[As always, this blog does not reflect the view of other front pagers, but only my own.]
Whose side are they on, the leaders in Washington? That is a rhetorical question. Every day it’s more clear that no one is on our (the American peoples’) side. Now, apparently, our President won’t even use his Constitutional powers to end this circus around the possible default and its related impact on the US and world economy. I guess he thinks it wouldn’t be “nice.” Look where “nice” has gotten us!
Let me see if I understand this. The GOP won’t compromise, so the “only possibility” is to allow one branch of Congress to hijack a duly elected government with a duly elected Democratic led Senate and a duly elected White House? Essentially one-sixth of this government is dictating to the rest of America? This is extortion and in any other context would be illegal. I cannot believe it is legitimate in this instance. The House Majority Leader and Speaker hold a figurative gun to our heads, saying essentially that they and their cohorts will destroy us if we don’t do it their way. The United States supposedly does not negotiate with terrorists. So, it should not with economic terrorists within our own government, who would do what OBL could not do, shut down this government and destroy the entire economy. They have admitted publicly that that is their goal, that they must do whatever it takes to assure that Obama does not get a second term. This is is a low point for our entire country, that the very people who ran up the debt by giving away the store via tax cuts for the rich and large corporations we could not afford and ginning up wars (which should never have been fought) try to stiff the American people this way.
Said hostage takers have now taken charge and are controlling the President of these United States. The only power he has left is the veto pen. Anyone watching this circus will doubt he would ever use that power. What is also outrageous is that the President shut out the Minority leader (and former Speaker), the first woman speaker in US history. Despite the radical “right’s” demonization, Pelosi’s position is far more reflective of the majority of the American people than those running the show and shutting her out. Besides, she is a competent and important leader. Yet she is demeaned by the male leader of our country. She was shut out in December when Obama made a deal bypassing Democrats in Congress. More recently, she was bypassed at key negotiations, including last weekend and earlier this past week. Would it be too uncomfortable to be reminded that she speaks more for us all of us-than anyone else? The GOP spent much time defaming and marginalizing her for a reason.
The American people have spoken over and over, with those arguing for no cuts to Social Security, medicare and Medicaid running for the most part in the 70+ percent range. Note that the one recent poll showing less is trotted out by virtually all of the so-called MSM this week. But even that poll shows 60% saying the same thing, no cuts to Social Security.
The Progressive Budget has never even made most news stories and has never been fully debated in Congress, though it better solves the deficit problem than any other proposal. Ryan’s plan doesn’t even reduce much of the deficit at all. Ironically, Ryan himself relies on raising the debt ceiling. His “plan” is an ideological bloodletting, to kill off programs he doesn’t like, not a deficit-reduction plan. But the The President never gave a far more responsible and effective plan a chance.
If the President capitulates to these hostage-takers, then it will no longer matter what he has accomplished so far because all of it will be undone as surely as 100 years of progress is being taken down a little more each day. I keep waiting for him to get tougher. And it never happens.
The lie, that you can negotiate with terrorists, keeps spinning to the dastardly denouement, millions upon millions of American citizens be damned. They (even Democrats like Patty Murray have the Koch brothers to serve, after all) continue down this path and pretense that Social Security cuts are the solution to anything. How many times must it be said that Social Security has nothing to do with the deficit? BUT the GOP and the President have authorized raiding it for the payroll tax holiday!!!!!!!!
And, if “reports” by the Kaplan-Penta-Post and the so-called paper of record are correct, they may raise it further. American workers got 2% of wages “back in their pockets.” But the price was a deal with the devil. 2% turns out to be 15% of the payroll revenue feeding into the Social Security fund. Now, should Obama extend this permanently and also extend it to employers, that would be a 30% cut in the revenue stream of Social Security. Ayn Rand, who wanted to kill the program, but actually filed for it herself, would be so proud! This means they are sealing the fate of that program and killing it off a little more each year until the shortfalls become much greater than the roughly 22% shortfall that would hit in 2037. When 30% cuts collide with 22%, Americans better have a back-up plan. But you can’t because savings and investing are rigged against you and me. It’s an insider’s game ad you and I aren’t (insiders), so no matter what you give up to save, the joke is on you. We later read all was built upon a house of cards.
The same kind of treachery plays out in other areas besides Social security. We read that just today Dems finally get (through focus groups) that kicking old people out of nursing homes might resonate negatively. Ya think? Where the hell have they been? Poor Bernie Sanders has been doing pretty much a one-man crusade to save what over hundred years have built. Meanwhile sellouts like Dick Durban (part of the Gang of Five) keep pushing out bull.
This is not just about Obama’s base, though it is about disrespecting that too. It is about shutting out most Americans, harming their lives and their futures all to further enrich those who don’t need it and haven’t earned it. There mere fact that high-placed corporate execs get away with it does not make it legitimate. They keep racking up ridiculous and historic gains while they stiff the rest of America. Meanwhile, their partners in Congress (and maybe even the White House?) keep up this charade. The GOP plan is to abuse the citizens of these United States but first lecture them about a crisis the citizens didn’t create and which could be resolved along the lines of the Progressive Budget alternative.
I am sick of waking up morning after morning and wondering if If these economic terrorists have stolen my future. I am sick of it. We wake up each day not knowing if these hostage-takers will take away the income of seniors, the medical beds for those in nursing homes, health care for those who cannot afford it, food for the hungry and housing for the poor. And I am betting more than a few Americans are sick of it too. Enough! Enough taking Americans for a ride. Is anyone out there? Anyone?
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