Our Nation's Credit Card Problem Our nation is in dire financial straits. However, the nation's situation is only a reflection of our personal failures in our inability to "Just Say No" to ourselves. We must have everything and we must have everything now. We have become a country of consumers instead of a populace of producers. Let's face it, too many families are drowning in debt. We are spoiled. No one wants to wait and save money for purchases. The American consumer is deeply in debt and not talking about it. Consumer debt rose two-hundred twenty five percent from 1976 to 1