Miller: Hi, you need to give me some of your wheat which I will use to make flour so the baker can make bread. This will keep us all from starving. I also need you to lend me your oxen to turn the mill.
Farmer: What for free?
Miller: Fine. I have some silver, you can have it for the wheat. We can't eat wheat, we need to mill it and the baker needs to bake it. If we don't work together we will starve, even you. Also, what about your oxen?
Farmer: Silver! You are a fool to think that I would ever take silver. You should give me gold. Gold I tell you!
Miller: Ugh, fine. Here is some gold.
Farmer: Gold? If you are willing to give me gold then I am obviously worth platinum. You will give me platinum.
Miller: HERE! Platinum! We can't keep going on like this, people are starving. Here is all the town's platinum.
Farmer: Diamonds are what I want now. All the diamonds in the land.
Miller: I would give you diamonds but I don't have any and the townsfolk will kill me if I take theirs and give it to you.
Farmer: This is a terrible bargain, I cannot believe I am selling you the wheat for mere platinum. It is an affront to me and all I stand for.
Miller: Finally. Now lend me your oxen to help me turn the mill so we can make the flour.
Farmer: Get off my property before I shoot you.
Miller: Townsfolk, I have gotten the flour. I have struck a wonderful bargain. This is a great day and our town will not starve, now come help me turn the mill.
Townsfolk: Yaay!... I guess... um.
This is basically how the debt ceiling negotiations have gone by.
Another perspective if you like The Lord of the Rings: http://crookedtimber.org/2011/08/01/debt-default-dialog-lotr-style/
