US: over the cliff?

The USA is playing brinkmanship as we edge closer to the monster fiscal cliff. We are so near the precipice that our leaders are beginning to say that falling off would not be the worst thing in the world. We could even survive the fall. It sounds to me like we are being prepared for slaughter.

 

The media informs us that our government is creating over 100 jobs a day. We are up sizing an already overstuffed bureaucracy. I am constantly reminded of the third-world practice of using their civil services as an employment agency with vast numbers of new recruits brought in after every election or change of government.

 

We cannot afford all this up sizing and uncontrolled spending but nobody within the administration seems to care. Also, the prospect advanced by some economists that we can spend our way out of our economic doldrums is blatantly wrong. We have gone too far in the red ink to legislate anything short of massive spending cuts. The problem is, such legislation will not see the light of day owing to the numeric strength of a misguided opposition.

 

The deadline for legislating any compromise before Fiscal Cliff day has passed. Some limited legislative measures may still make it, such as the proposal to shield our middle class from the effects of the looming curtailment of the Bush tax cuts. They, more than anything else, are the bone of contention between the liberals and conservatives.

 

So here we sit wondering whether Christmas dinner will be turkey or leftovers.

 

We intend to beat the system and serve pad Thai.