A QUEDA DO IMPÉRIO :

New York Times - 20 Juy 2011 - clique aqui .
EUA: investidores também já se previnem contra calote do governo, vendendo os Títulos.
In Wall Street, financial players are devising doomsday plans in case the clock runs out. These companies are taking steps to reduce the risk of holding Treasury bonds or angling for ways to make profits from any possible upheaval. On Wall Street, Treasuries function like a currency, and investors often use these bonds, which are supposed to be virtually fail-proof, as security deposits in their trading in the markets. Now, banks are sifting through their holdings and their customers’ holdings to determine if these security deposits will retain their value. In addition, mutual funds — which own billions of dollars in Treasuries — are working on presentations to persuade their boards that they can hold the bonds even if the government debt is downgraded. And hedge funds are stockpiling cash so they can buy up United States debt if other investors flee. The rating agencies, which control the fateful decision of whether the nation deserves to have its credit standing downgraded, are surveying other entities that would be affected by a United States default — like insurance companies and states — and issuing warnings that a United States downgrade could result in several other ratings cuts.
States that might be downgraded, in turn, are trying to reassure the market that they could still pay their bills on time. All these contingency plans hinge on the pivotal date of Aug. 2, when the Obama administration has said it will no longer be able to finance government obligations without raising the $14.3 trillion cap on government borrowing. If lawmakers do not act before then, it will be difficult for the Treasury to meet coming interest payments as well as obligations to government employees, vendors and programs like Social Security and Medicare.