In 2012, the National Debt was $16,066,241,407,385. That isn't money owed by the Federal Government. The Nation owns the Federal Government. The Nation is liable for the National Debt. And what is a nation? A couple of beaches, some trees and a mountain range? It's people. You, me, the guy walking down the street and the kids playing in the park. In 2012 each of us, every man, woman and child owed $51,186.97 towards the National Debt and it's only gotten worse since then. There are plenty of books, websites, blogs, pundits, etc... that talk about the history of taxes, taxes going up, taxes going down, too many taxes, too little taxes and most miss the key relationship between the number of people supported by taxes and the number of people paying taxes. They are quick to blame the Democrats or the Republicans or a President or the Supreme Court and fail to mention the real cause of rising taxes and the real reason Congress mires itself in deadlock after deadlock. And there is a reason. After all, if an idiot runs for Congress and we vote for the idiot, is it the idiot's fault if he wins? We don't need a history lesson and this book doesn't provide one. What it does do is show a few, key details over time, broadly explain why taxes climb and will continue to climb, and offer the only realistic solutions to Congressional gridlock, the ones that nobody is talking about, nobody is writing about and nobody in Congress wants to hear.