The following is from PageTutor.com.
What does one TRILLION dollars look like?
All this talk about “stimulus packages” and “bailouts”…
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.
You ready for this?
It’s pretty surprising.
Go ahead…
Scroll down…
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.
Wow. That really puts it into perspective! I am going to link this in my Who will pay? essay. Great illustration of something no one seems to understand. We just keep sending these idiots back to Washington. I wish I could convince enough people to fax and e-mail a picture of an ear with the caption “NO MORE EARMARKS!” I have a good one on my blog. Maybe if enough people did so we could convince them to stop.
Again great job! I’m adding you to my blogroll as well.
Pingback: Who will pay? « An American Idiot
The money being asked for and give by the democratically controlled congress is staggering and the result of the spending and borrowing, and the printing of all this paper will in a short time, bring about a dramatic increase in inflation, making everyones money worth less and those on fixed incomes will be hurt the most. Not a good situation for the coutry. The spending looks good to some now, but everyone, everyone will suffer in the long run. Found you site listed on political inquirer as I often comment there. See you are in SC, I’m in MS. Mine is a new , but growing blog. Visit sometime when you have the opportunity.