[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
The evolution of our Christmas cliff twisted to a new level of absurdity yesterday when Paul Krugman passed along polling data showing that by almost four to one citizens think going over the cliff will increase the deficit. It makes sense, in a way, since the deficit is (falsely) the most scariest thing ever of course the cliff means more of it, but classically a false premise leads to a false solution, the deficit is terrible so we’ll cut it, which is a really scary bad thing. Whoops.
Folks are really busy trying to juggle work, careers, holidays, family, homes and technology, there’s only so much time people can devote real attention to politics. Life is difficult and confusing, I defend the American voter and citizen here, only the political junkies know all the deficit hysteria is total bullshit and the ridiculous “cliff” represents super stupid Hoover economics at the worst possible time. The “cliff” was a dumb and immature deal by fools to try and force themselves to be adults cloaked in many layers of rank dishonesty, it’s no surprise distracted Americans are confused by it.
Faith and trust in American politicians has reached a new low, nobody trusts Congress to feed their cat, rightfully so. Toss in a nauseating America media that would rather scare voters than try to report simple Keynesian economics and this is the absurdity we get.
For the bazillionth time, the United States does not have a pressing federal deficit problem, our unique currency and global economic position lends us an absurdly enviable position of simply minting more money. This in theory can lead to future inflation problems, but to use this an excuse for inaction while millions of American lives are being smashed right this second is the height of cruelty and stupidity. Recessions call for increased social spending, charlatans who fret about deficits now don’t want money spent on the little people, especially the little people who aren’t white.
The United States has a cash allocation problem, not a deficit one. Our deficit-to-gdp ratio is perfectly reasonable by any historical standard and inflation well in check. We’re throwing our money away at the Department of Defense and Afghanistan in an awesome breathtaking rate.
If the deficit is so scary and we can’t spend more, why spend money on tanks and planes and wars? For the sake of time and convenience, just state that the current rate of amazing Defense spending is justified and delivers us security (what a crock). Okay it does, but what about Afghanistan? If we pull out a year early that saves $120 billion.
Shift it all as bulk payments to the States, who desperately need it. Just helicopter drop in tons of cash to deliriously happy Governors and citizens, debts will be wiped out, schools built and heavenly infusions of real little people cash will gush over the land like green fountains of ecstatic nirvana. Man I can see it.
Then imagine shifting just $100 billion from that bloated blimp of a Defense budget to little people spending every year. Instead of investing in artillery shells that money builds solar panels, schools, and trains that really pay off for generations.
A threat to our security in reduced DOD spending? Jesus Christ. We’ve spent so little on schools and our children far too many young men have no hope for a future, homicides have spiked horribly this year in my city by young men who seem to have no options left but destructive violence. Everybody’s so shocked, and while we were sacrificing our Army and Marine Corps for poppy fields halfway across the globe our real security degraded a little more every year because we ignored our young people. Way to go.
Again, just let this confusing holiday hairball of fiscal cliff-ness go, simply and rationally blame the Republicans, which is totally believable because it’s true. In January make the whole idiotic idea of cutting spending go away with a never mind! bill that ends the Afghanistan war and shifts $120 billion to the States. Just a year of DOD money will start the screaming necessity of shifting further DOD cash to the little people. Congress would actually earn respect and its approval ratings climb out of Satan’s basement.
Now that’s a Christmas present for the United States. As likely as Santa coming down the chimney this month, perhaps, but stranger things have happened in this world.