[Willie Green]

These are Depression-era figures. So where's the depression?

Coming at you like a freight train.

US net debtor gap grew to record $2.387 Trillion in '02

[nicollo]

Any chance that freight train made in China?

I tell you what, when the time comes, you yell, and I'll grab hold of the caboose. 'Till then, I'll enjoy the view from the station.

[staytrue]

the net debtor quote you use is not marked to market. That is most US owned assets were bought decades ago but are still on the books at purchase value while most foreign assets were purchased more recently.

A mark to market guestimate based on income flows from assets, suggests the US to be a net debtor by about 500 billion which is still bad, just not as bad as you indicated. It also means the we consumed all the assets we ammassed after wwII when we were the only surviving manufacturing country and are now in bad shape.