The 'Fiscal Cliff' meme stems from the 2012 United States budget crisis, where a series of tax increases and spending cuts were set to take effect simultaneously. While it originated as a serious economic term, it quickly transformed into a visual metaphor for any situation where a person, organization, or country is hurtling toward a disastrous or unavoidable outcome. Internet users adapt this template to represent everything from personal financial struggles and bad life choices to major political shifts, often using illustrations of people or vehicles dangling precariously over a sheer drop to highlight impending doom with a touch of dark humor.