PrintFebruary 16, 2010
A Trying Time of Year
This time of year, which C. S. Lewis (at least in William Nicholson's portrayal) called a "trying time," seems depressing enough already, but for those who wish to be further disheartened, the U. S. Treasury Department maintains a National Debt Clock. The Debt Clock is racing at an astonishing speed right now, spurred along by what the Congressional Budget Office charily calls new "outlays": "spending from last year's stimulus legislation and outlays for income support programs, health care programs, Social Security, and net interest." President Obama has submitted a federal budget for FY2011 with a price tag of $3.8 trillion. Most Americans, I suspect, are not aware of how many digits are required to denote a trillion. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary does not even attempt to define the number in exact terms. As a primary definition, it simply refers the reader to the number table. Otherwise, it defines a "trillion," in what seems quite an...(Read Full Article)
