How does the US ability to print more money factor into this?
Very true; of course the USA does have the ability to print more money, however that doesn’t mean that it should. It would end up with a truly worthless, Zimbabwe-esqe currency, where folks would be buying a loaf of bread for 3 billion dollars.
I mean, I have the ability to dance the hoochie-coochie buck naked on my balcony; that doesn’t mean I have any plans to do so anytime soon.
In regard to the derivatives market, if I were President of the United States, or the head of the Bank of the England or the head of the European Central Bank, or even a head of state somewhere and some representatives of XYZ Global Investments or whatever came to me and said, “You owe us 105 trillion dollars”, I’d likely burst into laughter, give them my best Dr. Evil “I want a gazillion bajillion dollars” impression (and I’ve told my Dr. Evil is quite good) and then tell them to get the f*** out of my office before I have them thrown out, and advise them they can take their derivative certificates, fry them up in some oil along with some onions and peppers, put them in tortillas with a little guacamole and cheddar cheese and........bon appetit.