26 trillion dollars. It’s hard to wrap your head around a number that big. That works out to $80,000 for every person in the country, or over $200,000 per taxpayer. For years, we’ve kicked the can down the road, pretending that we’ll somehow be able to pay off this mountain of debt that’s now larger than the GDP.
This amazing video is a few years old, but it does a great job of visualizing what a then-$20 Trillion Debt looked like:
For decades now, the Working Group on Financial Markets (the “Plunge Protection Team”) consisting of representatives from the US Treasury, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Reserve, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has been propping up the markets with the dubious goal of maintaining investor confidence. Low interest rates and easy money have been a key part of this. Real interest rates (nominal interest rate minus inflation) are negative.
All part of the plan. Savers are being intentionally punished.
Sure, the debt has surged by more than $3 Trillion since the start of the pandemic, but COVID-19 is only the pin that burst the economic bubble. There was already a fourth round of Quantitative Easing underway last fall with the now all but forgotten overnight repo market fiasco.
Almost nobody believes this debt can ever be paid off. That could only happen in an environment of massive, sustained economic growth. Yeah, that’s not in the cards.
There are three ways this can end, none of them good. Overt default, massive painful budget cuts, or inflation. The Powers That Be are loathe to do the first two. Inflation is the kick the can down the road scenario, something that TPTB will likely default to. You might be wise to look into ways to protect yourself from the ravages of inflation.
Disclaimer: This should not be construed as financial advice. I am not a registered financial advisor; I don’t even play one on TV. Do your own due diligence. Batteries not included. Objects may be larger than they appear in mirror. Some assembly required. Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
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Winter means cold and flu season, which is all but sure to complicate the task of figuring out who is sick with Covid-19 and who is suffering from a less threatening respiratory tract infection. It also means that cherished outdoor freedoms that link us to pre-Covid life — pop-up restaurant patios, picnics in parks, trips to the beach — will soon be out of reach, at least in northern parts of the country.
If the coronapocalypse roars back with a vengeance this winter and you again can’t find yeast when you want to binge bake, be ready for it: How to Make Unlimited Bread With That Last 1/2 Packet of Yeast
