(Apologies to Robert Palmer....)
Why should Obama refuse to sign a solution-of-the-minute tax bill? I don't necessarily buy the argument that the confiscatory, retroactive tax is unconstitutional. That might be so, but the conservatives making this point most loudly are some of the same great legal scholars who went along without a peep as President Bush shredded the Constitution with his detention and other anti-terrorism policies after 9/11.... The trouble is, we don't -- or at least we're not supposed to -- use the tax code to punish industries or people we don't like, even those that prey on the public. We haven't taxed the tobacco industry out of existence, though quite a convincing argument could be made for doing so. Once we start using the tax law to decide which companies and employees we admire and which we don't, we're in for a heck of an ideological ride.
I've grown tired of the manufactured fury emanating from Republicans, Conservative Democrats (and what in the HELL is a Conservadem but a self-absorbed Democrat with no balls??), and the Mainstream Media. Perhaps these idjits could stand a refresher course on how we got to where we are today. Our economy didn't decide to exit stage left and head straight into the toilet on 1.20.09. No, as President Obama himself stated last night, he INHERITED a $1.5 trillion deficit, not to mention an economy that had been mismanaged to the nth degree. Now he's accepted the challenge of trying to steer this country out of the economic morass...and Congress are the media are INCENSED that he hasn't fixed the problem yet?? Butbutbut...I thought he was THE ONE???
The furor over the AIG bonuses is merely the latest example of how those in the chattering classes are addicted to lurching from problem to problem as they're dominated by their own rage and over-inflated sense of self-importance. It's not about rationally and sanely trying to make sound, workable decisions designed to have the most positive long-term possible. No, it's about finding scapegoats and hanging the rascals- whoever they may- be by their short hairs. Did no one get the memo that warned that legislation passed in the heat of the moment makes for damn poor policy? Eh, apparently not....
My knowledge of broad abstract economic trends or macroeconomic market forces is somewhat akin to my knowledge of nuclear fusion. I know as much about Timothy Geithner and his qualifications to be Treasury Secretary as I do about relationships- which is to say not much. What I do know is that I'm sick and tired of the pitchfork-and-torches, rush to judgment mentality. While Congress and the media demand results NOW, it actually seems as if the American Sheeple are the ones who have a healthy attitude about the difficult state of our economy. They also seem to be the ones with a functional grip on reality.
"THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES, AND THERE ARE NO SILVER BULLETS."
Most of us outside Washington seem to understand that this economy is not a Ferrari. No, it's more akin to a garbage scow, which is something that can't exactly turn on a dime. Yes, things will improve. That we know not when should be a matter of trepidation, not a desire to metaphorically hang President Obama for "failing" to fix the economy. Today marks all of 65 days since Barack Obama took the oath of office. Honeymoon?? What honeymoon?? Sixty-five days to fix a problem as massive as this (inherited) recession? How could this possibly even be considered a reasonable (never mind fair) expectation?
Recessions are simply manifestations of normal economic cycles. Yeah, it sucks being where we are, but what goes up must eventually come down, no? Eventually, things will improve, and we'll eventually get back to our normally profligate, self-absorbed ways. In the meantime, these times are the price we pay for the good times. It's not necessarily something that can be "fixed", rather more "endured". Some will win, some will lose, and as much as we hate to be having to worry about things like money, the future, and our ability to continue to feed the bulldog, here we are. How about we demand that Congress and the media stop working to manufacture artificial, politically-motivated rage in an attempt to manipulate the American Sheeple? I don't know about you, but all it's doing to me is pissing me off.
