Category: US Debt
The analysis published under this category are as follows.
Friday, July 29, 2011
U.S. Debt Ceiling Consquences, If Cooler Heads Do Not Prevail / Economics / US Debt
By: Paul_L_Kasriel
Our working assumption is that legislation authorizing an increase on the ceiling on federal debt will be enacted in time for the U.S. Treasury to make all of its previously-authorized expenditures. If, however, this legislation is not passed, then the U.S. federal budget will move into balance. In the 12 months ended June 2011, the Treasury had run a cumulative budget deficit of $1.26 trillion. For the sake of argument, let's assume that the August 2011 budget deficit at an annual rate also is $1.26 trillion. At an annual rate, this is the amount that federal outlays would immediately decline. $1.26 trillion is about 8.4% of what U.S. nominal GDP was running at an annualized pace in the first quarter.
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Friday, July 29, 2011
Boehner Loses Credibility in Revised Budget Deficit Cuts Proposal, Tells Congress to "Get Your Ass in Line" / Politics / US Debt
By: Mike_Shedlock
It was bad enough when Boehner proposed a $3 Trillion deficit cutting proposal that the CBO said would only cut the deficit by a mere $850 billion.
Please see Rating the Obama, Reid, and Boehner Deficit Reduction Plans on Mish's 10-Point Credibility Scale for details.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Your Guide Through the Washington Debt Speak / Politics / US Debt
By: LewRockwell
Brian Wilson writes: Another "Al" once wrote: "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years." ~ Alexis de Tocqueville
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Washington's Math Adds Up to the Debt Ceiling Deadlock / Politics / US Debt
By: Money_Morning
David Zeiler writes:
If you've been wondering why your elected officials in Washington can't reach a basic compromise to break the debt-ceiling deadlock, consider this: They can't even get their numbers straight.
Not only do the competing Democratic and Republican plans differ on what counts as a spending cut, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has disputed numbers in both plans.
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
US Debt Downgrade Grows Closer Than Ever / Stock-Markets / US Debt
By: George_Maniere
Each day that passes without a deal to prevent a U.S. debt default brings the United States closer to a financial calamity that would be more severe than the failure of Lehman Brothers in 2008.
Dueling speeches from U.S. President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH, Monday night did nothing to resolve the impasse between Republicans and Democrats over how to reduce budget deficits and raise the debt ceiling past the $14.3 trillion limit by Aug. 2.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
U.S. Debt Limit Debate Sign of Deeper Economic Dysfunction / Economics / US Debt
By: The_Gold_Report
ShadowStats Editor John Williams advises legislators to stop fooling around with the country's credit rating. Regardless of the deal reached, he predicts that the Treasury and Fed will continue to print money to meet obligations and add liquidity to the economy. In this exclusive interview with The Gold Report, he explains how that will have the effect of pushing the price of gold and other commodities even higher.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Worst Case Scenario: Seven Potential Consequences of a U.S. Debt Default / Stock-Markets / US Debt
By: Money_Morning
David Zeiler writes: Each day that passes without a deal to prevent a U.S. debt default brings the United States closer to a financial calamity that would be more severe than the failure of Lehman Brothers in 2008.
Dueling speeches from U.S. President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH, Monday night did nothing to resolve the impasse between Republicans and Democrats over how to reduce budget deficits and raise the debt ceiling past the $14.3 trillion limit by Aug. 2.
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Investor Moves to Make Before Debt Ceiling Debacles Disfigures Your Portfolio / Portfolio / US Debt
By: Money_Morning
Keith Fitz-Gerald writes:
One night at dinner a few years back, my Dad, Greg Fitz-Gerald, explained exactly why the "tax-takers" in Washington think that recoveries, bailouts, negotiations and stimulus packages are a good idea - while the taxpayers believe just the opposite.
"When you rob Peter to pay Paul, Paul generally thinks this is a good idea," he said.
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Hidden Debt Risk That Could End the U.S. Empire / Politics / US Debt
By: Michael_S_Rozeff
The debt limit will be raised. Neither side will get its way.
The U.S. government always raises the debt limit. How else would the debt and the government have gotten so large?
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The U.S. Debt Ceiling Charade, $114.5 Trillion of Debt and Liabilities / Politics / US Debt
By: Jeff_Berwick
What a circus the debate over the raising of the US Government debt ceiling has become. It's fun to watch everyone involved wriggling around trying to ignore the blue whale in the room.
It used to be an elephant... perhaps around 1986. But now, after a decade of wars and trillion dollar deficits, the US Government debt has become like the largest mammal in the history of the world - the blue whale - and is perhaps so large now that it might be in everyone's best interest just to ignore it or their heads may explode from realizing the enormity of the problem.
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
U.S. Debt Ceiling - What Now? / Politics / US Debt
By: Axel_Merk
William Poole writes: As I write it appears that the federal government is at the brink of default. The Republicans and Democrats have laid out irreconcilable positions on taxes. President Obama has said that he will not sign a bill that does not have some increases in tax rates on upper-income taxpayers. Republicans have said that they will not accept legislation that provides for such increases. In the negotiations, there has apparently been some progress in identifying spending cuts both sides can accept, but there no compromise is possible on the conflict over taxes.
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Obama Demagogues Default / Politics / US Debt
By: John_Browne
President Obama has continued and increased the reckless spending of the previous Administration. Now, as the federal debt reaches its statutory limit, he is spreading fear and panic in the hopes of having it raised.
Many of the key people responsible for America's historic mess, including the President, Treasury Secretary Geithner, former NEC Director Summers, and Fed Chairman Bernanke, have pronounced publicly that a failure to lift the debt ceiling will cause a catastrophic Treasury debt default.>
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Monday, July 25, 2011
The Pesky Neighbor and the U.S. Debt Ceiling / Politics / US Debt
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
Imagine you had a pesky neighbor who somehow took out a mortgage on his house in your name and by some legal trickery you were obligated to pay for it. Imagine watching this neighbor throw drunken parties, buy expensive cars, add more rooms to the house, and hire dozens of people to wait on him hand and foot. Imagine that he also managed to take out several credit cards in your name. One by one, he would max them out and then use your good name and credit to obtain another credit card, then another and then another.
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Monday, July 25, 2011
U.S. Government Promoted Debtor Nation Making Americans Dependent, Dispirited, and Uncivilized / Politics / US Debt
By: Douglas_French
The debate in Washington over the nation's debt and debt ceiling has President Obama announcing to the White House press corps, "What we need to do is to do our jobs, and we have to do it the same way a family would do it. A family, if they get overextended and their credit card is too high, they don't just stop paying their bills."
Monday, July 25, 2011
US Debt Default Will Punish Pensions / Interest-Rates / US Debt
By: Barry_M_Ferguson
As America debates its debt, its debt ceiling, and the indebtedness of future generations, let’s make sure we all understand what we are talking about. Also, let’s look at an example of how the debt permeates through our society.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Peacock Syndrome – America’s Fatal Disease / Politics / US Debt
By: James_Quinn
"There will be, in the next generation or so, a pharmacological method of making people love their servitude, and producing dictatorship without tears, so to speak, producing a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies, so that people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them, but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods. And this seems to be the final revolution." - Aldous Huxley
Sunday, July 24, 2011
How to Prepare for and Profit From the Stalled U.S. Debt Limit Talks / Interest-Rates / US Debt
By: Investment_U
Marc Lichtenfeld writes: Last November, I wrote about how to protect yourself from an impending crash that would take place this year – if the threat of failure to raise the debt ceiling seemed real.
As of right now, most people expect some resolution to be reached in the next few weeks before the August 2 debt-hike deadline.
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Sunday, July 24, 2011
What the U.S. Government Will Never Tell You About the Debt Crisis / Politics / US Debt
By: DailyWealth
Last week, I devoted the latest issue of The 12% Letter to the debt ceiling... and how it will affect us as investors.
After sifting through the government's numbers and mindless claims of "Armageddon," I believe it should not worry you as an investor. And I'm convinced as ever the "debt ceiling" debate is a dog and pony show that distracts Americans from our country's biggest problem.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Financial Armageddon is Looking Better and Better / Politics / US Debt
By: Bill_Bonner
Is there a fender anywhere in Christendom that the financial authorities have not dented yet?
They are lost without a compass. They are up the river without a paddle. At the automatic teller without a pin number. They have no theory that has not been discredited. They have no experience which does not contradict them.
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Friday, July 22, 2011
There Is Life after Debt Default / Interest-Rates / US Debt
By: Peter_G_Klein
My father was a historian, and he helped organize local events to commemorate the bicentennials of the Declaration of Independence in 1976 and Constitution in 1987. I particularly remember the Freedom Train, a traveling exhibit housing memorabilia such as original copies of the Declaration, the Constitution, the Louisiana Purchase document, and (I learn from Wikipedia, though I don't remember these) Judy Garland's dress from The Wizard of Oz and Joe Frazier's boxing trunks.