A Dec. 4 Letter to the Editor denigrated several previous letters for inferring, in her words, "an apocalypse is coming." I agree. A financial apocalypse isn't in our future. It's going to be worse, much worse, and soon.

Consider:

The United States' national debt is unsustainable. The $16 trillion we currently owe our creditors is just the tiny tip of the iceberg. The actual unfunded liabilities of the federal government are $86.8 trillion. That is 550 percent of our nation's gross domestic product and approximately 150 percent of the entire world's GDP.

Federal spending is seriously out of balance with taxes collected. The 2012 budget deficit was $1.1 trillion.

Social Security has $20.5 trillion of unfunded liabilities. It's unsustainable as currently structured.

Medicare has $42.8 trillion of unfunded liabilities. It is unsustainable as currently structured.

Medicaid is on the brink of bankruptcy.

Our country, all adults, our children, and our grandchildren are facing an almost insurmountable problem. It needs to be fixed before the chickens come home to roost.

David M. Courtis

Bellingham