The first article by this Skeptical Optimist fails to note that countries do fail from excessive debt...each and every single one of them had available and used the same remedial devices he iterates as "solving the problem" notwithstanding an inevitable failure.
H'mmm. Sounds like he has some 'splainin to do....
The second makes a major mistake by understating the problem as only the current account deficit of $8 trillion, when the real problem is the projected unfunded liabilities, the gap between projected revenues and committed obligations as they mature. That number is north of $65 trillion.