Security Implications of the National Debt of the United States
Abstract
The interest of America's national public debt of $4 trillion or $4, 000,000,000,000. increases at a rate of $12,000.00 each second. This paper outlines why the United States must curb its spending and reduce its public debt in order to retain its position of global leadership into the 21st Century. The paper examines the history of the debt, its causes and consequences, why past efforts at debt reduction have failed and what realistically can be done. All of these issues are discussed in the context of the debt's impact on national security, i.e., defense and foreign policy. Special emphasis is placed on how the debt and debt reduction will affect U.S. involvement in NATO and America's influence in Europe. This paper concludes that the four commonly discussed methods of debt reduction could only succeed in conjunction with strong presidential leadership and a moral renaissance in the United States. Barring this, the inevitable impact of the debt on national security will be continued economic stagnation, dramatic defense cuts and significantly reduced global influence.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 30, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA255470
Entities
People
- Eugene A. Klann
Organizations
- United States Army War College