Thank you for such a nice "respectful" post.  Actually, there's nothing wrong with honoring your debts and paying those persons who have done work for you and sold you supplies.  You talk about the "private sector" and, I, like you, have worked a great deal in that "private" sector.  Usually working on my own projects.  I've bought goods, I've hired sub-contractors to do speciality work for me.  I've always paid them.  You suggest that working for someone without being "prepaid" is a risky business; that selling someone and billing them instead of insisting on COD, is a risky business.  There are concepts at the foundation of our economic system...two are faith and trust;trusting that you will be paid that which you are owied.  Generally you are...unless you're doing business with someone like Trump who see tactics like "selective bankruptcy" as a legal way to stiff others for debts he owes.  

Be happy to discuss this or any other issue at length with you fac-to-face.  Let me know.