I think you are way overstating things. Did you read earlier comments? Are you aware how close we came to defaulting in the 1990s when Congress and the president gridlocked over a budget?
I know, and I read those. However, all the 20th century defaults I actually know about—Argentina, the mentioned examples of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empire, many countries after a revolution—were accompanied by civil disorder. Does anyone have recent examples of a peaceful government default? (there are a few examples I’ve found in the 19th century, though they were generally partial or temporary defaults).
As for the US, I think it’s easy to exaggerate, in hindsight, the closeness to a default. I very much doubt that a proper default—a sustained refusal to honour debts—would have come out of that.
I think you are way overstating things. Did you read earlier comments? Are you aware how close we came to defaulting in the 1990s when Congress and the president gridlocked over a budget?
I know, and I read those. However, all the 20th century defaults I actually know about—Argentina, the mentioned examples of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empire, many countries after a revolution—were accompanied by civil disorder. Does anyone have recent examples of a peaceful government default? (there are a few examples I’ve found in the 19th century, though they were generally partial or temporary defaults).
As for the US, I think it’s easy to exaggerate, in hindsight, the closeness to a default. I very much doubt that a proper default—a sustained refusal to honour debts—would have come out of that.