This might be my first disorganized stream-of-consciousness rant diary, but sweet FSM this is fucking pissing me off.
rant below.
All the talk about the "fiscal cliff" is fucking bullshit. There are aspects that can be legitimately scrutinized, but as with the Obamacare debate, the media coverage bears no resemblance to the reality of the situation.
THERE IS NO FISCAL CLIFF.
Romney just ran for president promising to balance the budget without any new revenue, in other words by cuts alone. Compared to the cuts necessary to achieve this, the "fiscal cliff" is a pothole. Yet the media never hyperventilated about the huge cuts that Romney was promising, while the cuts that both parties agreed to is treated like the end of the world.
WAIT, DID I JUST SAY BOTH PARTIES?
Yes, the legislation creating the fiscal cliff was supported by both parties and signed by President Obama, precisely the kind of bipartisanship that media whores (no offense to sex workers) are sure we need more of to fix the crisis created by... bipartisan consensus.
SO BOTH PARTIES ARE EQUALLY TO BLAME?
No, actually when passing the sequester bill John Boehner famously announced he had gotten 95% of what he wanted. The "fiscal cliff" is the Republicans' preferred policy, not an unforeseen crisis.
BUT WE'LL MAKE A DEAL TO FIX THIS, RIGHT?
Oh hell no. The Republicans want to cancel the tax increases and the tax increases on the rich. Democrats want to cancel the tax increases on the middle class and the cuts to food stamps and other critical domestic programs. Since Republicans have already filibustered all attempts to extend cuts to the bottom tax brackets, the amount the two parties agree on is precisely... nothing.
Ok, so we all know we need to cancel the tax increases and the layoffs. Oh, and the cuts to domestic programs. Which means:
WE NEED TO UNDO EVERY FUCKING CENT OF THE DEBT DEAL.
The deal the media banshees told us we needed so desperately;
now these same crooks are telling us that we desperately need to completely scrap it.
it's bullshit.
it's all fucking bullshit.
thus endeth the rant.