Forecasts for the coming decade are overly optimistic. Currently the Congressional Budget Office the projects growth of 2. 1 annual over the next ten years. This is 3. 5 growth but not allow enough for professor gordon. He predicts growth will average an anemic 1. 6 over the next ten years. The reasons . The baby boomers xirt the work force and a longterm drop in productivity. New hires will barely replace current workers. A Smaller Labor force and fewer goods being made. As a result, the ratio of the National Debt to gdp will climb to 87 by 2024. Not the 78 in government forecast. Interest rates will have to rise sooner and higher to finance that debt. Gordons forecast has alarmed robert samuelson. If hes right, if could be our next nasty economic surprise. The our political systems cope as groups battle harder for bigger shares of a stagnant pie. Without an expanding government, racial, ethic, generational and other conflict worsen . A zerosum game. One groups game is anothers loss.