[mkl95]

> Can both the government and the economic system fail in the United States to such an extent that all existing companies on the stock exchange become valueless with no prospects of any future business? Perhaps.

Stock market != economy. If the stock market crashed overnight, the economy would take a hit, but the expectation would be for it to be functional.

[solatic]

Only because the stock market doesn't include private businesses, sole proprietorships, etc. If, hypothetically, all economic activity was securitized, and the price of those securities collectively went to zero, then yeah, that's what an observation would look like of a non-functional economy.

[mkl95]

I wonder how much Fortune 500 companies would tank as a result, considering they generate a large chunk of the world's GDP.