Does National Debt = Security Threat?

[stebo0728]

I think that our rising debt level poses a national security threat and it poses a national security threat in two ways: it undermines our capacity to act in our own interests and it does constrain us where constraint may be undesirable. And it also sends a message of weakness, internationally.

Any thoughts? Agree/Disagree?

[themadscientist]

I agree. Had Hillary been the Democratic nominee I would have vote for her and I don't like her at all. Obama and McCain were that bad.

[stebo0728]

MY GOD, i hate calculators, they are so scary. Look at these numbers and correct me if I am wrong.

Obama ---> 3.5 trillion added to deficit in 18 months -----> (18 * 30 * 24 * 60 * 60) to get seconds -----> 3.5 trillion divided by this ----> $75017.15 per second!

Bush ----> 9 trillion added to deficit in 8 years -------> (8 * 12 * 30 * 24 * 60 * 60) -------> 9 trillion divided --------> $36168.98

Obama has twice the DPS as Bush so far! DPS = deficit per second

Meh bit fuzzy math maybe? Still staggering numbers regardless of who is adding to deficit, 75K per second!!!!!

[themadscientist]

Cut his legs out from under him. Congress has the power of the purse, not the Prez. Kick the bums out in November and he will not be able to F up AS bad. Not just the Dems either, kick em all out.

[IBCoupe]

That's what Kucinich said about funding for the Iraq war. It didn't get far, then.

I don't know that national debt necessarily equates to security threats. We owe our debts to countries that we rely upon for other reasons or to countries whose interests would otherwise coincide with ours, anyways. If national debt were the only factor we face, I'd say what Clinton has said is correct. Being that the world is never that simple, I'm going to have to disagree. China's economy is huge, and even if they weren't buying up our debt, our two economies are interwoven. The only real national security risks that Japan faces are ones that we'd respond to anyways, even if Japan didn't own our debt.

[AZhitman]

I don't know that national debt necessarily equates to security threats. We owe our debts to countries that we rely upon for other reasons or to countries whose interests would otherwise coincide with ours, anyways. If national debt were the only factor we face, I'd say what Clinton has said is correct. Being that the world is never that simple, I'm going to have to disagree. China's economy is huge, and even if they weren't buying up our debt, our two economies are interwoven. The only real national security risks that Japan faces are ones that we'd respond to anyways, even if Japan didn't own our debt.

I'm going to agree, to a point.

I think our economic strength and independence is ONE of the pillars of our "envied position" worldwide... It'd be nice to have ALL of those in place - any perception of "weakness' is unacceptable in today's global view.

I disagree with the perception of China as innocuous. They're no ally, and I don't see their interests and ours being THAT closely aligned. I belive China represents what the USSR once was, and given the chance, they'd do away with us.

They're cool with us as long as we keep ignoring their human rights abuses and keep buying their poisoned plastic trinkets and cheap disposable electronics.

With that said, how about Hillary throwing the Prez ALL up under the bus? Dayum. Positioning for the DNC nomination much, Mrs. Clinton?

[stebo0728]

Well I think that maybe what she is getting at is that the fact that we cant stand on our own legs (we have good reasons for this) makes us appear weak and frail, not necessarily to the ones we owe the money to, but to other nations who may possibly have ambitions to usurp us as "the great nation". Such as Iran maybe? (their leader not so much the Iranian people) [speaking of him did you hear that now he claims that Israel is secretly behind the Terry Jones thing? - ROFL]

Anyway, suffice it to say, the nations that will percieve us as weak may not be nations that can actually DO anything, except for minute attacks that do kill Americans, and should at least be considered.

PS - Im no where near a Clinton fan, and I sorta think she is posturing for another go at the throne in 2012.

[IBCoupe]

I wasn't trying to say that China's interests and ours are vastly overlapping. I was suggesting that our two economies are intertwined. I'm taking a jab at the idea that without China owning our debt, our national security decisions would be any less influenced by China's desires, which is an implication contained in what Clinton has said.