fp.

They reduced the debt under Clinton. It’s a question of political will not physics. US taxes are low compared to their counterparts and they could choose to raise these taxes for various activities.

dh2022•32m ago

And then came GWB and Dick Cheney with "Reagan proved deficits do not matter". Right away they slashed dividend income taxes, capital gains taxes, phased out estate tax, took away Medicare's ability to negotiate lower drug prices or re-import them cheaper from Canada [0], and started two long expensive wars (Afghanistan and Iraq).

(It is my personal opinion that the current US Financial situation is due to GWB's presidency. He started this country on this road.)

[0] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1126891/

beefnugs•1h ago

Hate to have to say it... but killing all the people you owe money to. Its not like reputation means anything to this prez

potato3732842•19m ago

Nah, way too complicated and expensive.

When you're the global reserve currency you can just inflate the currency and kill anyone who tries to use something else.

Cheaper that way because you gotta kill less people.

(joking, but also sadly not joking).

SlightlyLeftPad•5m ago

Also bail the people who owe you money out of jail. That’s important too.

RyanShook•28m ago

One overlooked factor that helped the US after WWII is that we were the manufacturing base for most of the world for decades after the end of the war. Over 50% of manufactured goods were made in the US in the decade after WWII.

MithrilTuxedo•10m ago

Fossil fuels were cheaper too, and dilution was the solution to pollution.

JumpCrisscross•2m ago

> dilution was the solution to pollution

Why past tense? Dilution remains a good solution to most pollutants, carbon included. That it stops working after a point doesn't make it useless per se.