Not sure how this missed getting diaried. In today's Washington Post, business columnist Allan Sloan threw a dagger right into far-far-right Republican-land, a.k.a. those Republicans who think a "pay China only" policy instead of increasing the national debt somehow makes sense.
Sloan writes:
Do you think it would be a good idea for the federal government to act like Bernie Madoff? To take money from people for decades, only to say “Sorry, I’m out of cash” when it comes time to pay them what they’re owed?
He soon goes in for the kill.
The wrinkle some of them are proposing this time is that the United States avoid defaulting on its debt by paying interest and principal on its borrowings when they come due but not making other payments that it’s supposed to make.
...
I’ve seen a lot of stupid things in Washington, but this proposal is absolutely the stupidest. Not to mention the most immoral.
Why? In two words, “Social Security.”
Sloan then goes on to point out, duh, that social security is an earned benefit.
Unless Congress has the nerve to modify what current Social Security recipients are supposed to get — fat chance of that happening! — not making Social Security payments when they’re due would be defaulting on a governmental promise to pay.
It's a sweet little nugget of blazing common sense which, alas, won't penetrate the ideology impaired brains of these Republican nimrods.
I like his conclusion:
But defaulting on obligations to Social Security recipients, pensioners and others who have earned their benefits? That, my friends, would truly be a Madoff moment.
Go read the whole thing!