Posted by Michael Salvi on 03/07/09 6:58 PM Last updated 03/07/09 7:18 PM   [Newer: Obama Puts the Economic Cart Before the Horse] [Older: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2009]

All this talk about "stimulus packages" and "bailouts"... <!-- pt_inline_ad_end -->

A billion dollars...

A hundred billion dollars...

Eight hundred billion dollars...

One TRILLION dollars...

What does that look like? I mean, these various numbers are tossed around like so many doggie treats, so I thought I'd take Google Sketchup out for a test drive and try to get a sense of what exactly a trillion dollars looks like.

We'll start with a $100 dollar bill. Currently the largest U.S. denomination in general circulation. Most everyone has seen them, slighty fewer have owned them. Guaranteed to make friends wherever they go.

A packet of one hundred $100 bills is less than 1/2" thick and contains $10,000. Fits in your pocket easily and is more than enough for week or two of shamefully decadent fun.

Believe it or not, this next little pile is $1 million dollars (100 packets of $10,000). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.

While a measly $1 million looked a little unimpressive, $100 million is a little more respectable. It fits neatly on a standard pallet...

And $1 BILLION dollars... now we're really getting somewhere...

Next we'll look at ONE TRILLION dollars. This is that number we've been hearing about so much. What is a trillion dollars? Well, it's a million million. It's a thousand billion. It's a one followed by 12 zeros.

 

Ladies and gentlemen... I give you $1 trillion dollars...

(And notice those pallets are double stacked.)

So the next time you hear someone toss around the phrase "trillion dollars"... that's what they're talking about.

the "i" above is not me, i'm just posting this, here's where i found it...

Source

Posted 03/08/09 08:58 AM StatusQuoJoe Westminster, CO

Wow all the "derivatives" and financial instruments are estimated to be "valued" at over 1,000 trillion, that would be 1,000 of those multi stacked pallets of cash. Of course if we were to add a few zeros to our currency (ala Zimbabwe) the stacks get a lot smaller, LOL.

Posted 03/08/09 11:45 AM Caleb Kinley Hot Springs, AR

Thanks to the FED for messing up my day and depressing me.

Posted 03/08/09 11:50 AM libertyspirit Modesto, CA

Can we even pay the interest on our debt without it compounding beyond our ability to pay it back? Does anyone know? Isn't this the meaning of insolvent? Help!!!

Posted 03/08/09 8:47 PM NJGRLS4RONPAUL Oakhurst, NJ

who that is crazy...wish people knew how much of that we waste!!!!

Posted 03/09/09 04:05 AM LydiaScott South Bend, IN

Thanks for the visual, I had no idea how much physical space that money takes up. I (somewhat) remember on Sept.10, 2001 Rumsfield on (CSPN)at the podium talking about how we misplaced a trillion dollars that was sent to Iraq. He said that it was stacked and shrink wrapped on pallets. I thought to myself how does someone misplace a trillion dollars? Now I am really wondering how someone misplaces a trillion dollars, it takes up alot of space! I don't think I have heard any reference to that missing money since then either. I am sure that is long gone!

Posted 03/09/09 7:44 PM cbsure , Niue

Sweet visual! For a similar graphical review of a trillion with Grover Clevelands ($1K): http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse/chapter-11-how-much-trillion Enjoy!

Posted 03/10/09 07:13 AM TimGOOOH Liberty Hill, TX

Mike: Imagine if one of the news channels would put that graphic on TV - maybe more people would wake up and recognize that action is required. I hope you continue to tell others about www.GOOOH.com. There is a solution, we just need everyone to know that it exists.

Posted 03/15/09 4:51 PM celticreeler Rolla, MO

My 16 year old said, "Oh, my gosh! That is really scary!" How big does the forklift have to be to "leverage" that much money? (I hate that word, "leverage".) Thank you for the great visual!

Posted 03/18/09 6:52 PM Robyn Hamlin Saint Louis, MO

This would be a great type of thing to make for parades. People MIGHT get an idea of how much money they are spending.