From 1976 to 2026: Two dramatic megatrends shaping America’s future

Wave both hands if you are celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. I am, but with one hand behind my back.

I am a patriot. As a Baby Boomer, I appreciated growing up in the world’s greatest country that positively impacted the planet. However, because of two megatrends — namely national debt and unprecedented population shifts since 1976 — I fear for our nation’s future and what lies ahead in the next 50 years.

National pessimism is also shared by 59 percent of adults — the share telling the Pew Research Center in December that “America’s best years have passed.” Furthermore, when asked to think about “what things will be like in the U.S. 50 years from now,” 44 percent of adults are pessimistic, 28 percent optimistic, and 27 percent neutral.

What follows is comparative data from 1976 to 2026, both eye-popping and worrisome.

First, how will our nation manage its impending, unstoppable financial death spiral? Uncontrolled national debt is straining the U.S. government’s budget, with an increasing share of your tax dollars going toward interest payments.

In 1976, the national debt was $629 billion, and annual interest payments totaled $61 billion.   Today, the national debt is $39.2 trillion, with debt service at $1.1 trillion and rising by $3 billion per day. Last June, when I wrote about this crisis, the debt stood at $36.9 trillion, an increase of $2.3 trillion in one year! Therefore, the fireworks at our 250th anniversary celebrations should symbolize the financial explosions our leaders are reluctant to address.

Most Americans are unaware that interest on the debt is the........

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