When it comes to the United States federal government, people do seem willing to lend us an infinite amount of money… Our debt is so big and so many people own it that it’s preposterous to think that they would stop selling us more. It’s the old story: If you owe the bank $50,000, you got a problem. If you owe the bank $50 million, they got a problem.

— New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, quoted by Politicker.