What goes up that never goes down?

The answer to that used to be America’s debt. More dangerously, another statistic now seems to also fall under this category.

According to economic blog ZeroHedge, America’s debt to gdp ratio just crossed 101.5 percent. As author Tyler Durden points out, the Federal Reserve is the only thing allowing America’s politicians to spend so much money.

Foreigners are unwilling to take the risk of lending to America (at such artificially manipulated low rates).

The Federal Reserve’s balance sheet now stands at $1.7 trillion. This is the amount of money it has created by a click of the button and lent to Washington.

If it wasn’t for all this funny money, interest rates in America would be much higher, warns Durden. And the amount of money America would have to pay out in interest would be much higher too.

Sadly, that day is coming—and probably soon.

Gasoline prices are starting to rise. Food prices will follow. And it probably won’t be long before precious metal prices start shooting up again too. When they do, it will become increasingly difficult for the Federal Reserve to cover America’s profligate spending addiction.

But if the Fed stops, interest rates will shoot up, the government will have to institute massive cutbacks, and the economy will grind to a halt.

Tough choices ahead for the Federal Reserve: More money printing and inflation? Or massive depression?

The onerous effects of either choice are getting worse by the day. American politicians plan $1 trillion budget deficits as far as they can see into the future—if things go according to plan. The debt to gdp ratio is growing. It was just last August that America’s debt reached 100 percent of gdp for the first time since World War ii.

While America’s debt continues to go up, time continues to wind down.