They'd rather buy stocks back than reinvest in their employees with education, higher wages, better benefits, etc.
Help me with this... $23 trillion is a big number, no? US debt surpasses $23 trillion for first time https://thehill.com/policy/finance/468600-us-debt-surpasses-23-trillion-for-first-time?amp
The debt just doesn't matter. It is just a political thing. If debt mattered our dollar would be worthless and our borrowing costs would be going up.
From what I've read it only really matters during a recession. During economic growth as we've been experiencing for the past 6+ years or so, the deficit is supposed to decrease as tax revenue theoretically should be higher as people are generating more taxable income. Shrinking the deficit during a economic book is important because it allows the government to spend more money when a reccesion occurs to stimulate the economy and help pay for safety net programs as more people.during a reccesion will use those programs. Having the deficit increase at a such a rapid rate during a economic growth period is worrisome. It makes us less prepared for an upcoming recession.
it matters because of the interest we are paying........a small debt is rather healthy....the one we have not so much. DD
This economy is not basic. It's been overjuiced starting from the days of the Clinton-Greenspan era, onward to Helicopter Ben and into whatever the hell it is right now. The fact that business leaders think ZIRP or near-ZIRP is long term enough to take up large bonds for overpriced stock buybacks is enough to tell anyone how bigly rigged Capitalism is right now. Come busty bailout time, you'll hear no end of "capitalize the gains, socialize the losses." And it'll come because doing the right thing means being a sucker for not pigging out on free lunches.
