The U.S. federal government's debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time on Aug. 19, highlighting the staggering scale of the country's debt burden. It would take 110 years to pay off the debt even at a rate of $1 billion per day. The figure works out to roughly $117,000 in debt per S. resident. The unchecked expansion of U.S. debt is not only eroding the country's economic growth potential but also weighing heavily on the global economy. [...]