The United States owes a lot of money. For now, there is no debt ceiling - it has been suspended - but in 10 days that changes, and who knows what happens then.
For some context as to just how much money the US owes - and what the debt ceiling looks like - Demonocracy is back...
One Hundred Dollars
$100 - Most counterfeited money denomination in the world.Keeps the world moving.
Ten Thousand Dollars
$10,000 - Enough for a great vacation or to buy a used car.Approximately one year of work for the average human on earth.
One Million Dollars
$1,000,000 - Not as big of a pile as you thought, huh?Still, this is 92 years of work for the average human on earth.
One Hundred Million Dollars
$100,000,000 - Plenty to go around for everyone.Fits nicely on an ISO / Military standard sized pallet.
The couch is made from $46.7 million of crispy $100 bills.
$100 Million Dollars = 1 year of work for 3500 average Americans
Here are 2000 people standing shoulder to shoulder, looking for a job.The Federal Reserve's mandate is to maintain price stability and low unemployment.The Federal Reserve prints money based on the assumption that increasing money supply will boost jobs.
One Billion Dollars
$1,000,000,000 - You will need some help when robbing the bank.Interesting fact: $1 million dollars weighs 10kg exactly.You are looking at 10 tons of money on those pallets.
One Trillion Dollars
$1,000,000,000,000The 2011 US federal deficit was $1.412 Trillion - 41% more than you see here.
If you spent $1 million a day since Jesus was born, you would have not spent $1 trillion by now...but ~$700 billion- same amount the banks got during bailout.
One Trillion Dollars
Comparison of $1,000,000,000,000 dollars to a standard sized American Football field.
Say hello to the Boeing 747-400 transcontinental airliner that's hiding in the back. This was until recently the biggest passenger plane in the world.
You can see the White House with both wings to the right.
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." - Thomas Jefferson
US Debt Ceiling - $20+ Trillion in 2017
Statue of Liberty seems rather worried as United States national debt is soon to pass 20% of the entire world's combined economy (GDP / Gross Domestic Product).
Here are some cool quotes from cool guys in the past saying the right things about the future and in a sense predicting today:
“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” - Thomas Jefferson
If the national debt would be laid in a single line of $1 bills, it would stretch from Earth, past Uranus.
122.1 Trillion Dollars
$122,100,000,000,000. - US unfunded liabilities by Dec 31, 2012. We have not upgraded the graphics for 2017 because it simply is pointless. The US government has no plan for fixing unfunded liabilites. This number is so far out there that it is uncomprehensible to most readers but a few mathematicians.
Above you can see the pillar of cold hard $100 bills that dwarfs the WTC & Empire State Building - both at one point world's tallest buildings. If you look carefully you can see the Statue of Liberty.
The 122.1 Trillion dollar super-skyscraper wall is the amount of money the U.S. Government knows it does not have to fully fund the Medicare, Medicare Prescription Drug Program, Social Security, Military and civil servant pensions. It is the money USA knows it will not have to pay all its bills. If you live in USA this is also your personal credit card bill; you are responsible along with everyone else to pay this back. The citizens of USA created the U.S. Government to serve them, this is what the U.S. Government has done while serving The People. The unfunded liability is calculated on current tax and funding inputs, and future demographic shifts in US Population.
Note: On the above 122.1T image the size of the bases of the money stacks are $10 billion, and 400 stories @ $4 trillion.
"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." - Thomas Jefferson
"This is when you need to remember that when a nation's economy collapses, the wealth of the nation doesn't disappear, it only changes hands."
Government Waste: Missing Money Infographic does a great job showcasing the Trillions lost through miss-management.
Everyone needs to see this...