NYTimes interactive graphic on consumer debt

I've written about consumer debt before, as well as my take on the federal deficit, but seeing this nytimes special interactive graph, part of their "debt trap" series, conjures up raw fear.

In a word: horrifying.

Say what you like about the virtues of consumerism, but when things are this far off from fundamentals, it scares the hell out of me. Wasn't it the movie Fight Club where they were going to bring chaos to the US by blowing up creditor records?  Wise lessons from a good movie...