Such an event can, somewhat paradoxically, improve unemployment and GDP numbers as rebuilding activity provides jobs, but that's only the case if there's an urgent and massive rebuilding effort. Otherwise, the economy might tank.
But let's keep talking about deficits ten years from now that this Congress is unable to control.
Friday, November 30, 2012
The Worst People In The World
They're all the same, but I don't think there's been a deficit scare group as transparently fraudulent before. Regular reminder: Fix the Debt are rich people who want to cut their taxes and steal your Social Security money.
The Only Votes That Matter
I admit I was a bit surprised by the degree to which "only the votes of certain white people" matter was mainstreamed. Sure this wasn't entirely new, but in the past it was a bit more justifiable as it was reasonable to suggest (if not obsess about) the fact that a winning democratic coalition would need white voters. It wasn't that these voters were better, just necessary. But now apparently they're better.
This is the real whitey tape.
This is the real whitey tape.
Bribing The Blahs And The Brahs
I think what's been lost in this discussion is the understanding that this is how Republicans, more than Democrats, see politics. To the victors go the spoils.
Republicans think their pals are more deserving of all of the free money they're going to give them, but to them winning is about giving money to your friends.
JANET MEFFERD: How in the world do you out-left the left anyway? If we go to the left on amnesty, do you think the Democrats are going to sit still and just go ‘oh I guess that they’re more caring than we are’? It’s a zero-sum game. I don’t know how in the world the Republicans expect to get votes when the Democrats are already farther along than we are.
STEVE KING: There’s no possible way. Whatever we might say we are going to do, reduce the enforcement of the rule of law, waive the rule of law, Democrats will find a way to hand deliver citizenship papers along with a great big check from money borrowed from the Chinese.
Republicans think their pals are more deserving of all of the free money they're going to give them, but to them winning is about giving money to your friends.
Friday, Friday
Krgthulu.
The point is that the class war is still on, this time with an added dose of deception. And this, in turn, means that you need to look very closely at any proposals coming from the usual suspects, even — or rather especially — if the proposal is being represented as a bipartisan, common-sense solution. In particular, whenever some deficit-scold group talks about “shared sacrifice,” you need to ask, sacrifice relative to what?
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Bargaining Bargaining Yeah Fun Fun Fun Fun
It's so stupid and wrong that we're talking about deficits 10 years from now when we have some rather immediate problems that require spending money now (unemployment, Sandy). But at least the Obama offer did have some spending now.
It's also good that, aside from the entire frame, it's a pretty good democratic offer. For all I know precompromising is genuinely an 11 dimensional chess way of achieving better policy outcomes. If so (I suspect not, but what do I know), then fine, but it does make it a bit harder to establish a Team D or a Team O brand. We had 4 years of "why don't we all agree that this is a nice compromise" instead of "this is what we want, your turn."
It also made it hard to establish a Team R brand, letting them get away with wanting to destroy the government AND be the Last Great And True Defenders Of Medicare.
It's also good that, aside from the entire frame, it's a pretty good democratic offer. For all I know precompromising is genuinely an 11 dimensional chess way of achieving better policy outcomes. If so (I suspect not, but what do I know), then fine, but it does make it a bit harder to establish a Team D or a Team O brand. We had 4 years of "why don't we all agree that this is a nice compromise" instead of "this is what we want, your turn."
It also made it hard to establish a Team R brand, letting them get away with wanting to destroy the government AND be the Last Great And True Defenders Of Medicare.
Regular Reminder
They're bad people and they don't care about the deficit. They just want to cut their taxes and steal the Social Security money.
Still Not Doing Fine
We might remember that this fiscal cliff nonsense was supposed to great, in part because everyone assumed the economy would be humming along and would be able to withstand the contraction, perhaps even because Helicopter Ben would have the room to maneuver to counteract it.
Oh well.
Oh well.
The Easy Life
I get that most of our celebrity pundits are quite wealthy, but don't they live in this world? Haven't they actually interacted with our nightmarish medical system? Aren't any of their 67 year old friends showing obvious signs of needing to slow down a bit?
I really just don't understand.
I really just don't understand.
This Is Shocking
Cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits (can probably cut some costs without cutting delivered benefits) are bad politics and bad policy. It is very shocking that after spending a year attacking Obama for cutting Medicare, Republicans want Democrats to own cutting Medicare.
This is the Republican game. You propose our unpopular policies and pass them, then we get to blame you for embracing our agenda.
Obviously there's no chance of this happening except Democrats.
This is the Republican game. You propose our unpopular policies and pass them, then we get to blame you for embracing our agenda.
Obviously there's no chance of this happening except Democrats.
Fail
I've noticed that conservatives have gotten very bad at the "pissing off liberals" game. It's really what motivates them, yet increasingly they just suck at it. It just gives us more reasons to point and laugh, usually.
The Big Money
I actually wonder if Congress will appropriate a penny.
It's much more fun to worry about future abstract problems, to glare at budget curves, than to do deal with actual problems.
Technocracy sucks.
TRENTON - Gov. Christie asked the federal government Wednesday for an additional $7.4 billion for Sandy recovery, bringing the state's total request to $36.8 billion.
It's much more fun to worry about future abstract problems, to glare at budget curves, than to do deal with actual problems.
Technocracy sucks.
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