How the Grinch Stole Christmas...

[exedir]

Moving on from Green Eggs and Ham we have a deal, sorta.

And yes, it is what President Obama said he would do, if necessary, for a short-term debt ceiling extension. However, as much as the president says he now wishes for a negotiations, this is something that the congressional Democrats are probably very weary of as to what can happen in six weeks time that doesn't become a replay of what has happened up to now, if the deal to deal is actually accepted.

Of course, the ideal is a opening of the government with a clear Continuing Resolution and a long-term debt ceiling authorization with no conditions as far as the Democrats are concerned, but that isn't going to happen, and a default is unacceptable.

As to negotiations, it will be mostly talking points generated for the news cycle, whereas real progress in bring two, actually more than two, desperate viewpoints on the operation of government and spending is going to be hard to see happening in a month and half of doing what congress and the president have been doing in the last few years; division, dysfunction and acrimony.

Worse, is the continuing uncertainty this all brings about the deal, if there is a deal, as the most important holiday season reaches the last week of the Christmas holiday shopping and the advancing new year where the economy recovery would continue to be at risk, as politics heads into the real campaign season of the spring and fall elections, where the most popular theme will be, who's to blame for all of this.

[LoveLife&Laughter]

As I understand it, the only deal Obama gave the R Congress was -- they will stop both shutting down the government crisis and stop threatening us with yet another debt-ceiling crisis in a couple of weeks, with dire economic effect --then Obama will negotiate any thing they want.

In recent years, a new and dangerous front has opened up in the conservative war on government: the battle over deficits and debt. The anti-government forces have tried to portray their position as merely one of fiscal common sense. They say that it is simply a matter of not spending more money than one earns. But make no mistake: this anti-debt crusade is a highly politicized effort to fundamentally undermine liberal programs and progressive government in this country.

If the deficit hawks are successful, they will do major damage to society and the economy. They are promoting a deficit hysteria in an effort to force the government to enact deep cuts in vital social programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This fiscal austerity movement would also prevent the government from using deficit spending to speed the recovery of the economy when it is in recession. And it would inhibit us from making the crucial public investments in education, technology, energy, and transportation that are necessary to improve society and lay the foundations for future economic growth. 

[exedir]

Your response has three elements; the recovery, national investment and long-term mandated benefits, each have an effect on policy and consequentially the deficit if additional funding isn't found.  

As to the recovery, it is weak, of a long-duration and fragile as compared to the post WWII recoveries after recessions.  Part of the problem is the labor structure of the US economy has shifted dramatically from making things to selling, support and servicing stuff,  Like, 17% of our GNP is spend on direct health care, far greater than any other economy in the world.  We spend almost twice the amount of money on education than anyone else in the world and we have a drop out rate that exceeds 50% in some school districts.  Of those that do receive their educations, we still perform at best as an also run in what our students have learned as compared to expense.  An argument for why we spend so much, and get so little as compared to others, is we are a large country in population, size and demographics that few other countries experience except say, possibly Russia, China and India.   

Our infrastructure is challenged due to age and again size.  The US industrialized starting in the late 1800's and was further expanded by war efforts in WWI and WWII and subsequently  in the post WWII  boom that lasted until the 60's with such investments as the Interstate Highway system.  Now we have to replace, update and salvage what we already have, which is now going to require trillions of dollars to do and take years to do it.  And to do this we will have to borrow, a lot.

As to partisan politics, we are a country divided.  Divided by self-interests, geography, demographics and income.  We having a harder time to reconcile and resolve into a common purpose much less common action. 

As to how to get out of this morass; we need extraordinary leadership, daring, risk taking and a vision of probabilities not just possibilities, hope is not change, and the votes to make it happen, now and in the future.

And yes, god save the United States and its people, except of course, we can only trust in him, whereas, belief well, that is subject to debate and what the law will allow.  

And yes, American, what a country!

[LoveLife&Laughter]

"Part of the problem is the labor structure"

Really?

Most of the problem, the Great Recession, was the deliberate debt and deficit created by Conservatives, a strategy that the Heritage Foundation publicly bragged about but Republican politicians never mentioned when they are running for office, nod nod, wink wink. 

Their goal was to privatize Social Security and Medicare.  Now, Heavens forbid, they have a 3rd "socialist" Social Insurance Program to destroy, the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. "Obamacare".

As far as "'god' save the United States and it's people", we could start by stopping Conservatives from rewriting history (Texas Tea Texts) and teaching Creationism as Science.  That's why so many of our kids are dumb.

[LoveLife&Laughter]

[exedir]

So, it appears that the Grinch will have to steal the turkey too.  

As a deal, at present, the six weeks would be to the Friday before Thanksgiving week(this year also being Thanksgivukk with Hannukkah coming on the same day) which also means that if the extension, as proposed, isn't taken, then the weeks before Christmas come into play and that would spoil the congressional holiday recess the members would be loath to give up.

Clearly, there is now a reluctance to take the deal of a debt extension without a companion Continuing Resolution to open the government even though the President hadn't put that precondition in his offer of a day ago, and has been made as a push back by Harry Reid to forced a "reconsideration" of what was offered in the meeting with the Speaker and other Republicans had with the President at the White House yesterday.

So, its stay tuned here in Whoville.