If you’ve been having problems finding reading that’s discouraging enough, you might try this piece from Doug Bandow at Forbes. Here’s a taste:
The best measure of current indebtedness may come from economist Laurence Kotlikoff. Add in all the prospective liabilities and he figures America’s real public debt at about $211 trillion. That’s 14 times America’s official national debt—and GDP!
I fully endorse his suggestions: cut military spending and corporate welfare starting with the Export-Import Bank.