Bear in mind that the holders of US debts do not want the debts paid, only the interest, and in fact want both to increase as they have consistently since the US government went into hock. A prime reason holders of US debt fear other countries defaulting on their debt is that that might become a promising political campaign in the US where debt of all kinds are glorified and where unpaid debts are the greatest sins so long as the debts are owed by the USG and credit card, family home and car, debtors. Gigantic debts by well to do are signs of accomplishment and no wealthy person wants to be large-debt-free. Instead what is wanted is a top-notch credit rating, that is desirable to be an debtor who can call for whatever is needed at the moment without expending the small amount of cash on hand, which is called pocket change. The biggest debtors are the super rich, and their combined debts exceed that of the US Government. Such debts are customarily called investments purchased with borrowed money or other forms of investments. These superwealthy schemes based on superimpositions are very large Ponzi schemes, nearly all of which rely up government underwriting either by permissable law or by assurance of bail-out -- not surprisingly as a last resort to claim national security is at stake, or even less surprising, require war to thin the complainers of small debts and to boost war industry replenishment of large fortunes. Nothing peculiar about the US doing this, for it is what governments were invented for: to assure continued well-being for the favored while promising a chicken in every for the starving and promising as well that the starving must work for the chicken freely stolen by the wealthy. Capitalism didn't begin this dreadful state of affairs, it merely copied more brazen versions and cloaked its intentions with simulated democracy, sometimes smirkingly called free market forces by its beneficiaries. Getting the small debtors to lust after Wall Street is nothing compared to getting them drunk with patriotism so they'll send their idiot off-spring to kill those hungry like themselves while George slurps Hagen-Daas from Condi's navel. The key to success is getting the really smart hungry people to feed your mind and gut and wipe your ass while believing like national security teams they are really in charge. How do you do that? The successful claim it was hard work and luck, and anyone can do it. Haw. Haw. Haw.