Tag Archives: debt-to-GDP ratio

We can find nothing – nothing – that has happened over the past two years that invalidates the principal reasons we've laid out for owning precious metals. [This article] looks at the key reasons why we originally recommended gold and silver plus, sadly, several new drivers that have developed recently all of which confirm that the bruised precious metal investors out there should still sleep well at night, secure that the foundational rationale for holding gold and silver remains intact.

For the first time in U.S. history, the national debt has risen past $17 trillion. That number is a bit hard to comprehend and means little to Americans when not applied to their everyday lives. So just how does the national debt affect consumers, and why should the average American care about how much this country owes? Here's why and how.

Q: Don't laugh at me, but what is a deficit? A: It's actually not a dumb question. Here's why.

Never before has the world faced such a serious debt crisis. Yes, in the past there have certainly been nations that have gotten into trouble with debt, but we have never had a situation where virtually all of the major powers around the globe were all drowning in debt at the same time. Right now, confidence is being shaken as debt levels skyrocket to extremely dangerous levels. Many are openly wondering how much longer this can possibly go on. [Here's my take on the situation.]

The U.S. government is in what is known as a "debt death spiral". They must borrow money to repay prior debts. It is as if they are using their Visa Card to make an American Express payment. The rate of new debt additions dwarf any rate of growth the economy can possibly achieve. The end is certain, only its timing is unknown, and, once interest rates begin to rise, and they will, it's game over.

Why are so many politicians around the world declaring that the debt crisis is "over" when debt-to-GDP ratios all over the planet continue to skyrocket? The global economy has never seen anything like the sovereign debt bubble that we are experiencing today. This insanity will continue until a day of reckoning arrives and the system implodes. Nobody knows exactly when that moment will be reached, but without a doubt it is coming. Are you ready? Words: 1270

In today’s overleveraged world, greater deficits and government spending, financed by an expansion of public debt and the monetary base (“the printing press”), are not the answer to our economic woes. In fact, these policies have been proven to have a negative impact on growth. [Therefore] as long as we continue down this path, the “solution” will continue to be the problem. There is no miracle cure to our current woes and recent proposals by central planners risk worsening the economic outlook for decades to come. [Let us explain.] Words: 1510

Europe is heading into a full-scale disaster [because,] you see, the debt problems in Europe are not simply related to Greece. They are SYSTEMIC. The European banking system's leverage levels alone position Europe for a full-scale banking collapse on par with Lehman Brothers. Again, I'm talking about Europe's ENTIRE banking system collapsing. This is not a question of "if," it is a question of "when" and it will very likely happen before the end of 2012. Words: 750

With 10 year Treasuries yielding 1.6% in the United States, some argue that higher deficits are warranted. As the discussion below shows, the logic behind that view is fundamentally flawed, if not reckless. Words: 1238

Why are both debtors and creditors willing to build a status quo of massive unprecedented debt? [After all, the delusions of] creditors that debt is wealth and should never be liquidated, and of debtors that debt is an easy or free lunch have been smashed by the juggernaut of history many times before...[and] I think they will soon be smashed again. [Let me explain.] Words: 1150