Who Really Owns the U.S.?

Regardless of how much closer Obama's budget brings our economy into a balance of payments not seen since 2001, we will continue to run deficits for the next decade, and the national debt will keep growing every year that happens.

While most of the country's $14 trillion debt is held by private banks in the U.S., the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve Board estimate that, as of December, about $4.4 trillion of it was held by foreign governments that purchase our treasury securities much as an investor buys shares in a company and comes to own his or her little chunk of the organization.

Looking at the list of our top international creditors, a few overall characteristics show some interesting trends: Three of the top 10 spots are held by China and its constituent parts, and while two of our biggest creditors are fellow English-speaking democracies, a considerable share of our debt is held by oil exporters that tend to be decidedly less friendly in other areas of international relations.

Here we break down the top 10 foreign holders of U.S. debt, comparing each creditor's holdings with the equivalent chunk of the United States they "own," represented by the latest (2009) state gross domestic product data released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Obviously, these creditors won't actually take states from us as payment on our debts, but it's fun to imagine what states and national monuments they could assert a claim to.

©Radar Communication

1. Mainland China

Amount of U.S. debt: $891.6 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 20.4%

Building on the holdings of its associated territories, China is the undisputed largest holder of U.S. foreign debt in the world. Accounting for 20.4% of the total, mainland China's $891.6 billion in U.S. treasury securities is almost equal to the combined 2009 GDP of Illinois ($630.4 billion) and Indiana ($262.6 billion) in 2009, a shade higher at a combined $893 billion. As President Obama -- who is from Chicago -- wrangles over his proposed budget with Congress he may be wise to remember that his home city may be at stake in the deal.

2. Japan

Amount of U.S. debt: $883.6 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 20.2%

The runner-up on the list of our most significant international creditors goes to Japan, which accounts for over a fifth of our foreign debt holdings with $883.6 billion in U.S. treasury securities. That astronomical number is just shy of the combined GDP of a significant chunk of the lower 48: Minnesota ($260.7 billion), Wisconsin ($244.4 billion), Iowa ($142.3 billion) and Missouri ($239.8 billion) produced a combined output of $887.2 billion in 2009.

3. United Kingdom

Amount of U.S. debt: $541.3 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 12.4%

At number three on the list is perhaps our closest ally on the world stage, the United Kingdom (which includes the British provinces of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). The U.K. holds $541.3 billion in U.S. foreign debt, which is 12.4% of our total external debt. That amount is equivalent to the combined GDP of two East Coast manufacturing hubs, Delaware ($60.6 billion) and New Jersey ($483 billion) -- which was named, yes, after the island of Jersey in the English Channel. The two states' combined output in 2009 came to $543.6 billion.

4. Oil Exporters

Amount of U.S. debt: $218 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 5%

Another grouped entry, the oil exporters form another international bloc with money to burn. The group includes 15 countries as diverse as the regions they represent: Ecuador, Venezuela, Indonesia, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Gabon, Libya, and Nigeria. As a group they hold 5% of all American foreign debt, with a combined $218 billion of U.S. treasury securities in their own treasuries. That's roughly equivalent to the combined 2009 GDP of Nebraska ($86.4 billion) and Kansas ($124.9 billion), which seems to be an equal trade: The two states produce a bunch of grain for export, which many of the arid oil producers tend to trade for oil.

©MS Illustration/Public Domain

5. Brazil

Amount of U.S. debt: $180.8 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 4.1%

Rounding out the top five is the largest economy in South America, Brazil. The country known for its beaches, Carnaval and the unbridled hedonism that goes along with both has made a big investment in the U.S., buying up $180.8 billion in American debt up to December. That's almost equal to the $180.5 billion combined GDP of Idaho ($54 billion) and Nevada ($126.5 billion), a state that is no stranger to hedonism itself.

6. Caribbean Banking Centers

Amount of U.S. debt: $155.6 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 3.6%

You have to have cash on hand to buy up U.S. government debt, and offshore banking has given six countries the combined capital needed to make the Caribbean Banking Centers our sixth-largest foreign creditor. The Treasury Department counts the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Netherlands Antilles, Panama and the British Virgin Islands in this designation, which as a group holds $155.6 billion in U.S. treasury securities. That's equivalent to the GDP of landlocked Kentucky ($156.6 billion), whose residents may not actually mind if they were ever to become an extension of some Caribbean island paradise.

7. Hong Kong

Amount of U.S. debt: $138.2 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 3.2%

At No. 7 on the list of our foreign creditors is Hong Kong, a formerly British part of China that maintains a separate government and economic ties than the communist mainland. With $138.2 billion in U.S. treasury securities, the capitalist enclave could lay claim to Yellowstone Park and our nation's capital: The combined GDP of Wyoming ($37.5 billion) and Washington D.C. ($99.1 billion) totaled $136.6 billion in 2009.

©MS Illustration/Public Domain

8. Canada

Amount of U.S. debt: $134.6 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 3.1%

They say that a friend in need is a friend indeed, and our neighbor to the north has proven to be a kind and generous creditor in our time of financial need. Canada holds about 3.1% of our foreign debt, or $134.6 billion. If friend were to become enemy and Canada were looking to annex some U.S. land to cover the debt though, the country would have an easy time of it. The combined GDP of Maine ($51.3 billion), New Hampshire ($59.4 billion) and Vermont ($25.4 billion) comes close to Canada's debt holdings at $136.1 billion.

Residents of the three states in our extreme northeast corner should start practicing their French: They might become Québécois one of these days.

9. Taiwan

Amount of U.S. debt: $131.9 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 3.0%

Taiwan, an island barely 100 miles off the coast of China, is claimed by the People's Republic of China, despite having its own government and economic relations with the outside world. Part of those economic relations includes the island's holding of $131.9 billion of U.S. debt, roughly equivalent to the combined GDP of West Virginia ($63.3 billion) and Hawaii ($66.4 billion), which totals $129.7 billion.

Unless we get our spending in check, we risk losing some of our most visually stunning territory (West Virginia, obviously) to our friendly neighbors on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

10. Russia

Amount of U.S. debt: $106.2 billion

Share of total foreign debt: 2.4%

Starting off the list of our major foreign creditors is Russia, which holds about 2.4% of the U.S. debt pie that sits on the international dinner table. Its $106.2 billion in treasury securities is equivalent to the 2009 GDP of our sparsely populated North: The combined output of North Dakota ($31.9 billion), South Dakota ($38.3 billion) and Montana ($36 billion) matches up nicely with the Russian holdings, at $106.2 billion.

Let's hope Russian president Dmitry Medvedev doesn't come to collect.
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Miami Heat quest for Greatestness or bust???

 The Moment of truth is coming is coming for Miami Heat, they are beating teams ass in the first half and then loosing the game in the second half. All fingers are point at Lebron saying why is he not taking charge of the game. What??? Lets look at the roster of the big boy teams Boston, Even though you have Pierce. Rondo, Garnet, and Allen, their is scoring across the board. La Lakers and San Antonio, Chicago and Dallas Maverick all have the same system where they have equal scoring. Miami main scoring is in 3 areas Bosh, James and Wade after that you said who scored. I watch the game and the Miami Heat support players are not playing the game, they are watching the game while they are playing!!!

As much as I want to say the Heat are ready to win a championship, they are not!  I think that the smartest thing that the heat could do is fire coach Erik Spoelstra ! Reality has to set in, hey he does a good job but he sometimes get lost in the game. Does he have a plan to win??? No one knows and it shows on the court every day that they play someone with a winning record....

Unfortunately chemistry is still the key and I think that the same would have happened if Magic and Bird and Joe Dumar where all on the same team. You have to ask who is going to take the shot. Same problem different era. James want to be the MAN, but hey whats wrong with Wade being the MAN? Who care who is the MAN! The only thing that I care is that they win!

Greatness will come with the win of a championship, although if they don't get it together they will be destined for Bust. A smart man knows his mistakes and when to regroup. Miami you still nee a hustling forward or a beast in the middle, of course if they could get that Kevin Love added to the group then you have a BEAST in the EAST!!!!

That would officially be a winning team!



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Enlarged heart killed star athlete who sank winning shot

FENNVILLE, Mich. — One moment: a perfect shot to end a perfect season. The star player, 16, lifted off the floor in celebration.

The next: Wes Leonard on the gym floor, his enlarged heart failing, his life fading just a few moments after his victory layup. Packed bleachers suddenly stunned by a turn that made basketball seem a distant, unimportant memory.

A day after Leonard died from an enlarged heart, this small town near Lake Michigan remembered an "all-American kid" whose athletic heroics had been local legend since middle school.

"He was a good kid, a good friend to have and a good person to hang around with," DeMarcus McGee, who played football and basketball with Leonard, said between sobs. "You never thought it could be him. He was so healthy. It shouldn't happen."

On Thursday evening, Leonard sank a layup with less than 30 seconds left in the game. The basket gave Fennville High a 57-55 victory over Bridgman High and a 20-0 regular season.

After the teams exchanged handshakes, Fennville players celebrated. Some began scrambling to organize a team photo that would commemorate their undefeated record. That's when the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Leonard collapsed, with an estimated 1,400 fans watching.

Leonard was rushed to nearby Holland Hospital, where paramedics performed CPR before he was pronounced dead. An autopsy conducted Friday by the Ottawa County medical examiner showed Leonard died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.

"It shouldn't have been like this," teammate Adam Siegel said. "Too young."

Medical examiner David Start said the stress Leonard placed on his heart through athletics could have played a role, but his death could not be easily explained.

"Why at this event as opposed to another basketball or football game, I don't know," Start told the Grand Rapids Press.

Many who knew Leonard said he was destined for athletic greatness from a young age. At Fennville High, Leonard was a starter for three years on the football team, first as a receiver, then as a quarterback and defensive end.

"He had a personality that, when people were around him, they played better," said Tim Schipper, Leonard's football coach. "Everybody around him played better, because he was a leader and the best athlete."

Schipper had expected Leonard to take his talents into college athletics at some level.

The Fennville team was scheduled to compete in the district playoffs Monday, but school officials had not decided Friday whether to play the game.

"That's way, way down the road," coach Ryan Klingler said. "We're going to make sure we're all in a good, healthy place before we decide on anything."

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Brandon Davies and girlfriend: premarital sex got BYU star suspended

Sophomore Brandon Davies was suspended from BYU's basketball team for violating school's Honor Code

 (Credit: BYU)

 BYU's star basketball forward Brandon Davies got dismissed from team, because he violated the university's honor code for premarital sex with his girlfriend..

Brigham Young University operates under a strict honor code that prohibits, among other things, alcohol use, premarital sex and beards. The clean-shaven 19-year-old acknowledged to school officials on Monday that he broke the section of the code that calls for students to "live a chaste and virtuous life," according to the Star 
.
Maybe if more schools had rules and regulations that were strict and had serious implication, it would reduce
the amount of violence that happens every day..

Although with out a mistake many of us would not know how to live right, so every thing happens for a reason! The suspension won't kill him, but you can believe that it will make him and her stronger!

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Kim Kardashian - Jam (Turn It Up)

I suppose a star was born on the dick of Ray J. Who knew that one sex tape would elevate Kim Kardashian To such a media hound? Do you think that the Kardasian box is equal to gold? Why would I say such a thing? Kim was with Reggie Bush, Superbowl, Khloe married Lamar Odham and he won a NBA Championship.

Now we got the Jam (turn it up), I actually think I could handle Tardy for the party better... Lets keep it real she can never measure  up to the million songs that William Hung "she Bang" sold. Any way she is almost like Trump, his hands has the Midas touch, while the Kardashian snatch has the same effect!


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GOLDEN RULES FOR F***ing

1. F***ing once a week is good for health,

But is harmful if done everyday.

2. F***ing gives proper relaxation to Mind & Body.

3. F***ing refreshes you.

4. After F***ing, don't take heavy food, opt for liquids.

5. F***ing can even reduce your cholesterol level.

6. F***ing reduces weight for sure...

"FASTing" is really good for Health !!!



  WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING?

 Seriously ,

You do have a perverted mind,

Don't you!!!

Would I send you anything gross???

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FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD AND HERE IS WHY!

 

EATING FRUIT  This is informative! We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths. It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit.  What's the correct way to eat fruit?  IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUIT AFTER A MEAL!  FRUIT SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.  Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.  FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so.  In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.   Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal! You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat!    There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness and normal weight. When you need to drink fruit juice drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT the concentrated juice from the cans. Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all. You get only the taste. Cooking destroys all of the vitamins.  Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body. Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look!  KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange!  AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.  STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.  EATING 2 - 4 ORANGES a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer.  WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of  92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C and Potassium. GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes.  Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can you believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this applies to you. It's nice to have a cold drink after a meal, however, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you've just consumed, which slows digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.  A serious note about heart attacks. HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they're asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Be careful, and be aware. The more we know, the better our chance to survive.  A cardiologist said if everyone who gets this message, should  forward it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. It  can even be your life!

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