Monday, December 31, 2012

SAR #12365

Interesting fictions: justice, accounting, economics...

This Just In: “We need to take CPI off the table -- that's not part of the negotiations -- because we can't win an argument that has Social Security for seniors versus taxes for the rich.” John McCain for the Republicans. Took 'em long enough.

Painful Truth: Those who say the government has to curtail its out of control spending do not understand the causes of the deficit (and the debt). The deficit has been declining as a percentage of GDP for the last three years, and would have dropped more without the Bush tax giveaway. The economic slump is the principal cause of the deficit. The whole deficit panic is fundamentally a result of bad economics insisted on by dishonest politicians. It is a scam, against which the individual is helpless. What is needed is not spending cuts (sequestration, austerity) but sufficient spending to put people back to work, earning money they can spend, which creates demand, which creates production, which creates jobs. A stimulus. Not cutting unemployment, not cutting what little welfare is left, not cutting old folks' pittance. What part of stimulus don't you understand? It's about putting people back to work.

Close Second: India is rated the worst place to be a woman, followed closely by Hobby Lobby.

Anti-American: Iowa (named for the Ioway Indians) has joined Michigan (From the Chippewa Indian word "meicigama") , Nebraska (Oto Indian word meaning “flat water”) and Arizona (probably from the Aztec) in denying licenses or identification cards to the children of undocumented immigrants even though the federal government has accepted their presence.

The End of America. If you think the welfare system is too generous, read this: Most of the social-service systems in the United States function not to help people get back to where they once were, but simply to reduce the chances that they will starve.

Hush Money: Dick Armey justified taking $8 million from FreedomWorks by explaining that he “couldn't leave with empty pockets.” Of course not, he never has.

Context: Big headlines report that Chicago had recorded 500 homicides in 2012, more than NYC's 414, and NYC has three times the population. Scary, but not nearly as bad as twenty years ago, when Chicago had 928 homicides. Maybe it's something in the water.

Datapoint: In 2000 there were 31 million Americans living below the official poverty line. Now there are more than 46 million. The recovery continues.

The Old One – Two: Just as Congress was extending the secret Bush warrantless wiretaping regime for five more years (secret because we the citizens are not allowed to know how the government interprets the law that 'regulates' this ongoing violation of the Fourth Amendment), we learn that the FBI coordinated surveillance and harassment of the Occupy movement throughout the country.

Essay Question: Why, when they know that grinding misery will result, are both Democrats and Republicans trying to dismantle our social safety nets and betray America's promise? Note: "Their master's voice" is not an acceptable submission, accurate though it may be.

The Parting Shot:

121230

The sun also rises.

2 comments:

Tulsatime said...

Oh gawd, the year end is so full of nuggets of our insane passing. They passed a farm bill extender, can't have milkmageddon distracting from the clift theatre. We need some catharsis to shake/break loose old overhang, but there is no way to control the 'ride' once it starts.

POTUS is speaking to say we are still playing the game, goodies is the disguise for kick the can. Perhaps he will take the circus on tour?

Blissex said...

«Why, when they know that grinding misery will result, are both Democrats and Republicans trying to dismantle our social safety nets and betray America's promise?»

Because it is very popular with the 50% of Usians who vote, because the less than 50% of Usians who vote are those with the highest incomes and safest jobs, and they don't care about the losers who will be thrown into grinding poverty, as long as stock and house prices have a better chance of going up.

The American Dream for the middle classes is to say "F*CK YOU! I got mine" to losers.

They are deluded, because they marks in a well designed con, and are going to join the ranks of the losers.