> Debt can be paid off until it can't,

> The USA currently depends on debt, it doesn't collect enough taxes to cover expenses as it is

That's where the lack of 'good governance' comes in. Good governance would, as of 2026, require raising taxes. The US has plenty of capacity to pay, it's just that the people running it prioritize keeping capital owners happy over the long-term welfare of the country.

You're right that actually raising taxes is political suicide. That's one of the reasons this dysfunction has no escape clause, but the past 10 years have piled on a lot of other reasons, too. It's one thing when a government is ignoring a financial timebomb, but is otherwise, trying to... Run the country like a country.

It's another when it's ignoring a financial timebomb, while also running the country in the same way that a drunk runs a hurdle race.