I agree with what Donuel just said but also add that a large part of what they didn't have was the future repayments on real estate loans because we the people weren't going to pay them unless there was a clear self-interest intact.

pdq: It is an aside and probably wasn't a useful analogy to begin with, but don't you recall the incident I am talking about? There was a small firestorm in the Cal. press at the time some years back (ten? Times flies), during a Baja boomlet. Several Americans had (not bought) acquired 100 year leases I think in a large development, then had the leases invalidated by the Mexican government.