Category: US Debt
The analysis published under this category are as follows.Friday, July 08, 2011
U.S. Debt Ceiling Negotiations, Don't be Fooled by Political Posturing / Politics / US Debt
As attention focuses intently on the negotiations to raise the debt ceiling, House Republicans have made a great show of drawing a line in the fiscal sand. They claim that they will not vote for any deal that includes tax increases to narrow the budget deficit. But we all know how the game works in Washington. With the 2012 elections looming the Republican bluster is merely a bargaining chip that they will quickly toss into the pot when they sense a political victory. In fact there are signs that such a compromise is already underway.
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Thursday, July 07, 2011
U.S. States Slowly Slipping Into Bankruptcy and Beyond / Interest-Rates / US Debt
Everyone is focused on Europe and their debt problems. The peripheral countries (i.e. PIIGS) of Europe are now being asked to sell off national assets to keep the bankers fat and happy. What a system, huh? Meanwhile, several larger states in the United States (e.g., Illinois, California) are quietly slipping into bankruptcy and beyond. Will they be bailed out? The odds are strongly in favor of federal help for states in dire financial straights. After all, an election year is coming and who ever heard of a government not willing to give away other people's money/future purchasing power to get a few more votes for the incumbents?
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Wednesday, July 06, 2011
The Looming U.S. Debt Downgrade / Interest-Rates / US Debt
Tony Daltorio writes: An old saying, “Be careful what you wish for,” holds true in the investment world at times… such as now.
Over the past several days, the stock market enjoyed its best rally in months. This occurred on the back of news that the Greek crisis was resolved, at least temporarily.
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Sunday, July 03, 2011
China's Secret U.S. Treasury Bond Buying, Nuclear Dollar Dump Theory Revisted / Interest-Rates / US Debt
Not only did China buy more treasuries than disclosed, it did so in violation of treasury auction rules.
Read full article... Read full article...When the Treasury Department revamped its rules for participating in government bond auctions two years ago, officials said they were simply modernizing outdated procedures.
Friday, July 01, 2011
The Great Misdiagnosis of the U.S. Economy, Problem is Insolvency Not Liquidity / Economics / US Debt
Imagine a doctor who administers an elaborate treatment for a man suffering from multiple broken bones, joint arthritis, and fallen foot arches. The quack doctor orders massive amounts of liquids as though he has a horrible case of dehydration. The inept doctor also permits unlimited freedom of movement around the hospital and its grounds to the patient, as part of the blunt treatment. The man still cannot walk right or breathe normally, has trouble lifting any significant weight with the arms, and stumbles around from shaky legs. But he has plenty of fluids and freedom to roam, urinating like a race horse. With the heavy mistreatment that is badly off the mark, he has a new problem, diarrhea and bloat together. His doctor is an idiot, incompetent, but still given respect.
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Thursday, June 30, 2011
S&P, U.S. Will Lift Debt Ceiling, Avoid Default Rating / Interest-Rates / US Debt
John Chambers, managing director of sovereign ratings at Standard & Poor’s, spoke with Bloomberg Television's Erik Schatzker this morning about the debt ceiling and U.S. credit rating.
Chambers said that S&P would lower its sovereign top-level AAA ranking to D if the U.S. can't pay its debt, but clarified that S&P thinks that the government “will raise the debt ceiling.” He also said that if we get to a situation where the government can’t pay its debts, it will be “much more chaotic” than the September 2008 Lehman collapse.
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Wednesday, June 29, 2011
American Tax Payers, Geithner's Victims of Last Resort / Politics / US Debt
You may have heard that the Federal Reserve System is the lender of last resort. This is a misleading concept. The Federal Reserve loans the U.S. government newly created fiat money. The government issues the FED an IOU. It is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. But who stands behind the United States government, wallets in hand? You do. And so do I.
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Tuesday, June 28, 2011
America for Sale: Liquidate Assets to Avert Debt Ceiling Crisis, Republicans Say / Interest-Rates / US Debt
David Zeiler writes: It would be the greatest garage sale in history.
The United States Treasury possesses 261.5 million ounces of gold, worth about $392.25 billion at current prices.
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Saturday, June 25, 2011
U.S. Debt Crisis, Proof that 1975 was the year it Began / Interest-Rates / US Debt
Note from the chart below how US public debt began to climb from 1975 onwards. Source: eh.net/encyclopedia/article/noll.publicdebt
Thursday, June 23, 2011
U.S. Horrific National Debt, Are You Prepared For The Coming Economic Collapse And The Next Great Depression? / Economics / US Debt
Michael Synder writes: It really is hard to find the words to describe the true horror of the national debt. The U.S. government has been on the greatest debt binge in all of human history, and a day of reckoning is coming that is going to be so painful that it is going to shock America to the core. We have lived so far above our means for so long that none of us really has any concept of what "normal" is like anymore. The United States has enjoyed the greatest party in the history of the world, but now this decades-old party is ending and the bills are coming due. It was Dick Cheney who famously said that "deficits don't matter". Well, try telling that to the nation of Greece right about now. The horror that Greece is just beginning to experience is a preview of what is going to happen to us as well. Only when it happens to us it is going to be so much worse, because when we go down we are going to bring the entire global financial system down with us.
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Sunday, June 19, 2011
U.S. Federal Debt on the Elevator to Hell / Politics / US Debt
If you think the Federal debt ceiling is anything but an elevator, I've got news for you.
Maybe you saw the story about the Air Force airlift of $12 billion in unmarked bills that landed in Iraq sometime between 2003 and 2004 – no one seems sure just when. The story was written by a Los Angeles Times reporter and published on January 13.
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Sunday, June 19, 2011
U.S. Government Gone Wild, Brother Can You Spare a Trillion? / Interest-Rates / US Debt
Our country is on the verge of financial Armageddon! Please forward this to everyone you know. This is the second video produced by Blaise Ingoglia.
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Sunday, June 12, 2011
It’s The Debt, Dummy / Interest-Rates / US Debt
I think charts tell a story that allows you to disregard the lies being spewed by those in power. Below are four charts that tell the truth about our current predicament. The first is from http://www.mybudget360.com/. The austerity and debt reduction storyline being sold by the MSM is a crock. The total amount of mortgage debt outstanding peaked at $14.6 trillion in 2008. The total amount of consumer debt (credit cards, auto loans, student, boats) outstanding peaked at $2.6 trillion in 2008. Today, mortgage debt outstanding stands at $13.8 trillion, while consumer debt stands at $2.4 trillion. Therefore, total consumer debt has declined by $1 trillion in the last three years.
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Friday, June 10, 2011
Why US Debt Ceiling Limit Will be Raised / Interest-Rates / US Debt
Our federal government is spending about $10 billion per day of which about $4 billion is borrowed. If we continue on this path eventually any GDP growth will pale in comparison to the growing debt. We will reach a time when our growing debt will choke off any chance of economic growth. We are in dark uncharted waters. Our debt continues to grow 2-3 times faster than our GDP. This course, if unchecked, will run us right up on the rocks of bankruptcy.
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Friday, June 03, 2011
U.S. Debt Ceiling Debate is Just Politicial Theatre / Politics / US Debt
Although the financial press speculates about a downgrade of the US government’s credit rating and default if political impasse prevents the debt ceiling from being raised in time, I doubt anyone really believes that the debt ceiling will not be raised. It is just all a part of the political theater of the next couple of months.
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Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Fed Sugar Daddy Providing Free Money to the Banks / Politics / US Debt
“Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is.” – Josey Wales – Outlaw Josey Wales
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Friday, May 27, 2011
$70 Trillion U.S. Debt Means The Door is About to Shut for Americans / Interest-Rates / US Debt
Anyone aware of the US Government's real financial situation knows that time is running out. The Government has $15.5 trillion in admitted debts but those debts, when calculated under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), or 'honest accounting', is over $70 trillion. $70 trillion divided by 300 million+ Americans works out to $233,000 per person in US Federal Government debt and obligations. Or nearly $1 million per family of four.
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Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Debt Ceiling Jeopardizes U.S. Dollar’s Reserve Currency Status / Interest-Rates / US Debt
U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner has warned that delays in extending the U.S. debt ceiling may cause irreparable harm. While borrowing costs for the U.S. government have not yet risen, irreparable harm may have already been done to the U.S. dollar and its status as a reserve currency. Ironically, it’s not a plunging, but a rallying bond market that is a symptom of the problem. Let us explain.
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Tuesday, May 24, 2011
U.S. Sovereign Debt Risk Re-Rating, Technical Default is Virtual Certainty / Interest-Rates / US Debt
David Stockman, budget director under President Reagan, appeared on Bloomberg Television to discuss the latest developments in the deficit/debt debate. Stockman said there is sovereign risk on the debt of the United States and that both political parties in the U.S. are advocating “de facto default” by pointing fingers at each other.
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Monday, May 23, 2011
Ron Paul Says Stop Raising the U.S. Debt Ceiling / Politics / US Debt
The federal government once again has reached the limit of its legal ability to borrow money, meaning it cannot issue new Treasury debt without action by Congress to increase the debt ceiling limit. As of this month, our "official" national debt- which doesn't include the staggering future payments promised to Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries- stands at $14.2 trillion.
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