You’ve probably noticed that everything costs more. Your rent, your groceries, your gas — it’s all creeping up, and no one in Washington seems to care. That’s because they don’t. The $40 trillion national debt is not a crisis waiting to happen. It’s a feature of the system, working exactly as designed.
Politicians are not stupid. They know that a $40 trillion debt is unsustainable. But they also know that the consequences of fixing it — raising taxes or cutting spending — are immediate and painful. The consequences of not fixing it are delayed and invisible. So they kick the can. Every single time. The top comment on the BBC article announcing the $40 trillion milestone? A single word: ‘No.’ That’s the collective wisdom of the internet. And they’re right.
The national debt will never be a wake-up call because the politicians who could fix it are the ones who benefit from keeping it broken. Deficit spending lets them buy votes today without asking you to pay for it. The bill comes due later, in the form of inflation — a hidden tax that hits your wallet while leaving their campaign donors untouched.
Here’s what actually happens when a government prints money to pay its debts: inflation. It’s a slow, silent transfer of wealth. The dollar you earned yesterday buys less today. Meanwhile, the rich own assets — stocks, real estate, gold — that rise with inflation. You own cash. You lose. The debt isn’t a problem for the politicians — it’s a problem for you. And they’re counting on you not making the connection.
The national debt is a transfer of wealth from the working class to the wealthy, executed by politicians who get re-elected for doing it. Every new stimulus, every tax cut that isn’t paid for, every interest payment on the debt — it all flows upward. The $40 trillion isn’t a number on a spreadsheet. It’s the price of your eroded purchasing power.
Every time the debt hits a new milestone — $1 trillion, $10 trillion, now $40 trillion — there’s a flurry of hand-wringing. Pundits ask: ‘Will this be the wake-up call?’ The answer is always no. Because a wake-up call implies that someone is asleep. Politicians are wide awake. They know exactly what they’re doing. They’re just not doing it for you.
So stop waiting for the alarm. The $40 trillion is not a wake-up call. It’s the snooze button. Hit it again. And again. Until the dollar collapses. But by then, the politicians who did it will be long gone, sitting on a beach somewhere, their pensions fully funded. Yours? Not so much.
FAQ
Q: Isn't the national debt a problem for future generations?
A: Yes, but that future is always pushed back. The debt is a slow tax on your purchasing power today, not a sudden crisis tomorrow. Future generations will inherit a weaker currency, not a default.
Q: What should I do about the debt if it's not going to be fixed?
A: Assume inflation is permanent. Stop hoarding cash. Invest in assets that rise with inflation — real estate, stocks, commodities. The government is debasing your money; don't let them debase your savings.
Q: Some economists say the debt doesn't matter because we owe it to ourselves. Is that true?
A: It's a half-truth. The U.S. owes a lot to itself, but the real debt is to the working class's purchasing power. The money we 'owe ourselves' is redistributed upward through inflation and interest payments. It matters a lot — to you.