Excellent piece from Knowledge@Wharton, "A Billion Here, A Trillion There: Calculating the Cost of Wall Street's Rescue"

Like many experts, Smetters is not as concerned about the current deficit and debt as about the long-term obligations that include monumental sums for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as baby boomers age. "The problems that we face right now are trivial -- they are just an appetizer for the big show," he predicts.</img>