Things, especially things about numbers, and especially things about big numbers, are often very hard to both explain and comprehend.
Pictures help a lot.
Along those lines, this is the best illustration I’ve seen yet on what the U.S. debt looks like, in visual terms that anyone can understand: http://usdebt.kleptocracy.us/
Note: I don’t know anything about that web site, other than this illustration, so I can’t testify if it’s a bunch of fruitcakes or not. All I know is that they know how to successfully illustrate very large numbers in an effective form.
For the best rendition of the illustrations, go directly to their site here: http://usdebt.kleptocracy.us/
Here’s a re-creation of their page. It is important to click on the images for the full size versions.
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.
One Billion Dollars $1,000,000,000
– You will need some help when robbing the bank.
Now we are getting serious!
One Trillion Dollars $1,000,000,000,000
When the U.S government speaks about a 1.7 trillion deficit – this is the volumes of cash the U.S. Government borrowed in 2010 to run itself.
Keep in mind it is double stacked pallets of $100 million dollars each, full of $100 dollar bills. You are going to need a lot of trucks to freight this around.
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 and European Football field.
Say hello to the Boeing 747-400 transcontinental airliner that’s hiding on the right. This was until recently the biggest passenger plane in the world.
15 Trillion Dollars $15,000,000,000,000
– Unless the U.S. government fixes the budget, US national debt (credit card bill) will topple 15 trillion by Christmas 2011.
Statue of Liberty seems rather worried as United States national debt passes 20% of the entire world’s combined GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
In 2011 the National Debt will exceed 100% of GDP, and venture into the 100%+ debt-to-GDP ratio that the European PIIGS have (bankrupting nations).
114.5 Trillion Dollars $114,500,000,000,000
– US unfunded liabilities
To the right 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 114.5 Trillion dollar super-skyscraper 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 114.5T image the size of the base of the money pile is half a trillion, not 1T as on 15T image.
The height is double. This was done to reflect the base of Empire State and WTC more closely.
Everyone needs to see this.
Source: Federal Reserve & www.USdebtclock.org – visit it to see the debt in real time and get a better grasp of this amazing number.
