It’s entirely possible that the only lasting issue in the debt ceiling ‘debate’ will be whether the United States government will become a deadbeat. As a deadbeat, it will pay a deadbeat’s penalty for loans — a significantly higher interest rate — will get the kind of a trust a deadbeat attracts in the marketplace, will do the kind of damage to itself that might take a generation or more to undo.

That knock at the door? It’s the bill collector. The bill collector doesn’t care about the argument inside of the house. He just wants his money and he’s not going anywhere until he gets it. And if he doesn’t get it? Well, there are ways to handle deadbeats.