[GilGil]

What this election cycle has brought up for everyone to see is the extent to which the donor class pulls the strings and not the voters. That is why the country is getting worse and worse. When sums of money like $500 trillion are at stake a small minority of donors will do whatever is necessary to watch out for their interests and the American people become collateral damage.

[ClearCase_guy]

Start from scratch. Global default. It would be a rough few years, but the real-world economic activity would just go on for the most part. The central banks have built a house of cards: let it fall.

[doug from upland]

The American taxpayer = COLLATERAL DAMAGE

[DesertRhino]

$500 trillion? Let the derivatives market do what it will. Just never bail out an investment bank, insurance company or hedge fund, ever, for any reason.

[Brilliant]

Well that is just the notional amount. The notional amount is far greater than the actual amount of the obligations. But it is still a big number even at that.

[The people have spoken]

Or half a quadrillion?

[Darth Reardon]

When sums of money like $500 trillion are at stake

But $500 trillion is not at stake.

If you and I bet $10 on a football game, does that mean $20 is "at stake"? No. One of us will end up with an extra $10, one will be out $10, with a net result of $0 removed from the economy.

Now, if losing $10 causes me to not be able to buy gas to get to work and I lose my job and can't pay my mortgage, etc, we can see the possibility for collateral (no pun intended) damage. But just to add up all the derivatives and claim that as a potential loss to the world's economy is utter nonsense.

Then again, it's "conservative" treefort, so what do we expect?

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Obama and Angela Merkel Talk Trade and Immigration…

What, are we going to have a bunch of Germans moving in now? At least it would raise the national IQ.

[patriot08]

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This photo is very revealing...