America's Debt Crisis: The Hard Truths Politicians Won't Tell Voters

The United States faces a growing $35 trillion national debt crisis that neither major presidential candidate is addressing honestly. Budget expert Brian Riedl, in an analysis for the Manhattan Institute, outlines potential solutions to stabilize federal borrowing and prevent a debt crisis. These solutions involve a combination of tax increases, spending cuts, and benefit reductions, which are politically unpopular but necessary. Riedl suggests that the U.S. doesn’t need to eliminate its entire debt, but rather maintain it at around 100% of GDP. The analysis highlights that higher taxes on the wealthy will be inevitable, given the concentration of wealth among the top 1% of earners. However, politicians avoid discussing these tough choices due to their potential negative impact on voter support.