Tag Archives: debt-to-GDP ratio

One of the problems with the debate over the “national debt” is that there’s no generally agreed upon definition of that term. Is it what the federal government owes, or what it owes foreigners, or what the whole country, private and public sector together, owes? Does it include off-balance-sheet items and contingent liabilities? There’s a hundred-trillion dollar gap between lowest and highest on this spectrum, which allows each commentator to confuse the rest of us by picking the measure that best suits their point of view. [Let's try to decipher the true state of the nation.] Words: 1468

"An essential point in the social philosophy of interventionism is the existence of an inexhaustible fund which can be squeezed forever. The whole system of interventionism collapses when this fountain is drained off: The Santa Claus principle liquidates itself." [This article discusses the reality of the current economic crisis and] what is required to revive the economy. Words: 1666

The staggering debt situation throughout the industrialized world...will be terminal for the financial system we have known since the end of World War 2 [and, as such, have a major] impact...on the value of paper money and by extension, gold and silver. [Let me explain.] Words: 2328

Canada has the lowest total debt-to-GDP ratio of the world's 10 largest economies (Australia is 2nd best, Germany 3rd and the U.S 4th) while the U.K. and Japan are 9th and 10th but when such debt is broken down by sectors the findings are quite different. Let's take a look. Words: 800

The debt ceiling must be raised and not be held hostage by budget negotiations... [If Washington does not] bond and currency vigilantes will make them pay. [Let me count the ways.] Words: 603

The economy can't be fixed...the old regime of general economic stability and rising standards of living fueled by excessive credit are a thing of the past... The sooner we can accept that idea and make other plans the better... [Let me explain.] Words: 1898

The U.S. Federal government deficit for fiscal year 2011 has just been revised upwards by a further $378 billion to a whopping $1.645 trillion. As of January 2011, the total outstanding debt of the U.S. Federal government is $14.131 trillion. These numbers are huge, Huge, HUGE but Americans believe there is really no need to worry that much about such astrnomical numbers because they all know that it’s going to get much, much worse. They all know that there’s no sense worrying about this little milestone on the road to hell. Words: 1016

Martin Weiss' team of international experts - Mike Larson in North America, Claus Vogt in Europe, Tony Sagami on Asia, Rudy Martin on South America - and Ron Rowland, one of the nation's foremost experts on international exchange-traded funds (ETFs) met recently to discuss and determine what they think is coming next. They came up with eight new forecasts for 2010 — some very negative, some very positive - and put forth specific, actionable recommendations based on their conclusions. Words: 1969

If our assessment is correct, over the coming years, stocks, precious metals, commodities and real-estate will appreciate in value versus paper currencies. Furthermore, on a relative basis, we expect precious metals and commodities to outperform all other asset-classes. Conversely, we anticipate that cash and fixed income instruments will probably turn out to be the worst assets to own over the next decade. Words: 869

von Mises once said, “There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later, as a final and total catastrophe of the currency involved” and just that is happening before our very eyes. Words: 2242