I think that number is a little sensationalist. What's the net present value of the obligations? My simplified calculation makes these assumptions: 1. Disc

I think that number is a little sensationalist. What's the net present value of the obligations? My simplified calculation makes these assumptions: 1. Discount rate of 0.04. 2. Uniform payments of the entire $2 trillion over the next twenty years. Under those assumptions the present value is only about $1.4 trillion over twenty years, or about $70 billion per year. A substantial sum, to be sure, but not compared to a number of other things we do. A higher discount rate around 6% decreases the yearly cost about 20%.