Numbers mean something

Most folks don't like numbers. But if you don't understand what numbers mean, you can end up failing to recognize some potentially fatal problems. For example, a pilot who sees the altimeter reading 8000 feet and the vertical velocity reading 10,000 feet per minute downward has about one second to act or he's dead--along with all his passengers.

Now consider the following graph--our national debt plotted over the last 60 years or so:


Liberals/democrats/Constitution-trashers ("We can do anything we want because the Constitution has a 'general-welfare' clause") will either say this graph means nothing or will put fingers firmly in ears and scream "LA LA LA LA LA--I can't hear you!"

Don't let them get away with that. Make them explain why they believe this graph is really no big deal, no problem.

It's a tough position to defend.