You're right, it is all relative.
Relatively speaking our debt is lower now than it was throughout the 90's.

Relatively speaking?

Maybe if you're a relative of a right wing radio spin doctor.

Our current debt is about 1 1/2 times what it averaged in the 90's. Is somebody
trying to state that the size of our (recessed) economy is more than 150% of
what it was in the 90's and therefore the debt is
still in proportion? That's easy to say, but I think it would be impossible to
come up with any evidence to support such a s-t-r-e-t-c-h of logic.

You also have to examine the trend. The national debt increased more in single
fiscal year ended 9-30-2003 (about $500 billion) than it did in any single year
in the 90's, and indeed more than it did in almost any 2 year period you can
find during the 90's.


Prior Fiscal
Years

09/30/2003 $6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002 $6,228,235,965,597.16
09/28/2001 $5,807,463,412,200.06
09/29/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86
09/30/1999 $5,656,270,901,615.43
09/30/1998 $5,526,193,008,897.62
09/30/1997 $5,413,146,011,397.34
09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73
09/29/1995 $4,973,982,900,709.39
09/30/1994 $4,692,749,910,013.32
09/30/1993 $4,411,488,883,139.38
09/30/1992 $4,064,620,655,521.66
09/30/1991 $3,665,303,351,697.03
09/28/1990 $3,233,313,451,777.25
09/29/1989 $2,857,430,960,187.32
09/30/1988 $2,602,337,712,041.16
09/30/1987 $2,350,276,890,953.00

SOURCE: BUREAU OF THE PUBLIC DEBT