The chart shows who holds the $16.8 trillion of U.S. federal debt that is currently outstanding.

Here's Who We Owe That $17 Trillion

 Of Government Debt To

by Josh Brown

Some observations:

• We owe most of the money to ourselves.
• We owe a big chunk of the money — about $5 trillion — to the Federal government. So if there ever were a default (hopefully there won't be) the government would also be stiffing itself.
• We owe about $5 trillion to other countries, including China.
• The total debt to China is only $1.3 trillion. So we're not in hock to China as much as some people think we are.
• Yes, it's a boatload of debt. But the experience of Japan, the U.S. after World War 2, and other countries, suggests that it's a manageable amount, as long as we eventually get our long-term entitlement spending under control.

Read more: www.businessinsider.com