Because they can.
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And thatâs where the term âentitlementâ often used to describe these programs colors the narratives.
Itâs wrong but itâs so engrained into the narrative, it may well never be changed.
Entitlement Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
3
: a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group
also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program
Nowhere does even the dictionary support the idea that these are programs workers have paid into.
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The SCOTUS represents the rentier class, not the MAGA class. If the debt ceiling breach started tanking the stock market, theyâd step in to stop the bleeding. One of the few benefits of a corrupt SCOTUS majority.
As for a severe recession, yes, thatâs a real risk, but not guaranteed. Neither is that the blowback would fall on Democrats rather than Republicans.
However, what is guaranteed is that Republicans will use the debt ceiling like a Sword of Damocles from now till the end of time. Itâs long past time we hold firm against negotiating with these hostage takers and take the debt ceiling off the board once and for all.
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Interest chart. Thanks.
Reagan. Still a standout. Republicans are not fiscal conservatives. Theyâre fiscal thieves.
Reagan spent the equivalent of three terms in two.
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Yes, but whoâs going to tell the GQPers?
No one has stepped up with this yet. Thatâs why SCOTUS is either going to have repeal the 14th by decision or maintain the 14th by decision. Itâs the only way this stops, however painful the process might be.
Until someone does something, though, the litigation canât even begin.
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It is, but sadly we need a SCOTUS ruling to make it official.
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What I understand this past Wednesday at the GOP caucus, they finally got a lesson on the difference between government shutdown and government default. I donât know if it did any good or not because this is something that should have been presented during their orientation week.
My take on this and from what I have been reading, the clue resides with Rep. Patrick McHenry who is the Chair of the House Committee of Financial Services. He told the House Republican leadership a couple of weeks ago that they had to get realistic about this and that is when certain things were pulled back from the discussion table. This guy is a tool of Wall Street and when they tell him enough is enough, that is when we will get the debt ceiling bill.
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According to the historical budget tables published by the OMB, the gross federal debt at FYE 2017 (the last Obama budget) was $20.2 trillion and the gross federal debt at FYE 2021 (the last Trump budget) was $28.4 trillion, so Trump ran up 28.9% of the current debt. Some of that was Covid pandemic related debt, but a lot of it was standard issue GOP tax cuts. Or as they say, the party of fiscal responsibility.
ETA 28.9% of the debt at the end of his budgetary term, not 28.9% of the current debt.
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âPeople vote with their walletsâ
I think some people do but not all people do.
My SS and Medicare may be threatened but
âTheyâre not talkinâ âbout right and left. Theyâre talkinâ 'bout Right and Wrong. Do you know the difference?â
Joe Jackson
âRight and Wrongâ
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I do have the hard evidence that I did pay into Social Security. Itâs money that already is mine. Much like a bank account in my opinion. Now if a bank said ânope fellah, yer money is now oursâ well thatâs robbery where I come from. So itâs well past âentitlementâ.
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What would be fun would be to hear, tomorrow, the GQP talking heads be asked about this from folks like Chuck Todd to see if they actually learned anything. My bet is no. Those that want this were probably doing fund-raising on their phones or laughing about all of this in texts with like-minded denizens or getting instructions from their benefactors.
But I would love to hear if ANY minds were changed as a result of this lecture.
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defaulting
Investments weaken, Rupert.
People cancel cable, Rupert.
Advertising drops, Rupert.
Expenses rise, Rupert.
Travel costs rise, Rupert.
Republicans take the blame, Rupert.
Fox News takes the blame, Rupert.
Whoâs next?
Mr. Koch? Mr. Dimon? Ms. McMahon? Mr. Huntsman? Ms. Loeffler?
If yâall arenât afraid of losing millions now over a cheap political stunt, why the hell do you oppose paying taxes that will benefit your business?
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Iâm still trying to get my head around the fact that nothing was done in the House or the Senate with respect to the debt limit during the lame-duck period following the mid-term elections. At this point, itâs simply academic, so to speak, but I just havenât heard any explanation that makes sense to me.
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There was action, otherwise, weâd already be shut down. There was some action that was taken late last year, but I just canât find what it was.
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The fact that they offered some half-way measures shows that theyâre rattled. When I heard the word âSeptemberâ last week that told me that they are on thin ice with this.
Ignorance not only is âno excuseâ but also is their weakness.
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To be clear, what I mean is the House and Senate should have simply passed the necessary debt-limit increase when they could have. Iâm frustrated that didnât happen but the focus now has to be on how we can prevent the arsonists from burning everything down now that they have the matches.
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âPetr Pavilâ
Wait what?
Did they break up with Mary?
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Why does the GOP hate the US?
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The big problem has been they never look at that except on the individual level. The big picture for them is built of wild day dreaming and wishful thinking that has little to with why they are sitting in their seats to begin with. But it all sounds good to their voters. They think this through with the same due diligence as Brexit was put to. And we know how that is shaking out.
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