An Ancient Sumerian Solution to Our $40 Trillion Deficit

The ancient Sumerian practice of periodic debt cancellation occurred in cycles documented on clay tablets dating to the third millennium BCE. Economists and historians have studied whether debt jubilees—periods when rulers forgave outstanding debts—served as economic stabilization mechanisms in agrarian societies. The United States federal deficit stood at approximately $40 trillion as of 2026, according to government accounting. No current U.S. policy proposes implementing debt forgiveness modeled on ancient practices.

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