I'm not saying this is a good idea, mind you. I'm a Democrat, and hence a rational person. I think defaulting on our debt is a terrible idea, but apparently there are enough brainless Republicans in the House where this is a real possibility. Some think that by paying foreign creditors first, that's all that's necessary. This will be done with cash coming in. All those other commitments, well, they are expendable in the name of principle, to keep the government debt from exploding, reducing the cost of government, etc.
What price should the country pay to kill the Republican Party? Should we negotiate some sort of increase in the debt ceiling just to see this happen again in the future? Or should we let Republicans shoot themselves in the head, just like the sheriff in Blazing Saddles? Because this scene from Blazing Saddles is exactly what Republicans are doing. They are pointing the gun at themselves. They think they are pointing it at the country, but they are pointing it at their party. And unlike this sheriff, they are quite stupid enough to actually pull the trigger.
Shall we let them?
If Democrats do everything short of allowing the hostage taking House Republicans want to do, which I think Americans (at least the sane ones) would understand in the long run, and we do end up defaulting and just one social security payment is sent late, the Republican Party is done. Finished.
It's like that scene from the movie Lincoln. Remember it? When Lincoln meets with the Vice President of the Confederacy. He tells them the 13th Amendment passed and slavery will be outlawed. "Slavery is done. Finished," he tells the man who sits there quietly seething.
Unquestionably, defaulting on the debt is a really bad idea. It might trigger another recession or possibly a depression. It will make borrowing more costly for the government, assuming any creditors still want to loan our country money. But the moment one social security payment does not get made on time on the 1st of the month, it will kill the Republican Party.
Done. Finished. The Party of Lincoln.
What an appalling way for it to go. They will have pulled the trigger on themselves.