Reply #11: So the government is going to start collecting taxes in tangible goods now?

[JonQ]

You sir owe use 14 chickens and a bushel of wheat for the year!

No, they collect taxes (and redistribute them) in dollars, yuan, pesos, etc. So the only things that matter are 1) how much money is coming in from taxes, 2) how much needs to be sent out to retirees, and 3) how much it costs to live.

2 and 3 are going to increase at a certain rate every year (2 is about to have a huge, sudden increase). 1 would then have to increase to match that, and so far it isn't.