As the economy gets stronger, the debt problem will be more easily solved. Some of it will happen naturally, as there is inflation in home prices and wages. It will make the value of the debt less, and the ability to pay greater. Austerity creates near deflation, and that makes the value of money for the most wealthy the strongest, and that is why they support austerity. Inflation created by a healthy economy brings up home prices and wages, and that is why the middle class "should" want this. There is another type of inflation created by scarcity which again is side effect of austerity. When people are competing for products because there wages are increasing that is the type of inflation we want, and also the same kind that will make paying off the debt MUCH easier!