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In business, there is a Playbook, an established method of doing business. The Deal Maker acquires the asset and develops it using Other People's Money. Whatever skin he has in the game gets returned first, through fees and other management contrivances. If or when the asset underperforms, he starts defaulting on his debts to Other People. If the asset is worth less than the projected value, the loans are much larger than the liquidated value of the asset. The lenders would get a fraction of their loan if the asset is sold on the open market at a fraction of the amount of money owed.
At this point, the Deal Maker has an opportunity to renegotiate with Other People. They don't want to see the pile of bricks sold. Bad for their book of business. So they renegotiate, lengthen the payout, hold down rate increases, albeit with some restrictions on management, salaries and expenses. The project survives. Some deals can be worked out privately. Some require a bankruptcy filing.
Some Deal Makers repeat this pattern but usually they must continue to find new sources of funding. The same Other People are smart enough not to be screwed again. Eventually, word is out, and nobody in the community will lend to the Deal Maker. At that point, the Deal Maker may have to find a new community that is not wise to the Playbook. If not, the Deal Maker has to switch plays.
Imagine, if you will, that a Deal Maker was elected President and if the Playbook was employed in financial dealing with lending nations. How long do you think the Playbook would work?