America's Real Financial Crisis? It's Debt

US can't safely sell $700M in securities
By Rebecca Smith Hurd,  Newser User
Posted Sep 28, 2008 5:23 AM CDT
America's Real Financial Crisis? It's Debt
To overcome its long-term financial woes, America must stop accumulating debt, Justin Fox argues in "Time."   (Shutterstock)

Washington must stop selling debt as its top export if it wants to solve today's financial crisis, Justin Fox argues in Time. Political talk of the nation's staggering $731 billion deficit often centers on trade pacts and exchange rates. But "if the US simply stopped borrowing so much—if Washington balanced its budget and restrained financial companies from loading US households with ever more debt—the current account deficit would evaporate," writes Fox.

A federal bailout makes sense as a crisis-management tactic, but only in the short term. Long-term, America is incapable of safely selling off debt securities as it has for the past three years, Fox warns. But it's bound to be tough to change old habits. "Can you imagine John McCain or Barack Obama going around saying he wants to reduce your standard of living?" asks one financial expert. Concedes Fox: "Probably not."
(More national debt stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X