It’s looking increasingly as if House Republicans won’t crash the world economy by refusing to raise the debt ceiling, at least not right now. Score a big one for the White House (provisionally); its bet that it wouldn’t need a way to bypass the ceiling is looking like a winner (although it ain’t over until the tanned guy cries).Paul nearly caused me to spew orange juice all over my keyboard with his final parenthetical comment. Don't misunderstand me: Krugman has a biting wit, but it's not usually of the sort that will cause liquid to be spewed, so I was unprepared.
The reality that they will be blamed for a default seems finally to be dawning on Republicans. That they would even contemplate such a move as not paying bills that the government owes seems quite reckless. Their chief supporters of the GOP, investors, banks, and corporations, don't like the present uncertainty either. Even now, the fact that the matter of the debt ceiling is not settled puts a drag on economic recovery.
A small victory now for the side of the angels, but how many more must be fought? Check out this video I just came across, in 4 parts on YT:
ReplyDeletePark Avenue: Money, Power, and the American Dream
http://youtu.be/tdqQAT8in9k
Thanks for the link to the video, Russ. La dolce vita for a few and la not-so-dolce vita for the rest. You know, we are comfortable; we don't scrape by from month to month, but we realize that many have less than we have, and we have not lost our empathy, and we do what we can.
DeleteMy husband grows citrus, and the trees produce more than we can use, so Tom takes the surplus to the food bank. He's known as the orange man, and when the food bank runs out of oranges or satsumas, or whatever citrus is in season, the clients ask for them. It's a small thing, but it's personal, and Tom gets a lot of satisfaction in sharing, since fresh produce is not plentiful at the food bank. Why do so many of the rich seem to lose their sense of empathy?
I don't know why I went into this spiel, but I pray we never lose our empathy.
That's the horror and ugliness of the modern Republican party, isn't it? No empathy whatsoever; nowadays, rarely even a pretense of it. Well, as Someone said - they have their reward.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful thing Tom does - bless him for that.
thanks, Russ. I'll pass on the blessing.
Delete