The Wizard of Ego

   Boris Trumpledore, the Wizard of Ego and Pry Mincer of the Benighted Kingdom, will meet the King of Debtland to renegotiate trade agreements for their own countries as well as those that hold their debts, known as the Carry Nations.
   International financial markets have stopped all trading in government bonds issued by the two nations after a near total collapse following an announcement by the King of Debtland that he would renegotiate the terms of all outstanding notes and bonds in an effort, he said, to reduce his nation's debt load, "which is too high," he insisted.
   This despite unanimous warnings from financial experts that such an action would equal default by the government of the world's largest trading nation, and would cause an international collapse.
   "Trust me, it will work out fine," said the King. "I did it with many of my companies, and as a result my family's wealth soared. So if it works in business, it will work even better in government," he insisted.
   But when a reporter pointed that a country is not a company, and that many of the King's companies went bankrupt after the so-called negotiations, the King ordered the journalist out of the room and cancelled his press credentials.
   The King did not respond to the reporter's question.
   Meanwhile, Boris Trumpledore, the newly named Pry Mincer of the Benighted Kingdom, said he would initiate similar measures for his country's debt load.
   And when asked about the danger of default through such a write-down, and a consequent collapse of financial markets, thus causing an economic depression in the Benighted Kingdom that would spread to other nations, Trumpledore accused journalists who asked such questions of "a total lack of patriotism."
   "Trust me," Trumpledore said, echoing the King of Debtland, "and don't listen to those so-called experts and their political allies who are only interested in their own efforts to enrich themselves and increase their power."
   
   Yeah, right, said a quiet voice in the back of the room. We've heard that before, and the result was a worldwide depression and major war.