[mnehring]

"Debt is dangerous only when assets are declining in value and income is shrinking. During the 1980's, asset values grew far faster than debt."
--George Gilder


Have you ever dealt Three Card Monte? I bet you'd be good at it.

The fact is that we are interdependent with the world economy. Please note my comment earlier. It is a good thing that other governments use the US to hedge their own economy. This gives them a vested interest in the success of our economy.

In looking at our economy we cannot take out the world economic equation just as we cannot take out the equation of a tax burden. Unfair as they both may seem, they do exist and are a part of how the economy works.

[mnehring]

I believe the large crux of the disagreement is that people still look at the national debt as 'debt'. Do we consider shares of stock in a company debt?

The so called national debt can be related more to the US selling stock in its future. The return on this stock is the most stable investment available, a safer world (little will doubt that the US has done more for the world's stability than any 2 bit leftist 'peace' group).

Yes, other countries invest (40% of debt at last count). This does not mean they own a chunk of our country. This does not mean the Japanese are coming in to take one of your kids as payment on this debt.

The return they see is a stable hedge for their own economy safer world that hopefully will become more and more like the US, and thus, stronger and stronger economically.

[Willie Green]

It is a good thing that other governments use the US to hedge their own economy. This gives them a vested interest in the success of our economy.

Bookies and Loan Sharks also have a "vested interest" in collecting what is owed to them.
That's why the thugs and hoodlums they employ are likely to only break your arm or kneecap instead of just putting a bullet in your head.

Spare us the being-in-debt-is-good bilge. I'm not buying it.