re: A visual representation of the staggering amount of our national debt

A traveler walks into a small hotel in a small town, places a $100 bill on the counter, and asks the innkeeper to view a room that he might stay in for the night. The traveler goes upstairs to look at the room.

The innkeeper picks up the money and immediately goes to the town carpenter to pay his debt for repairs to the hotel.

The carpenter takes the money to the local grocer to pay his bill for food and supplies. The grocer, in turn, goes to pay off his debt to a traveling salesman from whom he bought goods for his store. The salesman goes to the innkeeper and pays his bill for the room he has been staying in while visiting the town. The innkeeper places the $100 bill back on the counter.

The traveler comes back from viewing the room, picks up his money, tells the innkeeper he will look for another hotel, and walks out the front door.