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Frame from I.O.U.S.A.: Byte-Sized - The 30 Minute Version Plays via YouTube's privacy-enhanced embed

I.O.U.S.A.: Byte-Sized - The 30 Minute Version

IOUSAtheMovie
Documentaries
YouTube
1 HN user recommended this documentary1 month2009–2016 score 1
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

Shared as a quick way to see the film's fiscal warnings, sometimes as an example of ignored warnings.

A 30-minute condensed version of the documentary I.O.U.S.A., which examines the growing US national debt and its consequences.

“Here is a bite sized 30 min version of a movie called IOUSA that outlines the major problems that are ahead” (HN, 2009)

1 recommendations · 2 citations · Documentaries · partly dated

3 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@3pt14159 Jun 2009 Recommends
on HN thread The End of Retirement
Read more
Social Security is a very, very small part of it. The largest part is medical care. Here is a bite sized 30 min version of a movie called IOUSA that outlines the major problems that are ahead: [this video] There will not be enough money. Period. The US cannot unlimitedly tax young workers for the rich. They cannot go into unlimited debt. They cannot inflate the currency without major negative repercussions on their currency. Actuarially speaking, the US cannot afford to pay for 25 to 30 years of both retirement income and medical costs. There is a saying in Canada that probably exists in the States: "If you get to 60, you are more likely to live to 90 than not." Those are a ton of years to pay for. Social security. Medicare. All the other "normal" portions of the US budget, like defense, intelligence, and infastructure. When you say "6.2% of our GDP" it doesn't sound like a lot, but it is. 4.06% of the current GDP of the United States is spent on their military. That is a TON of planes, missiles, and carriers that are being kept afloat right now and you want Social Security to receive 50% more than that? Also, The federal budget is not the be all and end all. State budgets, municipal budgets, family budgets all need portions of the 100% of the GDP. The United States has over consumed for far too long and major contractions will take place before normalcy will return.
Condensed film on looming US fiscal problems

Citations, criticism and jokes

@melling Aug 2015 Cites it
on HN thread Not a Luddite fallacy (2011)
Are these the same people who ignored all the warnings? [this video] Bought cheap stuff from Walmart so middle class manufacturing jobs were sent overseas? Refused to get a STEM education so we're required to import 100,000 engineers ever year? Didn't develop a better immigration plan so now we have 11 million undocumented people, many who will work for far less because life is better here. That'll keep wages down.
Cited as an ignored warning
@toomuchtodo Nov 2016 Cites it
on HN thread Is globalization to blame?
Warren Buffet saw it coming years ago . He even made a cartoon about it! [link] This clip is from a documentary called IOUSA. A condensed version of the film can be found here: [this video]
Condensed version of IOUSA documentary

Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.

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