The Economy for Dummies

I got this email that I think is pure genius because it simplifies things so that real people can understand.

If you’re like me, once we started hanging out in the “trillion” playground things kinda, sorta got all fuzzy. You know the way they do about ten minutes after midnight on New Years.

So look at it this way:

Economy 101

U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000

Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000

Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:

Annual family income: $21,700
Money the family spent: $38,200
New debt on the credit card: $16,500
Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
Total budget cuts so far: $38.50

Now do you get the picture?

I was talking to my wife today about all the pundits and spin masters going around and saying how the president inherited a bad economy and it’s not as good as it could be, but it’s getting better. I said to her “You know, under a strict interpretation of the economic data they’re right, it is getting better. But using their argument it would be like a person filling up their pool with a Dixie cup while the garden hose sits idylly on the ground. Yes it will work, but why would you waste your time doing it that way?”