National debt

The Debt Ceiling Drama Is All Stagecraft

The Debt Ceiling Drama Is All Stagecraft The Debt Ceiling Drama Is All Stagecraft

Remember: The US Treasury is obligated to make payments. The rest is optics.

May 11, 2023 / Editorial / James K. Galbraith for The Nation

Kevin McCarthy debt ceiling

Kevin McCarthy Doubles Down on the Debt Ceiling Kevin McCarthy Doubles Down on the Debt Ceiling

In a direct challenge to the Biden administration’s federal programs, House Republicans have approved a bill to limit domestic spending.

Apr 28, 2023 / Chris Lehmann

The Media Can’t Get Enough of the Debt Ceiling

The Media Can’t Get Enough of the Debt Ceiling The Media Can’t Get Enough of the Debt Ceiling

The debt limit on government spending is an obsolete holdover from a century ago. But the political media can't stop equivocating over it.

Jan 23, 2023 / Chris Lehmann

Stack of bills

The Debt Ceiling Explained. Once More, With Feeling… The Debt Ceiling Explained. Once More, With Feeling…

What The New York Times doesn’t know might hit you in the wallet.

Jan 19, 2023 / James K. Galbraith

Portrait of Haitian president

What the French Really Owe Haiti What the French Really Owe Haiti

Compensation for a history suffused with violence that left physical wounds and psychological trauma.

Jun 13, 2022 / Marlene L. Daut

How Can Puerto Rico Escape the Debt Trap?

How Can Puerto Rico Escape the Debt Trap? How Can Puerto Rico Escape the Debt Trap?

When it comes to Puerto Rico, the questions of debt haunt everyday life and shape the colonial reality of the island.

Apr 6, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Ed Morales

How Biden Can Help End the Country’s Debt Crisis

How Biden Can Help End the Country’s Debt Crisis How Biden Can Help End the Country’s Debt Crisis

Right now, Americans are drowning in debt.

Jan 5, 2021 / no-paywall / Katrina vanden Heuvel

Passengers wearing face masks wait for their bus in front of a national debt display

Time for Democratic Deficit Hawks to Go the Way of the Dodo Time for Democratic Deficit Hawks to Go the Way of the Dodo

Try as they may, Democrats still can’t help being the party of deficit fetishism.

Aug 28, 2020 / Marshall Auerback

A woman holds the leg of an officer arresting her

Debt Relief for Tyrants Is a Terrible Idea Debt Relief for Tyrants Is a Terrible Idea

Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar want to cancel the debts of the world’s poorest countries. In some cases, that’s a big mistake.

Jun 3, 2020 / Helen C. Epstein

Debt Is Holding Black Americans Hostage

Debt Is Holding Black Americans Hostage Debt Is Holding Black Americans Hostage

To break free, we need an honest conversation about reparations and forgiveness on a mass scale.

Nov 7, 2019 / Edna Bonhomme

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