Calculating the Debt

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I noticed our national debt at the end of Feb was 19 trillion,211 billion,342 million,727 thousand,725 dollars. That is a very large number for anyone to even have a vague idea how large it really is. In this poem we're just going to talk about counting that high. Just to give you some idea of just how much it really is.

Not that it really matters
The damage has already been done
While the debt of our country grows fatter
Let's crunch some numbers just for fun

For the average human being
Counting to one hundred is easy
Thirty seconds is all that is fleeing
To one thousand, five minutes goes breezing

From one to ten thousand, one hour
One hundred thousand will take one work day
The numbers are starting to tower
Cause one million takes ten working days

To count from one to ten million
Takes one half of one year
To get to one hundred million
It takes about five years

Counting from one to one billion
takes one whole working lifetime
If your thinking of going to one trillion
Multiply that one thousand times




   by Daniel Turner
   Isn't math fun?

Copyright © | Year Posted 2016



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Date: 3/26/2016 7:02:00 PM
Hmm. Normally I like math. :-/ Great write!
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Daniel Turner
Date: 3/26/2016 8:42:00 PM
It's not my favorite subject but I know how to add subtract multiply and divide. I can see these numbers don't add up! Thanks Tom and peace:)
Date: 3/26/2016 2:23:00 PM
The nature of humans is to always be in debt because we can not wait to accumulate the money we need fast enough. Hope this gives people some insight and makes them more aware. Canada's debt is not as large as yours but we keep spending money we do not have. Well put and actually was amazed at real figures. Blessings Edith
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Daniel Turner
Date: 3/26/2016 3:15:00 PM
Since no one has ever seen a trillion of anything, the mind can not grasp the size. Thank you for the friendly visit and kind comment. Peace my friend:)
Date: 3/26/2016 1:56:00 PM
Fascinating piece! A scary thought!
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Daniel Turner
Date: 3/26/2016 3:14:00 PM
Exceptionally scary for the next generation! Thank you, Richard for the friendly visit. Peace my friend:)
Date: 3/26/2016 5:41:00 AM
A frightening but real situation most countries today face, particularly those who have engaged in very expensive wars. When I wrote a poem about this three years ago the US debt was only $13 Trillion - the increase is phenomenal. Great poem, remarkable math, and timely relevance.
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Daniel Turner
Date: 3/26/2016 7:53:00 AM
Thank you, Cynthia. I appreciate your friendly visits and kind comments. Peace nice lady:)
Date: 3/25/2016 10:09:00 PM
Lol. Every country must go through this exercise. We have people stressed here because our governments debt is $60 billion (mind you only 4.8 million people). Staggering numbers when you think about it in the context of your poem.
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Daniel Turner
Date: 3/25/2016 10:15:00 PM
I just like to stir the soup. LOL Thank you for the fun comment. Peace my friend:)
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