[Pearls Before Swine]

I agree with most of that but the national DEBT, not the deficit, is the biggest problem.

We don't disagree. The deficit adds to the debt. Debt service makes it harder to avoid a deficit and is very dependent on interest rates, which are in turn dependent on credit perceptions as well as monetary policy, which are partially dependent on debt, which is composed of cumulative deficits.

I could have been more explicit. It's not the deficit in any one year that matters... its the cumulative debt, as you've emphasized.

[Paleo Pete]

Yep And maybe I should have put it a bit different to begin with. I didn’t intend to contradict what you said, just add to it and make it a little more specific.