Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Herbert Stein" in English language version.
I have tried to comfort people who worry about this [the budget deficit and the trade deficit] by propounding Stein's Law, which is that if something cannot go on forever, it will stop. [Emphasis added.]
I recently came to a remarkable conclusion which I commend to you and that is that if something cannot go on forever it will stop. So, what we have learned about all these things is that the Federal debt cannot rise forever relative to the GNP. Our foreign debt cannot rise forever relative to the GNP. But, of course, if they can't, they will stop. [Emphasis added.]