The old Democratic strategy of playing the adolescent and leaving it to the Republicans to make the tough cuts, while they demagogue deficit reduction as cruelly pushing grandmother over the cliff — with ample reference to the “Bush did it” boilerplate and the subtle use of the race card — was irresponsible. But it was better than the current notion of borrowing yet another round of hundreds of billions more to “stimulate” the moribund economy — an idiotic idea doomed to fail.
The situation reminds me of the drug addict who cannot go on with his daily dose and yet cannot stomach the symptoms of withdrawal, and so gives up and goes back to regular fix, determined to enjoy the hospital ride to the emergency room.
Two thoughts: One, the latest Democratic idea of borrowing even more money is de facto proof that all the bailouts, borrowing, vast increases in unemployment and food-stamp monies, Obamacare, etc., have done nothing but terrify employers, who are holding off buying and hiring. And, second, when one adds in the National Labor Relations Board roguery, the presidential quips about the wealthy, the Chrysler creditor mess, the nonstop spread-the-wealth, already-made-enough-money demonization of those who make over $200,000, etc., we are witnessing a sort of psychological stasis in which millions of employers are shrugging and collectively sighing, “I think I’ll pass until this crazy outfit is out of here.”
The only mystery is, when the nearly 50 million Americans now on food stamps swells to 100 million, will we still call them “food stamps”?