That means that most Americans are either ignorant (whatever they may say) or very short-sighted or both. The consequences of letting the deficit spending continue unchecked this year can be fixed next year. Interest rates are at rock bottom, so the deficit isn't a huge problem...yet. On the other hand, if we default this year, we can't just fix it. It'll make financing our debt (which is currently five percent of our Federal budget) much more expensive and will drive up interest rates in general.
I doubt it will come to that. I still believe that the big money at the top of the GOP pyramid has more power than the foot soldiery at the bottom. Boehner isn't going to screw them over and Obama certainly doesn't want a default going into reelection. A deal will certainly be reached, but it may end up coming down to the wire. Again.
One of the defects of our political culture is that it simultaneously gives, at times, the out-of-power party the motivation and the ability to screw things up. The President usually gets the blame when things go badly. Great Britain, on the other hand, has no such problem. When a party's in government it has to take responsibility and when it isn't it can't do anything.
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