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It feels weird to focus on US debt here when the entire west is facing similar challenges (except Switzerland…) The UK bonds are the highest since the 90s and

It feels weird to focus on US debt here when the entire west is facing similar challenges (except Switzerland…) The UK bonds are the highest since the 90s and Japanese debt has never been higher. There is a fiscal problem but it’s not an _American_ one unless you just assume all international finance is a US issue.

ceejayoz 2mo ago
> unless you just assume all international finance is a US issue Why wouldn't you? 2008's collapse of the US housing market caused a global recession. It's the single largest economy on the planet.
- kasey_junk 2mo ago
  Because the US does not control other countries fiscal policy which is where government debt rates come from. Germany and the UK have entirely different ways to determine fiscal and currency policy from each other, not to mention from the US. If there is correlation between those things it’s either by choice (the German people tieing their government to the US) or it’s demographic.
  - ceejayoz 2mo ago
    > Because the US does not control other countries fiscal policy… I can't even begin to imagine how someone says this with a straight face.
    - kasey_junk 2mo ago
      Because I don’t assume lack of agency in the rest of the world? You’ll note I put that in my original comment.
      - ceejayoz 2mo ago
        > Because I don’t assume lack of agency in the rest of the world? https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/us/politics/how-marco-rubio-runs-venezuela.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/us/politics/how-marco-rub... "The secretary of state effectively controls Venezuela’s finances, the distribution of its natural resources and its government. His grip on the country is a vivid manifestation of American power in the Trump era." This is but one of many examples of the broad reach of American control over other countries' policies.
        tptacek 2mo ago
        I don't think Venezuela was one of his comparands.
atmavatar 2mo ago
What's really interesting is where exactly the debt is going. If the US were funneling money into long-term programs designed to improve the country and its residents' lives and/or earn some return on investment, that would be one thing. Instead, it seems focused on continually increasing military spending (to little effect - see: Straight of Hormuz) and reducing the proportion of the tax revenues coming from its wealthiest individuals while taking a chainsaw to programs helping the poorest without any significant savings to show for it. You couldn't do a worse job if you were following step-by-step instructions by an adversary for sabotaging the country from within.
- kasey_junk 2mo ago
  It’s going to paying for an aging demographic and medical care. The same as literally every western country. Which is why I don’t view this as a particularly American issue. America is doing a bad job of addressing this, but it also has more leeway.
  - phs318u 2mo ago
    > It’s going to paying for an aging demographic and medical care Is it though? I thought US life expectancy was falling behind the rest of the world? https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/why-american-life-expectancy-is-falling-behind-globally-falling-apart-by-state https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/why-american...
    - robocat 2mo ago
      Longevity depends on your lifestyle more than medical care. Eating foods that reduce obesity and diabetes. Active living and exercise to keep the heart and body healthy. Medical care is more about having an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Lifestyle is about avoiding falling.
    - halJordan 2mo ago
      Look at any good breakdown of the us budget. It's healthcare all the way down. The programs axed by doge are terribly small (hence why there was no real savings to be had anyway). The military gets far less of the budget than anyone likes to pretend

ceejayoz 2mo ago

> unless you just assume all international finance is a US issue Why wouldn't you? 2008's collapse of the US housing market caused a global recession. It's the single largest economy on the planet.

kasey_junk 2mo ago
Because the US does not control other countries fiscal policy which is where government debt rates come from. Germany and the UK have entirely different ways to determine fiscal and currency policy from each other, not to mention from the US. If there is correlation between those things it’s either by choice (the German people tieing their government to the US) or it’s demographic.
- ceejayoz 2mo ago
  > Because the US does not control other countries fiscal policy… I can't even begin to imagine how someone says this with a straight face.
  - kasey_junk 2mo ago
    Because I don’t assume lack of agency in the rest of the world? You’ll note I put that in my original comment.
    - ceejayoz 2mo ago
      > Because I don’t assume lack of agency in the rest of the world? https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/us/politics/how-marco-rubio-runs-venezuela.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/us/politics/how-marco-rub... "The secretary of state effectively controls Venezuela’s finances, the distribution of its natural resources and its government. His grip on the country is a vivid manifestation of American power in the Trump era." This is but one of many examples of the broad reach of American control over other countries' policies.
      - tptacek 2mo ago
        I don't think Venezuela was one of his comparands.

atmavatar 2mo ago

What's really interesting is where exactly the debt is going. If the US were funneling money into long-term programs designed to improve the country and its residents' lives and/or earn some return on investment, that would be one thing. Instead, it seems focused on continually increasing military spending (to little effect - see: Straight of Hormuz) and reducing the proportion of the tax revenues coming from its wealthiest individuals while taking a chainsaw to programs helping the poorest without any significant savings to show for it. You couldn't do a worse job if you were following step-by-step instructions by an adversary for sabotaging the country from within.

kasey_junk 2mo ago
It’s going to paying for an aging demographic and medical care. The same as literally every western country. Which is why I don’t view this as a particularly American issue. America is doing a bad job of addressing this, but it also has more leeway.
- phs318u 2mo ago
  > It’s going to paying for an aging demographic and medical care Is it though? I thought US life expectancy was falling behind the rest of the world? https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/why-american-life-expectancy-is-falling-behind-globally-falling-apart-by-state https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/why-american...
  - robocat 2mo ago
    Longevity depends on your lifestyle more than medical care. Eating foods that reduce obesity and diabetes. Active living and exercise to keep the heart and body healthy. Medical care is more about having an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Lifestyle is about avoiding falling.
  - halJordan 2mo ago
    Look at any good breakdown of the us budget. It's healthcare all the way down. The programs axed by doge are terribly small (hence why there was no real savings to be had anyway). The military gets far less of the budget than anyone likes to pretend