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IRS Predicts DOGE Lost Half a Trillion Dollars for the USA
(talkingpointsmemo.com)
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this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2025
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Why would you say "half" when you could say "500"?
500 Billion Dollars.
Doesn't half a trillion sound like more than 500 billion? Even though 500 billion is already a lot?
No, "half" sounds like half. 500 of something sounds like more than half of something. (Yes, trillion > billion, we're not debating the actual facts - which are the same either way - just the way it's perceived in a headline)
Half of dinners. 500 meals. Half a car. 500 auto parts. Half of all dealerships. 500 independent dealers. etc.
The old quarter pounder Burger is bigger than a 1/3rd lbs because 4 is bigger than 3! Lol never change America.
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none of your examples make sense. "trillion" has more gravity than "billion" in headlines. simple as that.
Most people have a hard time envisioning large numbers so half a larger number has more gravity than x of a smaller number.
Well the former is the reason "half" doesn't work as well. Trillion, Quintillion, Zillion, it has less impact.
Wrong.
Ok
A trillion is larger than a billion, so half a trillion is a more rage bait headline.
Humans can’t fathom the vast distances of space. How are we going to fathom a trillion dollars?
this might help.
at least, in part.
You didn't see an article, you saw a screenshot of a tweet. As far as I can tell that was a lie. We should not be spreading lies when there are enough true horrible things they have done we could be talking about.
Unless I'm wrong and you're the one person on Lemmy that actually saw an article supporting that claim. I'd like to be wrong, if I am could you please link the article?
500,000 millions
Pretty sure one trillion is a million millions.
Correct. I’m referring to the posts half a trillion.
Be that as it may, it’s a significant amount of money that will not be collected but will now trickle down… excuse me, I have a very hard time keeping a straight face hahaha
Rage is the only reasonable response.
I think it's the opposite. We're all used to "a billion" now, even thought we can't really concieve of it the way we can, say $100. But a trillion is just space money. Just make it a gazillion.
500 Billion has real competitive traction - people are billionaires, this is more than them, etc. A trillion is something you have nanoparticles of, something very small.
“Billion”, sadly, is a term that nowadays conjures an individual human or corporate level figure.
“Trillion” is an economy level figure and suitably conjures an idea of how fucked up you all are.
IMHO.
yup. especially we like our ancestors for quite some time back have only dealt in thousands back when the richest dealt in millions.
it's the direction the figure is no-doubt going. in six weeks, that estimate will be a lot higher.
'half a trillion' now is a very fair choice of wording.