Ok, not football at all, but it matters, eventually.

[Monaco_Totty]

Trump can't win over the long haul. He'll be a flash in the pan. Really changing up the system and decentralizing the government will never be allowed to happen. Governments never give up power voluntarily. One of our founding fathers (Jefferson) wrote that the "tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of patriots and tyrants occasionally". No government ever gives up power that they have obtained without force and violence. it's been that way since history began. Covid and computers have given them power they could only dream of 25 years ago.

Spaldy, yes, the changing geopolitical reality presents new risks but like all disruptions, it may also create new opportunities.

Looking at the end of 2024, the top 5 countries that own the most USA debt are:

Japan: 1.1 trillion dollars.
China: 749 billion dollars.
United Kingdom: 690.2 billion dollars.
Luxembourg: 373.5 billion dollars.
Canada: 328.7 billion dollars.

Reuters press highlighting that Foreign entities holding significant amounts of US Treasury securities could also potentially influence US economic policies. They might impact economic decisions or create instability by rapidly selling off their holdings, which could raise interest rates & disrupt financial markets.

China is one of the United States largest creditors, owning a significant amount of U.S. debt. The U.S. government owes Chinese lenders a large amount of debt, which has been the subject of political debate & news stories for decades, so Chinas ownership of U.S. debt gives it an interest in America's prosperity.
In 2025, Chinas national debt is projected to be 18,440.66 billion dollars, mmmm. 🧐

Additionally, Reuters states that reliance on external financing to cover USA deficits creates a dependency that may prove unsustainable. If foreign demand for USA debt decreases, financing future deficits could become more challenging, potentially necessitating higher domestic interest rates to attract necessary capital.

Mmmm, further reading states many Americans are starting 2025 a little worse off than before, at least when it comes to credit card debt.

Almost half of cardholdersz 48%, now carry debt from month to month. That's up from 44% at the start of 2024. Of those carrying balances, 53% have been in debt for at least a year or more.

In UK all my mates between the ages of 25 & 45 fund their lifestyle using credit cards & all are in debt, some are in big-debt too.😖

Jeez, glad I had the cash for my little Breton harbour cottage to be fortified with new granite stone lintels which should see it survive beyond its already 300 years of turbulent global events its racked up looking over the Atlantic waters.

The local Breton folks are fiercely proud of their heritage where I live as most consider themselves Breton before French, even though France is a Republic where we technically all live in, so everything has to be done with locally sourced materials, not cheap, but keeps the local community solvent, maybe not quite a nuke proof shelter but not far off when in the cellar, hopefully. 🤞

[spaldy]

MT,

I thought about your post on your home.

It dawned on me that not only is it older than the US but that I don't own a single manufactured or crafted thing that is as old as it is. That's pretty incredible to ponder.

Thank you for the information. It really caused me to step back and contemplate the difference in historical perspective.