debt
debt like most things is good in moderation. necessary even. but too much can be lethal. like say, water. us debt as a percentage of gdp hit a maximum after world war two. something larger than 100%. but since we were pretty much the only industrial base left standing, our economy boomed. oddly, we didn't actually pay off that debt. it sorta evaporated because of, in nearly equal measures, the gdp growth and inflation. the debt hit a low in 1980 of around 45%. when the reaganomics delusion swept america. and we spent what we should have saved to pay the invisible debt. ie the obligations we've made for social security and medicare. adding these to the books about triples our debt. now we're in trouble. cause that puts our debt at 300% of gpd. and we are not the only economy left standing like after ww2. and the cheap energy that drove that drove that explosive growth isn't there any more. we're going to renege on our promises to grandma. fortunately, she's got dementia and/or alzheimers. so won't have a clue.