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SsurebreC t1_jc8kiry wrote

OK, say your income is one quadrillion dollars. Your liabilities are 900 trillion. You have 200 trillion in unfunded liabilities. Is it a scary number now?

You can't take into account current government income trends. We simply have no idea what the budget will be like in, say, 50 years. In addition, the number usually doesn't mention which programs and what levels they're currently funded or will be funded in the future and what is an actual liability. Case in point: Social Security is a liability - it's literally our money - but welfare is not because it's an optional social program.

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TracyMorganFreeman t1_jc9d6gu wrote

Oh you can't predict it, but somehow you can assume the budget of the US government will be in the quadrillions?

Their predictions are impossible, but your handwaving is sufficient. Got it.

The assumption is current levels, and it is only liabilities, as in entitlements.

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