“We have now run out of time,” the president declared on Friday.
Up to now, the financial markets have remained remarkably sanguine, sharing the widely-held assumption that for the United States to default on its debt is unthinkable. After all, U.S. Treasury bonds are the safest investment in the world — so much so that every major financial institution worldwide holds Treasuries as rock-solid insurance. But now, with the Aug. 2 deadline only 10 days away, negotiations stalled and no hint of compromise, the unthinkable is becoming real.
