Quote from gastropod:
We said that when the "senior" debt goes bad that the "issuer" would pay off the senior debt lender...well they will, but in order to "insure" against such a thing happening...the "issuers" entered into "Credit Default Swaps." These are the things that AIG "had to pay off" (<font size = "3"><font color = "red"></b>or else Goldman would have gone bankrupt<b></font></font>)...and the American public would have been spared BILLIONS of dollars! That is the entity left holding the "bags" - whomever has to pay off the senior debt holders - whether it be the issuer or the losing end of the credit default swap...or, as too often seems to be the case these days - the American public - because the "losing" end of the original credit default swap CANNOT PAY!