If you have a $100 debt with the bank, you're in trouble.
If you have a $100M debt with the bank, the bank's in trouble.
s/bank/government/g
If you have a $100M debt with the bank, the bank's in trouble.
s/bank/government/g
In one situation a party has taken on risk for the expectation of future profit for itself. In the other a party has invested to stimulate activity beneficial to a larger group.
They might seem superficially similar but I don't think you can compare them that easily.