US govt debt has gone from $1.2 trillion to $31.4 trillion since 1980.

1980 Debt to GDP = 26%
2023 Debt to GDP = 123%
2040 Debt to GDP = ???

When you recognize a cliff you try to avoid the edge...unless you're the government.

1 Federal debt as a ratio to GDP is an utterly meaningless statistic. It is analagous to comparing my home mortgage against my employer's revenue. Federal debt as a ration of federal revenue is meaningful, and that formerly was the measure that economists used, until it got too big and scared people. Then they switched to the Debt/GDP, not because it meant anything, but because it was a smaller ratio and was comforting. Now it, too, it to big but they have nowhere else to go.

2 Good point Bill.

I suspect Chester knows it too; he's literally a genius, and not easily fooled. I think he is using their own metrics and showing it still fails.

3 but because it was a smaller ratio and was comforting. Now it, too, it to big but they have nowhere else to go.