USA national debt

[denislawsbackheel]

Is this an American trillion or a British trillion?

No such thing as a British trillion.
It was standardised decades ago as a thousand million.

 

[Blue Til Death]

No such thing as a British trillion.
It was standardised decades ago as a thousand million.

A thousand billion is a trillion and a thousand million is a billion, taking into account the standardisation of both amounts, that's how i read it on google and I have no idea how many 1's n zeros are in that bastard of a number...!

 

[Scottyboi]

The American military is what the NHS is to us, just a big black hole that sucks money in. And no investment is ever enough it always needs more.

Some shady shit with the pentagon and a lot of unaccountable tax payers money going missing apparently.

 

[Henkeman]

The American military is what the NHS is to us, just a big black hole that sucks money in. And no investment is ever enough it always needs more.

Some shady shit with the pentagon and a lot of unaccountable tax payers money going missing apparently.

All militaries are moneypits. Without exception. The Germans might spend a comparative pittance while expecting everyone else to provide their defence for them, but the monetary amount is still significant. And for all that dosh they manage to have only four Typhoons fully operational.

 

[SWP's back]

Is apparently at 22 trillion?

Can someone explain to me?

1) Who do they owe it too?
2) Will they ever pay it back?
3) Is it a worry?
4) Is capitalism just a game of printing money?

And can a mod please move to off topic?

1) anyone who hold US Treasury notes. Primarily investors, pension funds and foreign governments.

2) they will pay the current monies off (as each issue matures) yes but never get to zero as they will issue new notes. As to why, there’s no need to as it’s very cheap debt and runs to nothing over the long term thanks to inflation. Think of it like knowing you’re going to always work and live until you’re 1,000 so you just keep remortgaging your house.

3) no

4) sort of.

 

[Henkeman]

1) anyone hold US Treasury notes. Primarily investors, pension funds and foreign governments

2) they will pay the current amount off yes but never get to zero as there’s no need to. Think of it like knowing you’re going to always work and live until you’re 1,000 so you just keep remortgaging your house.

3) no

4) sort of.

Incidentally, you can make an argument that the modern bond system was created by the means of financing the Royal Navy from the 17th century onwards. Then, as now, such capital expenditure was inordinately expensive, and the idea of shifting gold around to pay for it all was simply impossible. So an entire bureaucracy grew up around the concept of payment in turn which then became payment of the most expensive and continual finance of the least expensive - to churn the supplier base and ensure more orders. Obviously it wasn't a new concept, but it was arguably the first industrial scale exposition of the power of it all.

 

[SWP's back]

Incidentally, you can make an argument that the modern bond system was created by the means of financing the Royal Navy from the 17th century onwards. Then, as now, such capital expenditure was inordinately expensive, and the idea of shifting gold around to pay for it all was simply impossible. So an entire bureaucracy grew up around the concept of payment in turn which then became payment of the most expensive and continual finance of the least expensive - to churn the supplier base and ensure more orders. Obviously it wasn't a new concept, but it was arguably the first industrial scale exposition of the power of it all.

I wouldn’t just say you could make an argument for it. As far I’m concerned, it just ‘is’. You’re absolutely right.

 

[Henkeman]

I wouldn’t just say you could make an argument for it. As far I’m concerned, it just ‘is’. You’re absolutely right.

There's a slight absence of thorough research on the subject at the present. So it's more a hypothesis that makes complete sense rather than an absolute truth. But the two of us do think so for sure. It's the same with the distinct possibility that it was that huge expansion and the difficulties of victualling a blue water fleet that acted as the catalyst for the agricultural and industrial revolutions. An intriguing likelihood.

 

[Magicpole]

I don’t know about the US, but my brothers owe me more than that. Cunts.

 

[better dead than red]

I don’t know about the US, but my brothers owe me more than that. Cunts.

They won't pay you, short arms, deep pockets and all that.