The single best chart on the policies driving our deficits

[julius]

Updated

Interesting take (although not necessarily new)

 

[HailBlazers]

And printing money and charging the United States Citizens interest on it is the single worst policy driving our debts

 

[julius]

I want to point out the subject heading was only done due to my laziness. I just copied the article title (and i neither endorse or not endorse the article/graph).

 

[Stevenson]

Well, I endorse it.

I would like to hear what the Righties have to say about it. Where were their crocodile tears about spending and the deficit during the Bush years? What a bunch of phonies.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Well, I endorse it.

I would like to hear what the Righties have to say about it. Where were their crocodile tears about spending and the deficit during the Bush years? What a bunch of phonies.

I don't know what you mean by that, but it looks to my quick view that there was a maximum of 4-5% debt during the "war years" due to the wars and a projection of 10% maximum going forward.

Meanwhile, spending to fight the "economic downturn" started at 10% and only is projected higher.

The question I have: Where is the almost-a-trillion-a-year overrun for Medicare/Medicaid on that chart? Part of the "other debt"? I find it hard to believe that that particular debt expense is going down anytime soon, much less on a downward trend right now, as the chart seems to show.

I didn't look hard at the methodology for this one, but what is the disconnect between this one and the CBO one?

 

[jlprk]

I think Social Security and Medicare aren't defined as public debt. They are owed by one part of the government to another. Anyway, I don't understand the percentage on the Y-axis. It's not an index, so, percentage of what.