US Debt: Remove 8 Zeros. Get an Understanding.

I could not resist copying here this simple chain email message.

• 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: $385

And I add this...

Revised family plan: Raise the credit card limit to $160,000

Obviously the parents are nuts. Pity the children.