Quote: The Government doesn't set the interest rate, that's what the auction is.
 
The short definition:  In 
economics, a 
commodity is a marketable item produced to satisfy 
wants or 
needs. Economic commodities comprise 
goods and 
services.
 
When people get a 30 year mortgage don't they do the same ? Don't they payback the loan with cheaper dollars ?
 
If I give you money to hold for me isn't that a liability for you to give it back when I need it ?
 
liability [ˌlaɪəˈbɪlɪtɪ]
n pl -ties
1. the state of being liable
2. (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Banking & Finance) a financial obligation
 
And if I loan you money then that's an asset that i can collect on ?
 
In 
financial accounting, 
assets are economic resources. Anything tangible or intangible that is capable of being owned or controlled to produce value and that is held to have positive 
economic value is considered an asset. Simply stated, assets represent value of 
ownership that can be converted into 
cash
 
There's a demand for U.S. government bonds because you're more likely to get your money from them then any other governments bonds. Now if you want to collect a higher interest rate then you can invest in any other governments bonds. I think you'll get the one of the highest from Greece.