"Zeroes are important. A million seconds ago was last week. A billion seconds ago, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency. A trillion seconds ago was 30,000 BC, and early humans were using stone tools. America's national debt is now $7.5 trillion, and it's skyrocketing, even as America's population ages. There will never be a better time to start paying off this crippling debt than today."
--Denis Hayes, Chairman of the Earth Day Network and longtime environmental advocate
Starbuck's has this new thing on their drinks, printing quotes to get conversation and the mind moving. They call it "The Way I See It." I find it extremely interesting and a great way to think about something in a new way. Sharing it with others, especially as a nice little political conversation starter with my wife, is always nice.
This one really shows how much we tend to trivialize the number trillion. It is so big you forget how many zeroes it actually has. Comparing seconds to dollars is an amazing metaphor, something I think we can comprehend. The problem is that it may express the idea so well that we may just say "Screw it then" and drink another latte. I am still paying off my personal student loans. Can a debt this huge even be scraped?
No comments:
Post a Comment