Inches

Total Credit Market Debt Owed since 2006, in two parts: the Federal portion, shown in red, and everybody else's debt combined -- our debt -- shown in blue.

Just before 2008 -- about a sixteenth of an inch to the left of the left edge of the gray bar -- there began a slowdown in our debt (ours, as opposed to the Federal debt).

The next thing that happened was that a recession started. We got the gray bar.

Then about a sixteenth of an inch after the recession started, there was a momentary fall of Federal debt, the red line.

Then about an eighth of an inch later, the Federal debt started going up rapidly, a policy response to the recession. Another quarter-inch later, toward the end of 2008, there was a slight reduction of the upward pace of Federal debt -- a reduction which persisted for a good inch or more, until the further tiny reduction of 2011.

Oh by the way... The red line, the Federal debt, is measured by the numbers going up the right side of the chart. The highest number there is about 12 thousand. The blue line, our debt, is measured by the numbers going up the left side of the chart. The highest number there is 48 thousand. Our debt is about four times the size of the Federal debt.