American Spending | Teen Ink

American Spending

April 3, 2014
By Alex Wood BRONZE, Mauston, Wisconsin
Alex Wood BRONZE, Mauston, Wisconsin
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

When you watch the news and see something about America’s debt, what goes through your mind? Where does the debt come from? Who does the United States owe? Who does the debt effect and is it important to have knowledge about it? Of course it’s important to know what’s happening with your own country, and the debt we owe is called foreign debt. This is where one country borrows money from another and now owes them money in return. Is it wrong for America to borrow money from other countries?

The problem foreign debt creates affects the good citizens of the United States of America on a vast scale. The affected are future college students, children, and last but not least the middle class. First, future college students are affected with the increase of the national debt, the cost of going to college has raised to heights of amazing proportions. In 2000, the average college cost was $10,820 dollars for all college tuition, and over the 14 past years, the cost has gone up to $22,826 dollars for just one year of college according to college data.com. That’s a $12,042 dollar raise in college costs.

Next on the list is the children. The way things are going, it is certain that the generation of politicians now have created problems so big that there is no way the now generation of middle-class can pay it all off. Unfortunately, the middle class will have to leave all of the problems America faces to their young people.

As of February 2014, according to CNN, the United States had reached the all time high of roughly $17.2 trillion in debt and is raising by thousands of dollars each second. Back in October 2013, just over 5 months ago, the debt was about $16.699 trillion, and by looking at the total amount of debt now and the debt back then, the overall debt situation has risen $1.499 trillion. Extraordinary isn’t it? With the rapid way debt is rising, what will this enormous problem grow to? With this growing debt getting more problematic, by 2020, the overall debt problem might grow to around $34.19 trillion, according to the Congressional Research Service.

It is to be believed that the money America acquires from other countries is needed to pay off other countries, pay for military action in Iraq and Afghanistan against the taliban, and cabinet costs. The Bush administration raised the amount of money that the administration receives, the need for money is great, according to the White house Office of Management and Budget website. Next, the last president, George W. Bush, had called for American military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, which was an unfunded operation. By borrowing money from, for example China, the government is able to pay off the military action in the Middle East. Also, the United States administration needs to be able to pay their wages. Also, borrowing stimulates foreign ties.

While this theory is understandable, it does have it’s holes. First of all, it is widely understood that Bush’s war on terrorism was unfunded and had cost a ton of cash, but instead of having America work it off, the administration borrowed from China and 28 different countries. Also, this theory overlooks that politicians in the President's cabinet are payed way too much as it is. According to payscale.com, the average politician makes at the very, very least $174,000 each year. And as for stimulating foreign ties? The other countries will be just fine without us borrowing from them.

In the end, is borrowing a good thing? If it’s America’s people making up for the political man’s mistakes, what makes it okay? There are many people discussing his issue. two sides saying that America should keep borrowing, a different saying it’s not okay and it needs to end? It is important to ask yourself, do you approve or disapprove of America’s borrowing?



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