Uhhhh.... What's a debt ceiling?

I'm gonna be pretty honest here. I don't know what a debt ceiling is. I always thought of debt as more of a downward spiral. A ceiling doesn't make much sense. A cellar sounds better. But I don't make the rules. In fact, the people that make the rules aren't even giving a shit about making rules or decisions right now. Before I get too involved in this very ill-informed rant, let me assure you that I haven't a clue about what I am discussing. I work a lot. When I'm not working, I am trying to help raise my two daughters with my wife, while she puts herself through school. We stay on the go constantly, which makes it hard to keep up with current affairs and political issues. So my vague understanding of this current situation is that our country is in terrible debt, and mostly to itself. Sure, China owns 6% of the multi-trillion dollar debt that we have, but the majority is owed to the Social Security Administration and the National Treasury. Now forgive me if I'm wrong, but it more so seems like the American Government is like a wayward college student who owes his parents a shitload of money, and his dormitory drug dealer $60 for his last eighth of weed. What makes this situation even worse is that the folks that we cast votes for and trusted enough to elect to represent us in tough times such as these are acting like asshole eight year olds on a rundown park playground. Now this is where my uninformed assumptions really begin. Some dude named Boner thinks he can solve everything by cutting spending and amending the Constitution or whatever. I'm sure that's fine and whatnot, but not everyone he works with seems to think so, so that deal is out the window. I mean, really, his idea probably sucks, too, but there isn't really anyone with an agree-able plan. The biggest issue here is that we have believed the American Dream to have no ceiling since its conception, and now we are a Capitalist paradox. Anyone can fulfill their dreams, as long as the average dream is working two jobs to support their families and dying too young due to stress and cancer. So yeah. I don't really know what is going on right now, honestly. I do understand that the bullshit ideals that our country has sold us have gone belly up, and now we are expected to pay for it. I don't see congress taking a pay cut, and I don't really see any progress being made. I'm not really sure why we have publicly elected officials anymore. They should all be appointed by the corporations that own them. It would ease the pain of them continually fucking over the general public over and over and over again. As for the debt cellar, I sure am glad that the NFL lockout ended. It was the perfect good-news distraction to be made right before our country's economy completely collapsed at the hands of absolute idiots.