[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
In one of the strangest moments of my political life I found myself agreeing and even feeling sort of gratefully sympathetic to David Brooks on the PBS Newshour last Friday, of all people, as he attempted to explain the ridiculous word and phenomena of DC sequester. Since that sick city mental bubble chose a word no one uses and then even incorrectly applied it, a clearly unhappy BoBo took an admirable path of truth in stating the sequester was a doomsday machine no one thought would ever be used, and now Congress was about to do something really stupid.
I was instantly grateful for the plain truth in plain language—even from this infuriating destructive clown who smashes the integrity of journalism on a daily basis—so that everyone could immediately understand, since everyone is now paying attention. It’s extremely important for the political junkies and careful political watchers to remember that most of the country doesn’t know the sequester story and history, they need a real definition of what it is and what will happen, it was critically important BoBo get it right in that moment and for once he came through.
Speaking as political junkie, historian, news addict and sociologist I would further define the sequester as being Profoundly Stupid, of course (cutting spending during an employment crisis is economically idiotic, an idea that should have been laughed out of existence 80 freaking years ago) but also very unhappily now officially a Policy Disaster, a policy and political environment for whatever reason completely out of control and smashing our people and country into disastrous harm and pain, right now in real time.
It’s the Obamaquester! The House Republican leadership desperately tried to spin on Friday, surely one of the most pathetic responsibility dodges and diction choices ever to be conjured in the human mind, and that’s saying a lot from the obfuscation capital that DC is. Even those barely paying attention know the Republicans have been screaming for cuts for 2 years, now that they’re here Obama did it? David Brooks wasn’t unhappy because of the screaming stupidity of it all (trust me, intellectual integrity is not one of his life goals), he was morose because he knew damn well the Republicans were going to bear the brunt of the insanity assignment when the public truly figures this out.
The brunt of it, yes. If the sequester is such a disaster as the Dumbest Thing Ever, how could it actually happen? Charitably, the President mis-interpreted the Republicans as rational political actors, when in fact they’re babbling mental children political radicals, incoherently blaming Obama for what they wanted. Their people are politically out of control, they can’t respond the rational moves of the President, they’re broken and their utter dysfunctionality has taken down all of Congress and Obama with them.
[sigh] The little people will just have to get used to more unemployment from the disaster, that’s ultimately what it all means, and even worse a more degraded faith in Congress and DC, if that were possible. So much of economic health is all about faith and confidence, how are we supposed to move forward on anything with Republicans babbling Obamaquester! like drooling zombies, mentally dead to anything?
Earth to DC, US employment is a screaming disaster in lost jobs, smashed wages and inadequate retirement. Now y’all’ve add fiscal policy to the screaming disaster list, way to go, out of control and bringing us further down.
The drug war and our cruel and incredibly vast incarceration rate is on the list. So is climate change, income inequality, our sick defense spending and out-of-control Drone Executive (times was invading a sovereign country with missiles that slaughter children was instantly construed as the war it is), health care remains a festering disaster, finance and banking is broken, immigration desperately needs resolving, and we have a huge if simple job to stop burning oil and gasoline in the next 30 years, can climate change be ignored forever?
The above list isn’t a rant demanding that somehow DC pull its head out of its butt and perform the obvious, it’s simply the reality of pain that lashes the American little people on a daily basis. So far the stated rhetoric from DC is that the only urgent problem on the disaster list is gun control.
Obviously, from a historical perspective, the United States is in poor shape with Executive and Congressional leadership unable to respond and indeed furthering current disasters. The potential in the Democratic Party to grow into leadership with the ability to handle disasters remains murky and unclear, while obviously gone from the Obamaquester! Republicans forever.