Graphic: A History of Sovereign Defaults

Just a reminder that there is no such thing as “risk free”, particularly on the popular impression that government debts are safe havens.

Below a historical roster of Sovereign debt defaults from Wikipedia.org

Africa:

Americas:

Even the US has had several instances of defaults.

John Chamberlain at the Mises Institutes explains some of in list: Continental Currency Default of 1779, Default on Continental Domestic Loans, Greenback Default of 1862, Continental Currency Default of 1779, Momentary Default of 1979

Asia:

Postbellum Japan has not been spared too.

So as with the Philippines whom restructured debt in 1983/1986 (World Bank)

Europe’s largest economies Germany, the United Kingdom, France has had their share of defaults or partial defaults (restructuring)

As per historian Edward Chancellor (also cited by the wikipedia.org) reasons for default consist of: A reversal of global capital flows, Unwise lending, Fraudulent lending, Excessive foreign debts, A poor credit history, Unproductive lending, Rollover risk, Weak revenues, Rising interest rates, Terminal debt.

All these are rather symptoms of political spending which has been unproductive and consumption based (e.g. welfare, wars, bailouts, bureaucracy, etc.) and which frequently leads to excesses.

The idea that government debt represents as safe haven is no less than political travesty meant to justify the current unsustainable debt based political economic institutions. 

Eventually, the naked will be exposed when the tide subsides.