User Reviews

There is probably no solution to our problem. This documentary is not so much a call to arms, but a history of how we got into the fiscal situation we are in, and how the future we face is going to look.

We have spent and tax cut our way into a fiscal crisis that will never be resolved. It's not as if we can't do it. We did it during the Clinton years, but we immediately lost the nerve. It is not a liberal or conservative problem, it is a problem of will.

Four years from now, all we would be able to pay for is interest on the federal debt and some Medicaid and Medicare. We have no money for anything else.

The state of our union is not strong.

Saw this movie last night and it's something I could call mandatory viewing for everyone - for those in power making the tough decisions and for those affected that need to understand them. It's a chilling doc only because the situation is so real, and my generation will be greatly affected by our government's fiscal irresponsibility and spending today.

The movie itself, while not as sexy or explosive as some documentary topics, was well done, in my view. I appreciated the Econ 101 premise, with engaging charts, easy to understand fables, and relevant interview bites. This topic is bigger and more important than an 85 minute documentary and I felt they captured the urgency of this dire situation. Unless action is taken now we might not be able to dig out selves out in a few years.

Can't wait until the DVD comes out in October when I can make my friends watch, but even more so I'm looking forward to the book, which comes out September 29th ( http://www.amazon.com/I-O-U-S-Addison-Wiggin/dp/0470222778/ ). Wiggin's Demise of the Dollar was the catalyst for IOUSA, and I'm really interested in seeing the full and complete interviews of everyone involved in the movie, collected in the book.

Comptroller of the United States GAO gives us the facts and describes some history of why the financial crisis of the government budget deficit and national debt are the top threats facing the United States today. Our nation has lost its way and we somehow think it is sustainable for us to spend more as a nation than we earn. The facts and numbers are shocking. Where we will be in 25 years is even more alarming. But it is not too late. As recently as the end of the 1990s the nation was operating under a balanced budget. We can do that again and begin paying down our debts. Excellent presentation of these facts. Not a hopeless cause. But we do need to make some adjustments as a nation. This movie is a must see for everyone of any political persuasion. Very educational.

This documentary is simply outstanding. It has a fast moving pace, covering a tremendous amount of material, without losing a layman's audience. It is educational as well as entertaining. Of course, with the upcoming elections, the timing for the movie couldn't be better. It helps educate voters on one of the most important topics for the upcoming election. At the same time, it is not a partisan movie, and does not lay blame on one party over another. It seems fair in its portrayal of this problem and does not have an ulterior political motive. Finally, it is a great date movie because you will have plenty to discuss afterward.

This movie is not for policy wonks, economists, or accountants. It's for citizens of the United States - Highly Patriotic citizens who want to preserve their country.

It spells out in superb graphics what we're up against financially. The film has a great pace, lots of color, and combines all sorts of mediums to make an excellent presentation of the information.

The message is dark, but brutally honest. And there is yet hope, so I encourage you to see the movie to find out what it is.

I am absolutely convinced if the electorate saw and understood these issues, we would be willing to make the hard choices quite gladly, and reward politicians who were clear, transparent and honest, and send packing those who's egos and greed keep them in Washington.

What ever happened to civil service as a moral ideal?

This may finally wake up the average American to what is about to happen to our economy and way of life in very short order. Most smart economists, politicians and business people have known for years that the feathers are soon to hit the fan. Ran Paul, Peter Schiff and others have been warning us for some time but very few have listened. Things have actually become considerably worse since this movie was made. The new housing bill will be the stick that breaks the camels back. Better batten down the hatches folks, the perfect storm is about to hit. Even if you are not one who normally pays much attention to economic data please see this movie and at least try to understand the scope of the disaster that is about to befall us in the next 1-2 years. This is not reality TV its just REALITY.

I am no political graduate or major in economics, but I do believe that the average 'Joe American' can certainly put two and two together and realize that America is in a crisis. Watching this film over a year after it's release just makes it even scarier.

I don't have much to say on the film. It does a good job on explaining the American Debt, giving some (and enough) details on how it all started (1776) and to now. It gives solid details on what led to the current state of Federal Debt and it issues out 'how to solve' this problem.

Really, the pathetic thing (not of the film, but on congress) is that the SOLUTIONS, which are proclaimed radical by the 'back of the box summary' are extremely blatant and common sense.

Peter Peterson is one of the chief proponents of 'entitlement' reduction; i.e. Social Security and Medicare. Never in any discussion of deficits are the exorbitant sums spent for military boondoggles, outdated ineffective weaponry (corporate welfare) , uncontrolled and unexamined payments to our corrupt 'allies' (Karzai, Pakistani Intelligence Services, Israel). So be careful, especially if you're a boomer and just about ready to get Social Security - it may not be there if Peterson has his way. His argument sounds so sensible, unless you include the elements he's ignored. It's noticeable that there are almost no voices on this panel to protect Social Security & Medicare.

The subject of estimated unfunded liabilities of the Federal Government did not originally come from David M. Walker, the former head of the GAO. Dr. Lawrence J. Kotlikoff and Scott Burns wrote a book on this subject much earlier (Lawrence J. Kotlikoff and Scott Burns, "The Coming Generational Storm, What You Need to Know about America's Economic Future," MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2004).

In this book, Dr. Kotlikoff also states that in 2002 Paul O'Neill, George W. Bush's first Secretary of the Treasury, had asked Dr. Kent Smetters to use generational accounting to estimate the unfunded liabilities of the U.S. Government in the future, which was then done with a Dr. Gokhale. The report had been included the 2004 Budget. However, when the White House (i.e. Bush, Cheney, and their cohorts) found out about this, they removed the study from the 2004 Budge and fired Sec. O'Neill.

The publicity that David M. Walker has been getting for himself by talking about this very serious problem has helped bring it to the light of the TV talking heads and the makers of this movie, but Drs. Kotlikoff, Smetters, Gokhale, and others are not getting the credit that they deserve, which I consider a serious injustice. If this were being conducted in peer reviewed journals, it might be considered to be on the verge of professional misconduct.

If I were an adviser for Barak Obama (which I am not) or John McCain (which I am not), I would recommend Drs. Kotlikoff and O'Neill to be senior Economic Advisors to the President and/or Secretary of Treasury or both. Everyone that wants to know more should read Kotlikoff's book or its most recent update (if there is one)

This is the truth of the matter. We, as Americans, are living far beyond our means. Don't blame Me, You or Curly Sue but we are in a "Black Hole". Our 9 TRILLION National Debt will kill the U.S. economy in just a few short years if we do not, now, as a Nation, start to take preventive action to avoid the meltdown. Social Security and Medi-care will suck up huge resources from the Federal budget, as the film suggests. Our Chinese Masters may soon call "All In" as they say in poker. Should we call the bluff and re-allocate monetary resources away from "Intitlements," which suck up large amounts of money, we still will be at a disadvantage in the long run. We need now to cut the fat from the bone if we are serious about surviving, as a Nation, the next 20 years.

I.O.U.S.A.

This is a very fatalistic and realistic film about where our nation's financial security stands.

This is also a very deliberate ploy, no matter how many references to "non-partisan" they are proclaiming, to promote the Democratic Party in the next presidential election.

Like all films or media or crooked politicians, they are slanting the facts in to promote their own way of thinking and in this case, a way that will leave the American people to believe that the only salvation they will have are to vote a Democratic president into office. In other words, it is an Obama commercial.

Everything they said is perfectly true from the financial debt in the beginning of our country to the mess we have now and the reliance our financial security stands on a Communistic and non-democratic government, China. And don't forget the other real threat that if our financial debt fell into a worst regime such as a forceful Middle Eastern country.

However, what are some of the truths that they are not presenting?

The issue that our political leaders, Republican AND Democrat, are usually bought with "campaign funds" – in other words bribes – to sell out the American people. From foreign countries who do not want to pay heavy tariffs for importing junk into our country; to credit card companies and banks and financial institutions that are allowed to hike up the APRs on "fixed" and "adjustable" interest rates which increases bankruptcy and foreclosures on the middle and poor class citizens; to the health care fields who have little or no regulations on increasing the cost of necessary medicines; to giving citizen rights and health care to illegal aliens who broke the first law of our land in illegal entry to our country; to give the ACLU carte blanche to control and restrain our freedom of speech laws and if they win or lose, they get paid either way!

Other truths they are deliberately not referring to is the fact that Clinton and his administration – and wife – seemed to have pocketed quite a bit of funds for themselves. Where did the money go when Clinton pardoned at least 140 criminals – and millionaire traitors to our country – in the last two days of his office? Who benefited from renting the White House like a hotel to enemies of democracy? Why wasn't the threats to the World Trade Center stopped with the first bombing? What about the increase threats to the Freedom of Speech that we are battling today with "hate" crime laws and lowering the age of consensual sexual acts?

Bush has not been an angel. He has no idea how it feels to be poor making less than the average wage, no benefits and having to live in Affordable Housing by force. He gives tax breaks to those making $40,000.00 and up when the middle and poor need this much more, incentive bonuses to those who have made certain amounts of money, and much more.

Nevertheless, these are just a few of the problems that are the base of the country's problems that have caused us this tremendous financial burden. Once a country and the country's leaders – both Republican and Democratic – are willing to sell out their own people for a few more measly dollars, it is no wonder that our debt to the world is more crucial than our debt to ourselves.

During the live broadcast aired on Thursday, August 21 with such distinguished speakers as Warren Buffet and David Walker, it was very unclear on how the average American citizen could influence this issue and maximum spending.

The representatives stated that we should take care of our health, save money and vote to elect the correct officials that will listen to our needs and causes.

However, until they eliminate the possibility of "campaign funds," lobbyist for large companies that get little or no regulations, take away special governmental perks like free traveling expenses, voting in pay raises, and working multiple consecutive terms for the politicians – then we might get in some really honest men and women of all nationalities and creeds who will care about doing their job and remember their sworn oath and not care about acquiring all the freebees.

Remember a little known president called Harry S Truman? What is one of the personal idiosyncrasies he is well known for spurning? Franking. He refused his rights in this area and used regular postage stamps as any American citizen.

Until there are more like him or people of like minds to not fleece the common man, America will continue to go more and more into a financial decline jeopardizing not only our children's future but our own.

This film does a very good job at scaring people. Some of the figures and projections are bone-chilling. However, it largely overstates the problem. We've handled deficits before. We ran an enormous deficit during the WW-II era (over 100% of GDP), so the current deficit (around 3% of GDP) is not a "fiscal cancer" as the IOUSA team would have you believe.

More importantly though, the film missed an opportunity to offer a real solution to the deficit problem -- health care. If our country's health care system were as efficient as the systems in other industrialized countries, and if programs like Medicare/Medicaid could take advantage of these lower costs, our deficit problem would virtually disappear. The Center for Economic and Policy Research has a nice graphic that demonstrates this well: http://www.cepr.net/calculators/iousadeficit/calc_iousa_deficit.html

This is just republican propaganda crap!Trying To scare Americans into signing away their paid right to social security.They want to steal that money too!!!The social security trust fund is not insolvent! So do not let your representatives take your retirement away from you.Do not vote for this idea or any along this path.If you do,you'll still pay FICA taxes the republicans will take,and you get nothing in return.Not even a "thank you".I can't believe all the laws GW Bush took away,including ones that covered this.Out and out lies,and calling them facts!Stuff like this should get Americans boiled up and make them take the republicans out of every seat in the house and senate.Be alittle intelligent and don't fall for this "scare tactics" propaganda piece aimed at taking your hard earned money away from you and into their pockets.

I am not from U.S.A., but I expected to see a real presentation of the current problems that are brought upon the world economy; because if U.S.A. goes down, we all go down, financially speaking, due to the fact that the U.S. is the largest provider of capital.

Now I expected this movie to show the causes of the economic clashes U.S.A. is facing, that are spreading around the world, along with the people and institutions responsible, but I just got an endless number of force-fed lies.

The people that talk throughout this documentary, among others, are from the Federal Reserve, positions in government and business...go figure! exactly the ones responsible for the mess this movie talks about. In my opinion this is nothing but a desperate shot at masking the corrupt, fraudulent system these people are perpetuating, while pointing at the common human being for the mistakes caused by there own shortcomings and unparalleled greed.

The language mostly used is very sophisticated and confusing, thus hindering attempts at understanding what they are saying, or they are just talking nonsense. The tone of there voice is boring and flat. These elements coupled with the failure to make a realistic point, in my opinion, have the purpose of controlling people, not informing them.

P.S.: If you're not convinced, or if you don't understand what I'm talking about then by all means watch this documentary, but I think that whatever you chose, you definitely should get more information on the subject; I recommend: Zeitgeist, Zeitgeist Addendum and Zero:An Investigation Into 9/11, to satisfy your curiosity.