I.O.U.S.A.

Originally posted by ivanhoe
[bDoes anybody know why the subject of the gigantic US national debt is not a major issue in the Presidential elections ? Should it be in your view ?[/b]

Simple.

Most Americans aren't capable of understanding WHY the national debt is a problem. To explain it to them, in a presidential campaign, would waste time and gain the candidate nothing.

Your typical voter simply DOES NOT CARE about the debt. So why would a candidate waste his/her time on it ?

Originally posted by uzless
Simple.

Most Americans aren't capable of understanding WHY the national debt is a problem. To explain it to them, in a presidential campaign, would waste time and gain the candidate nothing.

Your typical voter simply DOES NOT CARE about the debt. So why would a candidate waste his/her time on it ?

There's also the possibility that the military-industrial complex may have threatened consequences of one sort or another (ranging right up to what they did to JFK) for any candidate who discusses certain topics with the public.

Originally posted by karnachz
There's also the possibility that the military-industrial complex may have threatened consequences of one sort or another

I don't think their threats are ever very overt. There is a mystique about this unknown unknown that keeps everyone on their toes such that most people end up editing and policing their words and actions for fear of those unnamed consequences. As a result of this, you wind up with a loose affiliation of millionaires and billionaires all nicely lumped together neatly in one little club that exerts most of its influence only through the perception and spectre of its reach.

Now for the politicians who dare to get on a soapbox and make a difference, this is different to life for ordinary citizens under the soviets with secret police dogging your every move in what particular respect?

Originally posted by ivanhoe
The huge national debt seems to be an issue of little or no importance to both Republicans and Democrates. But face it, sooner or later it will become a stone around the US's neck ... and then you'd better stay away from the water.

National Debt Clock:

$ 9,654,133,086,763.63 ( ... almost 10 trillion dollars)

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

....and it's ticking.

I don't think they care. If they have the strongest military in the world, then what country is going to call in the debt?

They defaulted on their debt in the 70s, and got away with it. Why not again?

D