Words matter. Especially when those words are being used to saddle you with $36 trillion in debt that isn’t yours. That’s exactly what’s happening every time someone uses the phrase “national debt” instead of calling it what it really is – Federal debt.

This isn’t just splitting hairs over terminology. The distinction between “national” and “Federal” debt strikes at the heart of who’s actually responsible for this fiscal nightmare. When we call it “national” debt, we’re buying into the fiction that somehow we’re all equally responsible for Washington’s spending addiction. We’re not.

Think about what the word “national” actually means. A nation is its people. It’s the States. It’s our communities. The Federal Government isn’t the nation – it’s just a governing body that was created by the States to handle specific, limited functions. But by labeling their debt “national,” they’ve pulled off an amazing feat of linguistic sleight-of-hand. They’ve convinced everyone that their spending problem is somehow all of America’s spending problem.

Here’s the reality: Texas didn’t vote to rack up $36 trillion in direct debt. Oklahoma didn’t approve another $221 trillion in unfunded obligations. Florida didn’t sign off on sending billions in foreign aid to countries that hate us. The Federal Government did all of that on their own. Yet by calling it “national” debt, they’ve managed to shift the responsibility for their fiscal malpractice onto every State and citizen in the union.

When you go to the store and run up credit card debt, it’s not your neighbor’s responsibility. When your cousin blows his paycheck at the casino, it’s not your problem. So why do we accept the idea that Federal debt is somehow “national” debt? The Federal Government created it. The Federal Government spent it. The Federal Government owns it.

The bureaucrats in D.C. love this terminology because it obscures their responsibility. “National” debt sounds like something we all had a hand in creating. It sounds like something we’re all obligated to pay. It sounds like something we should all feel responsible for. But it’s not. It’s Federal debt, created by Federal spending, approved by Federal politicians, and administered by Federal bureaucrats.

Here’s something else they don’t want you to know: According to international law expert Dr. Matt Qvortrup, if a State leaves the union, they don’t owe one cent of this so-called “national” debt. Why? Because it’s not national debt at all – it’s Federal debt. The distinction isn’t just semantic. It’s the difference between being responsible for their fiscal insanity and being free from it.

Every time we use their terminology, we’re reinforcing their narrative. Every time we say “national” debt instead of “Federal” debt, we’re helping them dodge responsibility. Every time we accept their linguistic framework, we’re letting them off the hook for their reckless spending.

Language shapes how we think about issues. That’s why the Federal Government is so invested in calling their debt “national.” They want us to think about it as a shared burden rather than their responsibility. They want us to see it as our problem rather than their failure.

It’s time to stop playing their game. It’s time to start calling things what they really are. It’s not national debt – it’s Federal debt. It’s not our responsibility – it’s theirs. It’s not our burden to bear – it’s their mess to clean up.

The next time you hear someone talk about the “national” debt, correct them. Tell them it’s Federal debt. Remind them who created it. Show them who’s really responsible. Because until we start getting the terminology right, we’ll never get the accountability right.

Words matter. And in this case, the wrong words are helping the Federal Government avoid responsibility for the biggest fiscal disaster in human history. Let’s stop helping them hide from their mess and start calling it what it is – Federal debt, plain and simple.