Greece & the U.S.A. - can someone please explain the difference?

[JayDubya]

Can someone explain to me why is it that everyone is up in arms regarding Greece? All the while Greece has made some very difficult to swallow, albeit necessary, spending cuts, yet in comparison the good old U.S.A. has instituted no such spending cuts and actually continues unbridled spending (read Obama's $1 trillion healthcare plan) and nobody bats an eye? Are these two countries circumstances THAT dissimilar?

If spending was the problem how can even more spending be the solution?

Let me see....treasury 10 year note yields have risen to the highest levels since last June, Geithner says our "economy is growing faster than the Obama administration expected" and Newsweek's cover story is screaming "America's Back". If all that is true then why is the Fed fund rate staying at 0% "for an extended period"?

I understand there are some intangibles just because of the difference in the sheer size of the countries, their GDPs etc and I realize the U.S. dollar in the world reserve currency but can these reason alone justify the free pass mentality? In fact, because of those exact reasons, I would think the opposite would be true and more people would be (should be?) concerned regarding the stability of the U.S. versus worrying about Greece. I'm not all that bright so I'm asking for someone to please enlighten me.

[Blueice Mark II]

Jay, there is no difference other than we are a watermelon and Grease is a pea...

[Aurumag]

U.S. = too big to fail.

But when the failure finally comes, it will be epic (like something out of Ancient Greek literature).

There is your similarity.

Greece was the world's greatest empire for thousands of years, and for most of that time, they used gold and silver as money.

There is your difference.