[Moonman62]

Our national debt is now 5 point something of the budget and rising, not counting private bonds, such as mortgages etc. that are held by the Chinese and Japanese. And that consumer debt, acquired in the purchase of imported goods, is at an all time high.

If lenders want to send us money, let them. If we can't pay, they'll be the bag holders, and they know it. If they think we can't pay, they'll stop sending money and the imbalance will correct itself. You said yourself that you would pick our economy over any other. Our lenders are doing the same thing.

While the spending and borrowing going on in Washington is unethical, it's still not near the point to cause a financial crisis.

[durasell]

That's fine for now -- but it can't go on forever. It's how it ends that is cause for concern.

[sixmil]

Without fail on these threads, someone comes out and says something like 'we win big in the end when we declare bankruptcy'. Is this a plank in the free trade ideology? If so, I suggest you head back to the drawing board.