[Remember_Salamis]

We cannot just "not pay off the bonds to chinese nationals"; the credibility of our free market system would be toast. On top of that, if we fail to pay off bonds, our credit rating sinks, and other countries unload their US bonds. Remember, the Japanese own more US bonds thaen even the chinese do. Hong Kong owns a lot too. Also take into account the "follow the leader" mentality of toaday's capital markets: The price starts falling, they all scream sell, and before you know it a trillion dollars evaporates from our currency markets.

[glorgau]

OK, don't call it "not pay off", call it freezing assets, or whatever. If hostilities break out, no money is going to go their way except through back channels.