> It's 2020. We don't have the deck stacked in our favor like we did in 1945. We've got massive obligations and a populace that's becoming increasingly demandin

> It's 2020. We don't have the deck stacked in our favor like we did in 1945. We've got massive obligations and a populace that's becoming increasingly demanding of bailouts, loan forgiveness, UBI, etc which are all untenable given that our existing social programs are already approaching insolvency. US Social Security is effectively funded by US Treasuries. There is no "locked box" that somehow the US government "saves" contributions into. The national debt is debt generated now to be paid in the future, perhaps. The question about what that borrowing is spent on now is the question. Right now, spending it on social programs will aid the individuals that otherwise would be in dire poverty. Spending it on infrastructure (and the US infrastructure is woeful) is useful investment that will generate returns in the future. So the answer is to do both.