I try not to deal in debt in the real world, why would I deal in debt on the internet?? Stick to Bitcoin, its a better idea.
The point is not that trading IOUs in Ripple is a better way to do payments than using Bitcoin, it isn't. The point is that Ripple is a better way to buy or sell Bitcoin against fiat currency than Mt Gox.
That is the enormous synergy it has with Bitcoin. Right now, centralised exchanges are Bitcoin's main weakness.