedcitizen76

Seems mighty racist.


6 posted on 03/22/2015 8:24:22 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy ("Victim" -- some people eagerly take on the label because of the many advantages that come with it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

All it takes is one event that causes somebody to call in their debtors to bring the whole thing down. WWI was started by a single assassination.


7 posted on 03/22/2015 8:25:38 PM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TigerClaws

Try this link:

http://teapartyeconomist.com/2015/03/12/washingtons-210-trillion-deficit/

Gary North is reporting what the prominent Prof. Kotlikoff told Congress. Kotlikoff is a recognized expert on the federal budget.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/economist-tells-congress-us-may-be-worse-fiscal-shape-greece


8 posted on 03/22/2015 8:26:59 PM PDT by concernedcitizen76 (Natural rights of life, liberty, and property are non-negotiable.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: concernedcitizen76

Economists.

They’ve known what they were doing all along.

The economics were never difficult. People got their PhD’s for coming up with brilliant ways of lying about it.

These people then went on to create Common Core.


9 posted on 03/22/2015 8:46:24 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: concernedcitizen76

We have been doing alright ignoring it for the last fifty years.


10 posted on 03/22/2015 8:55:04 PM PDT by Nuc 1.1 (Nuc 1 Liberals aren't Patriots. Remember 1789!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine
There are about a quadrillion dollars worth of credit derivatives out there.

If I place a $5 bet on a game between two $1 billion dollar sports teams, is my bet somehow worth $2 billion?

11 posted on 03/22/2015 9:03:34 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Science is hard. Harder if you're stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot

The problem, as I understand it, is that people have borrowed money on these assumed values. A whole lot of debt that has nothing underneath it.


12 posted on 03/22/2015 9:05:27 PM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Talisker
Economists. They’ve known what they were doing all along.

Old joke. It's May Day in Moscow, and Stalin is reviewing the Soviet military. In the parade there are thousands of troops, hundreds of tanks, and dozens of mobile missile launchers. But marching ahead of them all are a dozen men in civilian suits, carrying briefcases.

Stalin is confused. "Who are those men?", he asks a nearby general. "Comrade Stalin," the general replies, "those are economists. They are the most dangerous men of them all."

13 posted on 03/22/2015 9:15:42 PM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: concernedcitizen76

Well so much for picking up pennies on the sidewalk


14 posted on 03/22/2015 9:16:38 PM PDT by jcon40
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

War is always the way big money puts its house in order. And the only ones to suffer are The People.

Keep your eye on the year 2025. That’s when it’s scheduled to hit the fan.


15 posted on 03/22/2015 9:17:03 PM PDT by DakotaGator (Weep for the lost Republic! And keep your powder dry!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Nuc 1.1

Are you will to bet on another fifty or fifteen or ten or even five? Kotlikoff said most Americans, if they knew the truth, would try to kick the can down the road. But for how long? The piper must be paid at some point. Baby boomer retirements accelerating. Half the working age are not working. Interest rates have no where to go but up. In just six years, Obama added $7.5 trillion to federal debt (now $18.2 tril) and CBO projects $22 tril at term end.

Supporting the Ponzi scheme is status of US dollar as global currency. That may end sooner than later. BRICS and others working on a dethroning.

Someone said, the end will come like a thief in the night. Canary in coal mine: watch the bond traders for signs of the Great Unraveling coming to everyone’s neighborhood theater.


16 posted on 03/22/2015 9:24:41 PM PDT by concernedcitizen76 (Natural rights of life, liberty, and property are non-negotiable.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: DakotaGator

Ya think?

I read on the internet that it is going south this coming fall.

The Shimita (sp?), blood moons, et all.

Like I have a clue? Sure I could wish in one hand, and spit in the other, right?

All I know is that we have painted ourselves into a corner, and there is no way out.

When we will realize that, I have no clue. What I do know is that it won’t be pleasant, and many will die, when the “house of cards” collapses from the years of spending beyond our means, and our elected pols lying about it, so they could retain the perks of office.


17 posted on 03/22/2015 9:25:34 PM PDT by jacquej ("You cannot have a conservative government with a liberal culture." (Mark Steyn))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot

That’s not how credit derivatives work. Think of it as insurance for the loss of an investment.


18 posted on 03/22/2015 9:28:25 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30
The problem, as I understand it, is that people have borrowed money on these assumed values.

People have borrowed money on derivatives contracts?

Who would lend based on that?

You have any backup for that claim?

19 posted on 03/22/2015 9:28:28 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Science is hard. Harder if you're stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot
If I place a $5 bet on a game between two $1 billion dollar sports teams, is my bet somehow worth $2 billion?

Here's a better sports analogy, if I understand derivatives correctly (and perhaps nobody does). Suppose it's the New England Patriots vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.

You issue notes, at $5 apiece, promising to pay each bearer $1 million dollars if Jacksonville wins by 35 points or more. Now suppose 1000 people take you up on that. Those folks might have bet on the Patriots, but want to hedge their bets a bit.

So now there is $1 billion dollars of derivatives on the line (the note's value is "derived" from some other value, in this case the game's final score). You better hope that Jacksonville doesn't win by 35 points or more. Because if they do, your company is going to collapse spectacularly.

20 posted on 03/22/2015 9:30:49 PM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-56 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson