In this episode, we delve deep into the staggering federal debt of the United States, which has reached an unprecedented $33.8 trillion, equivalent to 122% of the nation's GDP. This colossal debt burden raises significant concerns about the future of the U.S. economy.
Renowned financial experts like Jim Rogers warn that the U.S. is becoming the world's largest debtor nation, potentially leading to dire consequences. Economists, including Steve Hanke, stress the heavy toll this debt could impose on American taxpayers.
Recent data reveals that the median income for U.S. workers is around $40,847 per year before taxes.
With inflation outpacing wage growth, American households are facing increasing financial pressures, threatening the stability of the middle class.
Rising prices across the board have led to a consumer debt bubble in the U.S., with non-housing debt surpassing $48 trillion.
The Federal Reserve's recent interest rate hikes signal the end of this debt spree, potentially causing further financial challenges for Americans.This economic strain has contributed to a surge in poverty, homelessness, and fiscal deficits in cities across the country. Affluent individuals are even leaving certain cities, mirroring a real-life exodus.
The U.S. government's unchecked deficit spending is a significant contributor to this crisis, with interest costs on federal debt skyrocketing. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that these costs will deplete funds for critical programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
The U.S. dollar's status as a reserve currency exacerbates these issues, making it challenging to monetize debt and leading to supply-demand imbalances in U.S. Treasury bonds. Foreign buyers are withdrawing, and countries like China are significantly divesting from U.S. Treasury bonds.
Economists project that if current trends continue, the U.S. federal debt could surpass $66 trillion by 2031. The U.S. Treasury has even considered issuing 100-year or 1,000-year Treasury bonds to sustain its borrowing.
Despite these challenges, the market anticipates a Fed rate cut in the near future, with implications for the U.S. economy and its debt situation.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen remains optimistic about the economy, emphasizing employment trends and wage growth.This complex web of economic factors presents a daunting challenge for the United States, with implications for the global financial landscape.
If you found this analysis insightful, please consider liking, subscribing, and activating the notification bell. Stay tuned for more discussions on critical economic and geopolitical issues that shape our world.
Tags: U.S. Federal Debt, Economic Crisis, Inflation, Consumer Debt, Fiscal Deficits, Reserve Currency, U.S. Treasury Bonds, Interest Rates, Debt Monetization, Economic Challenges, Global Economy, Financial Crisis, Debt Burden, U.S. Dollar, Economic Analysis, Monetary Policy, Economic Trends, Economic Outlook, Financial Experts.
REPEAT ----> READ AGAIN!Rising prices across the board have led to a consumer debt bubble in the U.S., with non-housing debt surpassing $48 trillion. The Federal Reserve's recent interest rate hikes signal the end of this debt spree, potentially causing further financial challenges for Americans.
This economic strain has contributed to a surge in poverty, homelessness, and fiscal deficits in cities across the country. Affluent individuals are even leaving certain cities, mirroring a real-life exodus.
The U.S. government's unchecked deficit spending is a significant contributor to this crisis, with interest costs on federal debt skyrocketing. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that these costs will deplete funds for critical programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
The U.S. dollar's status as a reserve currency exacerbates these issues, making it challenging to monetize debt and leading to supply-demand imbalances in U.S. Treasury bonds. Foreign buyers are withdrawing, and countries like China are significantly divesting from U.S. Treasury bonds.
Economists project that if current trends continue, the U.S. federal debt could surpass $66 trillion by 2031. The U.S. Treasury has even considered issuing 100-year or 1,000-year Treasury bonds to sustain its borrowing.
Despite these challenges, the market anticipates a Fed rate cut in the near future, with implications for the U.S. economy and its debt situation.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen remains optimistic about the economy, emphasizing employment trends and wage growth.
This complex web of economic factors presents a daunting challenge for the United States, with implications for the global financial landscape.
If you found this analysis insightful, please consider liking, subscribing, and activating the notification bell. Stay tuned for more discussions on critical economic and geopolitical issues that shape our world.
Tags: U.S. Federal Debt, Economic Crisis, Inflation, Consumer Debt, Fiscal Deficits, Reserve Currency, U.S. Treasury Bonds, Interest Rates, Debt Monetization, Economic Challenges, Global Economy, Financial Crisis, Debt Burden, U.S. Dollar, Economic Analysis, Monetary Policy, Economic Trends, Economic Outlook, Financial Experts.
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The news shows CBP’s continued investment in AI surveillance technology, both with regards to digital surveillance, likethe monitoring of social mediaof travelers, and that in the physical world, such is the case with this planned surveillance tower and others CBP already uses. It also marks the first time that CBP will be testing a maritime tower that is specifically engineered to weather cold climates, CBP told 404 Media.
“In support of the [CBP] mission of securing our nation’s borders, CBP has a need to procure autonomous border surveillance capabilities,”one of the documents reads. “This capability will serve to enrich relevant CBP information technology systems of record by providing new data streams that support improved situational awareness to ongoing tactical operations and strategic support without requiring additional staffing resources to support.”
Documents obtained by 404 Media show an expansion of Anduril's surveillance technology on the U.S.-Canada border.
Specifically, the document describes a plan to deploy an Autonomous Surveillance Tower (AST) “in the northern border Great Lakes environment for a technology demonstration.” The document does not provide a more granular location than that; the U.S.-Canada border cuts across four of the five Great Lakes (Lake Michigan is entirely in the U.S.) They are spread across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, as well as Ontario, Canada.
The tower “will provide artificial intelligence and machine autonomy which enables real time monitoring, detection, identification, and tracking of threats in the maritime environment,” the document continues.
A SECTION OF ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS. IMAGE: 404 MEDIA
The contract for that surveillance tower is with Anduril, another document shows. Luckey founded virtual reality company Oculus before being fired by Oculus owner Facebook and creating Anduril. The startup is worth $8.5 billion, and beyond CBP has contracts with the U.S. Special Operations Command, the Air Force, and other agencies.
Today the company creates all manner of autonomous vehicles and systems including an airborne drone called Ghost, and Anduril recently acquired Blue Force Technologies, which has been developing a new autonomous air vehicle called Fury. Anduril also makes Lattice OS, an operating system for bringing these different technologies together.
Anduril calls its autonomous surveillance towers Sentry Towers. Armed with artificial intelligence and various sensors, they are designed to “track objects of interest,” according to Anduril’s website. The “Maritime Sentry Tower,” which this latest CBP test appears to relate to, includes “radar designed to detect boats, jet skis, and other water-borne objects,” Anduril’s website reads.
Originally, Anduril deployed Sentry Towers with CBP on the southern border with Mexico as part of a pilot program, before rolling out dozens. In one 10 week period, Anduril helped border officials catch 55 people, according to WIRED. In 2019, The Daily Beast reported Anduril’s work had expanded to the Canadian border in Montana and Vermont. That report said those tests included a cold-weather variant of the company’s technology, but CBP told 404 Media that this Great Lakes test is specifically the first maritime tower hardened for cold-weather to be tested.
“The Department of Homeland Security is committed to protecting individuals’ privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. DHS uses various forms of technology in furtherance of its mission, including tools to support investigations related to, among other things, threats to infrastructure, illegal trafficking on the dark web, cross-border transnational crime, and terrorism. DHS leverages this technology in ways that are consistent with its authorities and the law,” a CBP spokesperson told 404 Media in a statement.
404 Media is a journalist-founded digital media company exploring the ways technology is shaping–and is shaped by–our world.
We're focused on investigative reports, longform features, blogs, and scoops about topics including: hacking, cybersecurity, cybercrime, sex, artificial intelligence, consumer rights, surveillance, privacy, and the democratization of the internet.
THE FOUNDERS OF 404 MEDIA, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: SAMANTHA COLE, JASON KOEBLER, JOSEPH COX, AND EMANUEL MAIBERG. PHOTO BY SHARON ATTIAHE AUTHOR
Joseph is an award-winning investigative journalist focused on generating impact. His work has triggered hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fines, shut down tech companies, and much more.