First, let me preface this post by saying that my political views are not conservative and I'm not Obama-bashing. Any debate framed in right vs. left terms would find me almost inevitably on the liberal, democratic side. Ok? 
That being said, I'm utterly disgusted with what's going on in Washington right now. Specifically, the chosen crisis - the debt ceiling/deficit debacle. On the right, we have 'leadership" pandering to the corporate-backed Tea Party, who essentially want to transfer as much wealth as possible to those people who already have most of the wealth. We have willful ignorance from about 60 congressmen and -women who still don't even want the debt ceiling to be raised at all - under any circumstances! This insanity and corruption on the right alone is more than enough to destroy the world economy. So I guess it's a good thing we have a democratic president and and democrats in the Senate to stop this madness, right? It's a good thing we have these democrats to counteract the slashes in spending that the republicans are so hell-bent on enacting, right?
...Until you realize that the President and democrats in the Senate aren't trying to stop this madness. Here's one of the best examples so far. http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2011/07/america%E2%80%99s-debt-ceiling?page=1
At the beginning of negotiations, the republicans pushed for a deficit reduction plan comprised of 85% spending cuts and 15% increased revenues. Any sane person can see that this is crazy. Taxes are lower than they have been in decades, and it's not wise to cut that much spending at a time of record unemployment and food stamps usage. (Seriously, over 10% of the U.S. population is on food stamps! http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2011/02/02/some-43-million-americans-use-food-stamps/) America already has one of (if not the) weakest social safety nets of any developed nation.
So what did democrats propose to counteract this? What was their proposal that set off months off bitter, unproductive negotiations risking a national default and downgrade in credit worthiness? 83% spending cuts and 17% revenue increases. Democrats to the rescue! People are (rightly) angry at the republicans for not taking this incredibly favorable (for them) deal to avoid default. But why is no one angry at democrats for their cave-in?
However, it's not just a conservative-biased media that's wrongfully framing this issue. Are Obama and the democrats not complicit? Why aren't they telling the American people what's really going on? When the republicans misrepresent things, why don't the democrats call them out on it?
As this article states, "Every part of the budget debate in the U.S. is built on a tissue of willful deceit." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-sachs/budgetary-deceit-and-amer_b_907684.html
This article says it better than I could ever hope to. Yes, the Obama administration may have done some things that are positive for social justice. Democrats are responsible for gay marriage in New York, for example. The Democratic party is undoubtedly the party for social progress. But what about political and economic progress?
I just don't know what to do about this. I don't know what any American can do. The deck is stacked against anyone who isn't filthy rich. Only the rich have a voice. And the deck is stacked against anything that might change this.
Things won't change until there is some significant structural change in the way Washington (and, increasingly, the world) works. And the deck is stacked against that, too.
That being said, I'm utterly disgusted with what's going on in Washington right now. Specifically, the chosen crisis - the debt ceiling/deficit debacle. On the right, we have 'leadership" pandering to the corporate-backed Tea Party, who essentially want to transfer as much wealth as possible to those people who already have most of the wealth. We have willful ignorance from about 60 congressmen and -women who still don't even want the debt ceiling to be raised at all - under any circumstances! This insanity and corruption on the right alone is more than enough to destroy the world economy. So I guess it's a good thing we have a democratic president and and democrats in the Senate to stop this madness, right? It's a good thing we have these democrats to counteract the slashes in spending that the republicans are so hell-bent on enacting, right?
...Until you realize that the President and democrats in the Senate aren't trying to stop this madness. Here's one of the best examples so far. http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2011/07/america%E2%80%99s-debt-ceiling?page=1
At the beginning of negotiations, the republicans pushed for a deficit reduction plan comprised of 85% spending cuts and 15% increased revenues. Any sane person can see that this is crazy. Taxes are lower than they have been in decades, and it's not wise to cut that much spending at a time of record unemployment and food stamps usage. (Seriously, over 10% of the U.S. population is on food stamps! http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2011/02/02/some-43-million-americans-use-food-stamps/) America already has one of (if not the) weakest social safety nets of any developed nation.
So what did democrats propose to counteract this? What was their proposal that set off months off bitter, unproductive negotiations risking a national default and downgrade in credit worthiness? 83% spending cuts and 17% revenue increases. Democrats to the rescue! People are (rightly) angry at the republicans for not taking this incredibly favorable (for them) deal to avoid default. But why is no one angry at democrats for their cave-in?
However, it's not just a conservative-biased media that's wrongfully framing this issue. Are Obama and the democrats not complicit? Why aren't they telling the American people what's really going on? When the republicans misrepresent things, why don't the democrats call them out on it?
As this article states, "Every part of the budget debate in the U.S. is built on a tissue of willful deceit." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-sachs/budgetary-deceit-and-amer_b_907684.html
This article says it better than I could ever hope to. Yes, the Obama administration may have done some things that are positive for social justice. Democrats are responsible for gay marriage in New York, for example. The Democratic party is undoubtedly the party for social progress. But what about political and economic progress?
I just don't know what to do about this. I don't know what any American can do. The deck is stacked against anyone who isn't filthy rich. Only the rich have a voice. And the deck is stacked against anything that might change this.
Things won't change until there is some significant structural change in the way Washington (and, increasingly, the world) works. And the deck is stacked against that, too.
