Our Generation in Debt | Teen Ink

Our Generation in Debt

March 20, 2011
By TabbiJane PLATINUM, Rockwood, Michigan
TabbiJane PLATINUM, Rockwood, Michigan
27 articles 26 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."






--Albus Dumbledore


What happens when you run out of money? Are you able to buy anything? If you asked someone to borrow money and promised to pay them back, how long or how much money would it take for them to finally say no. When, Mr. Obama, will China finally say, “No.” They will, and when they do what will happen to us here in the United States? Does it matter to you that our nation is currently trillions of dollars in debt? You, Mr. Obama, may say it does matter, but I don’t see you making any changes that really matter. The changes you have made are not doing anything to help us as a nation and who will pay for all this in the end? Not you Mr. President, but me.

The current national debt for the United States of America is, as of March 20th, 2011, $14,232,982,050,626.51. The average person would agree that one million dollars is staggering, but $14 trillion and counting? To the average person, that amount of money is completely unfathomable. The estimated population of the United States is 310,232,464. This means that each citizen’s share of this debt is roughly $45,878.44. Why, Mr. Obama, have you been wasting so much needed money. Here’s a better question: Why are we, the citizens of the United States, allowing him do this?

President Obama is not solely to blame for the national debt. America’s national debt has been slowly increasing since Bush’s presidency as well as Clinton’s, but since Obama was elected in 2008 the debt has more than doubled. Everyone is always blaming President Bush for the national debt. They only say this because they are ill-informed. No President has ever created such a large national debt. Congratulations Mr. Obama and thank-you for making my future and the future of all other American teenagers that much harder. I say this because we, America’s youth, will have to be the ones to sort this mess out when President Obama leaves office.

At this moment, the United States is on the edge of a cliff. We are getting closer and closer to the edge and eventually we will fall and come crashing down. The American dollar value is rapidly decreasing and the world knows it. In twenty years, where will we be? When I imagine the United States in twenty years, I see Germany after World War I. Money is worthless. People are paying a thousand dollars just for a loaf of bread. Is this where we are headed? What has happened to this great nation? The country my parents and grandparents knew? We are slowly headed for disaster and no one is doing anything to change that. Make more spending cuts; a lot more. Most cuts are coming out of our own wallets. Why doesn’t Congress cut some things of their own. We are sacrificing, why shouldn’t they? In order for this to eventually work, everyone, even the President, needs to sacrifice. If we can do that, with time the United States can lessen the debt and once again become a super power. If not, we as a nation are doomed.


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This article has 3 comments.


on Apr. 4 2011 at 8:09 am
TabbiJane PLATINUM, Rockwood, Michigan
27 articles 26 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."






--Albus Dumbledore

I got my information from U.S. National Debt Clock at this link:

www.brillig.com/debt_clock 


on Apr. 2 2011 at 5:31 am
OneBlackGirl BRONZE, Indianapolis, Indiana
2 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love the difference!

Two Things. 1.) I'd like to know where you got your information, so I can give a more informed debate.

2.)Obama can't do much unless the senate and house of representatives vote with him. Of course there are some things he can do without them, but I believe budget isn't one of them and they don't want to make budget cuts that might affect them. Oftenly budget cuts go to organizations that help poor people.