text:  It's been reported that the interest we pay on the national debt surpassed every individual budget item except Social Security. That's right. The U.S. now spends more on interest than on national defense or even Medicare. And it's only getting worse as big government continues to spend and spend and spend. There's red ink everywhere. It's why savvy investors, central banks and concern savers are turning to gold, something not tied to the inflated U.S. dollar.