Realpolitik vs Ideology
I have a plan. Each state should send a bus to Washington, DC. The caravan will roll up on the Capitol to collect all politicians, House , Senate and cabinet, Obama too. Everyone must go. Then we drive them to this fiscal cliff they speak of for a game of chicken, James Dean style.
We might want to throw a few dozen media members aboard. They're no better than politicians when it comes to muddying the water, confusing issues and pushing the tactical propaganda-of-fear our parties use as their first tool of manipulation.
I wish I knew exactly what would happen if our economy was hurled over the fiscal cliff. For weeks I've been reading articles, watching TV news, listening to NPR, and can only reach one conclusion. The experts can't seem to agree. Some say the free fall wouldn't end in economic splatter, others predict a bloody mess, another recession, jobs lost and millions of Americans adversely affected.
Democrats want higher taxes. Republicans want massive spending cuts. Nothing has changed. Neither party can deal with reality and the practical matters of governance because they're blinded by ideology. They're stuck at the same impasse every budget debate get's mired in, defining who's rich and what cuts to make, who pays more and who gets less.
As it stands taxes will go up on the average family by $2000, Social Security contributions will go up 2%, unemployment benefits would end, automatic spending cuts would hit education at 8%, defense at 10%, and everything in between. Both sides will get something, so I wonder what incentive they have for applying the breaks before the plunge.
Uncertainly and lack of confidence is poison for the economy and both teams have added to that toxic cocktail. Then they point the finger at the other. The news soundbites are enough to make you scream.
This fiscal cliff was created by congress to force Washington into getting a deal done but it doesn't appear to be working. Not screwing the people is not incentive enough. We need to imperil the politicians, hence my busload of bureaucrats speeding towards the cliff solution. I know that won't happen but maybe we could make the first spending cut be their paychecks, not just one, six months worth of income wiped from the books, about $88k per politician.
These assholes only work for their own self interest. If they felt an immediate consequence for inaction they might actually compromise. No democracy can function without give and take, making deals and moving forward for the benefit of the country based on reality, not ideology. Nothing is more real than having your paycheck cut.