Every one knows about this,but I am talking about reality.I guess biggest buyers of US debt is China.If US defaults it will create ripple effect throughout world which nobody wants right now.
Now imagine if Pakistan defaults,do you think any effect on World economy??
If the US defaults, the credit losses will be concentrated in the hands of, say, China. If China does not want the US to default, it has three options:
(1) It can throw good money after bad money - i.e. continue to lend to the US and the US turns around and repays the interest on the old debt with the new debt.
(2) It can restructure the debt - i.e. extend the maturities, re-negotiate the interest payments, etc.
(3) It can take it on the chin, write off the debt, and move on.
Suppose your argument about (3) is true. That China won't go after an outright US default.
Let's try (1) first. Where do you think the Chinese will forever come up with the funds for the new US loans? Their imports are shrinking, their exports are shrinking, and there is tremendous pressure on the yuan. Last quarter, their forex reserves fell by a record $93BN:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-a...by-93-9-billion-as-pboc-intervenes-1441614856
They have a huge drain on their funds for a long time to come.
OK. Let's try (2) then. The moment you restructure your debt, you take a haircut. Your assets (loans to the US) are worth much less now because the money you were going to receive is (A) partly not going to be received at all and (B) not going to be received until much later. Either way, your asset value is less, you have losses on your books, and your banks are all seeing coming what the US banks were slammed with in 2008.
So, it doesn't seem to me that the Chinese will have any joy to take away from granting much breathing space to the US.
Let's try one more. Number (4). The Chinese use their leverage (pardon the pun) to win concessions from the US - on trade, on investment, on defense, on labour, on climate change, or whatever - in return for writing off their debt. Well, welcome to the economic life of Pakistan.
The US federal debt is a serious issue no matter how you cut it. The OP quoted an article from Dr Hafeez Pasha, an economist; I gave you a link from the Brookings Institute, an institution filled with economists.