This is a great, if what slightly dark, analogy to explain how different nations deal with the debt and other current economic crises ...

There is a dead body on the kitchen floor, and blood everywhere. It is dealt with in different ways, by different nationalities. The British find it hard to cope with, but try to clear up the mess as quickly as possible. The Europeans cover the body with a sheet and agree to deal with it later – but the sheet isn’t big enough and the blood keeps seeping out, so they get another sheet, and then another. Initially, the Germans keep their corner of the kitchen spotless, and seem to have plenty of floor cleaning equipment, but are reluctant to clean up the stains in other areas, as well. The Americans simply place the corpse in a chair, give it a cup of coffee and try to engage it in conversation.
— Jerome Booth
(Head of research at fund manager Ashmore and Oxford economics lecturer)

Source: Like dead bodies, debt crises elicit varied responses