"The transfer of wealth from workers and savers to the government and the big banks rolled on this week with Swiss-like precision. The process is both mechanical and subtle. Here in the USA the automated elegance of this ongoing operation receives little attention.
NFL football. Holiday BOGO offers. Trump’s cabinet picks. Hunter Biden’s pardon by the big guy. You name it. Bread and circuses like these – and many others – offer the American populace countless opportunities for chasing the wild goose.
All the while, and with little fanfare, debts are piling up like deadwood in Angeles National Forest. These debts, both public and private, stand little chance of ever being honestly repaid. The obligations extend well above what the economy can support.
The national debt is now over $36.1 trillion. But that is only a small piece of the picture. Unfunded liabilities – like Social Security, Medicare, federal debt held by the public, and federal employee and veteran benefits – amount to over $221.4 trillion. If you’re a U.S. citizen, your share of this pile is over $645,322.
Nonfinancial sectors household and business debt is now over a combined $41.6 trillion. Certainly, a portion of this private debt will be defaulted on during the next credit crisis and recession. But when it comes to the public debt, Washington will do everything it can to prevent an outright default.
The Federal Reserve is once again cutting the federal funds rate in the hopes of easing the Treasury’s borrowing costs. So far, the rate cuts have been a failure. Since the Fed started cutting rates on September 18, the yield on the 10-Year Treasury is up 47 basis points.
If Treasury rates keep moving against the Fed, you can expect another round of QE to artificially suppress "