[parasubvert]

We watched one of the US political parties threaten default at least three times in the past 12 years.

I think creating political/fiscal crises is part of the point.

[frank2]

I had no idea. Where can I learn more about this?

Are you sure they threatened to default of _Treasury_ instruments?

[parasubvert]

Yes.

And while the mainstream view is that Ryan/Boehner never really intended to go through with it because they knew the consequences, a sizable contingent of congresspeople & conservative pundits wanted to go through with it just to show that "they meant business".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_debt-ceiling_cri...

My perspective, when people tell you what they'll do, believe them. It would be economic equivalent to setting off a nuclear bomb in the middle of the country, but :shrug:, it would own the libs.

[betterunix2]

Basically it came down to a refusal to raise the debt ceiling, which forces the Treasury to take "extraordinary" measures to meet debt obligations. In several cases the Treasury was warning that they were running out of such measures and that if the debt ceiling was not raised there would be a default.