Our National Debt

I can’t tell you whether raising the debt ceiling is a good thing or a bad thing. It sounds like a ridiculous thing like printing more paper currency. And maybe that’s the answer, eh? Just print more. The stuff isn’t tied to anything real any more anyway. Not to mention, a pretty obvious solution would be to stop warring on the Middle East.

At any rate, if David Frum understands anything – and I don’t know whether he does or not – here’s his summary judgment at CNN:

The debt ceiling, for you history buffs, is a concept invented as a temporary emergency measure during the First World War, one more confirmation of the ancient rule that there is nothing more permanent than a temporary measure.

[...]

At this point, the president confronts two possible outcomes in the coming weeks:

Outcome 1: The president and congressional Republicans reach agreement on a budget package weighted overwhelmingly in favor of the GOP. The president opened negotiations by offering $3 of spending cuts for every $1 of tax increases. His current offer tilts even further to the GOP: $6 of spending cuts to $1 of tax increases.

Better still (from a Republican point of view), the spending cuts come from programs Republicans dislike, like Medicaid, rather than programs they like, like the farm budget. The tax increases meanwhile are designed to be as acceptable as possible to the GOP: no increases in tax rates, but instead trimming some of the less defensible deductions in the tax code.

Outcome 1 represents a very big win for Republicans over the future shape of the federal government, and a correspondingly big defeat for the president.

Outcome 1 also represents the president's best-case scenario.

The worst-case is Outcome 2. Republicans reject the president's concessions as insufficient. They refuse to lift the debt ceiling. Denied the legal authority to borrow further, the federal government exhausts its cash sometime in the next three to four weeks.

At that point, the United States will face some kind of federal bankruptcy: paying some claims, deferring others, plunging the U.S. government into financial crisis and probably plunging the whole world into renewed economic crisis.

  CNN

My bet would be with number one, if that’s the only two available. And the “agreement” they reach will actually be even MORE favorable to the GOP.

Not since the era of the Vietnam War has a house of Congress used the threat of national bankruptcy to gain its way on a policy point.

But the roughness of the president's opponents does not excuse the president's own mistakes and weakness.

[...]

As Marc Ambinder of the National Journal suggested at the time, the president could have included an increase in the debt ceiling in the December deal to extend the Bush tax cuts. The Republicans dearly wanted that extension.

Yeah, he’s been a piss-poor beacon of hope ever since he stepped inside that oval office. But I’m just not convinced it’s “mistakes and weakness,” rather than just weakness. And maybe not even that. Who knows? Maybe if he really wanted change, he’d go for it. The man is simply not a liberal. He’s a very wealthy politician at the top of the world’s food chain. And he likes it there.

Obama never publicly branded the debt ceiling as "if the Republicans force this country into bankruptcy." He issued no public call to constituencies like the financial industry to bring pressure to bear on the issue. He did not warn that he would manage any crisis in ways that Republicans would not like. ("If the Republicans in Congress deny me the authority to pay everybody, then I'm going to have to choose some priorities. I don't think it's likely that Texas-based defense contractors will find themselves at the top of my list.")

Instead, he appealed again and again to Republicans' spirit of responsibility. Good luck with that.

[...]

[He] commenced bargaining by offering what he assumed would be an irresistible deal. Wrong again. The Republicans did resist. So Obama offered an even better deal -- which predictably only whetted the GOP appetite for still more.

And here, you have to finally get suspicious. This is definitely not the first time they’ve danced that dance.

Talks have now broken down altogether. The crisis is drawing close. And once again Obama is throwing away his leverage.

Obama's team is publicly discussing what they are calling the "constitutional option," contesting the validity of the debt ceiling altogether.

Go ahead and emphasize that. Not only have they given in to the GOP, they are doing them one better! As I said at the beginning -- outcome #3.

If you read Frum’s article, he explains what you can expect if they go this route – what he calls “pure win-win for the Tea Party.”

Back in January, Speaker John Boehner said the possibility of a government default was "not even on the table."

[...]

Obama did not use leverage when he had it -- and so he became a victim of leverage when he lacked it. Then, as Republicans discovered the power of their new tool, the president decided to assume they were bluffing, that they would never actually do anything so reckless.

Their “new tool” turned out to be him.

Death Is a Popular Subject Amongst My Age Group, I See

Best idea yet, h/t to Jean...I've updated my post - so check that out.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Short Memories

Speaking of out-negotiated, here [is Obama at his "Twitter Town Hall"] asking permission from the super-rich to raise their taxes, because he was just raised polite that way: “As I said before, if wealthy individuals are willing to simply go back to the rates that existed back in the 1990s when rich people were doing very well... if the wealthiest among us -- and I include myself in this category -- are willing to give up a little bit more, then we can solve this problem.” If they aren’t willing, we might just remember that this country is supposed to be ruled by the majority, and we don’t actually have to beg their favor.

  WIIIAI

I doubt it.

“And the nice thing about the defense budget is it’s so big, it’s so huge, that a 1 percent reduction is the equivalent of the education budget.” That said, he won’t reduce the defense budget 1%, obvs.

No doubt about it.

...but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

You Have Obviously Not Been Expressing Enough Fear

The White House said Wednesday there was no danger of an imminent attack on airplanes after reports that terror groups were mulling implanting bombs into the bodies of passengers.

The assurances came after news that the US administration warned airlines that extremist groups were considering surgically implanting explosives into people to try to beat tight airport security measures.

  Raw Story

There's no danger just yet, but...

You see? We really do have no other choice but to kill all possible terrorists (which is a huge list, let me tell you, so don’t expect this to be a quick operation). And at the very least, we cannot allow any more people into this country. I’m not sure why we even still have commercial flights.

Since We're All Gonna Die

UPDATE: Even better....

For those wanting a cost-free solution or simply wanting to contribute to science, we offer “No Cost Cremation” through our affiliation with Whole Body Donation organizations throughout the country. Physicians, researchers and educators are reliant on generous donors to conduct the most realistic research possible. The body is then cremated and cremated remains are returned to the family.

  Heartland Cremation

h/t Jean

ORIGINAL POST:

A follow up to the "green burial" post.

Green Acres will follow burial criteria established by the Green Burial Council, a nonprofit organization based in Sante Fe, N.M. These include no embalming, no vaults and a requirement that the body be buried directly into the ground in a biodegradable and nontoxic shroud or coffin.

Cemeteries often require a coffin, embalmment and a vault even though they’re not required by state law.

  Columbia Missourian

h/t Rich.

Through Goddard and Worstell’s cemetery business, Pushing Up Daisies, a person can be buried for a minimum of $1,185. Burial plots at Green Acres start at $585 and run to $1,985, depending on the location. The opening and closing fee is $600 for graves and $200 for cremations on weekdays with an additional $200 on Saturdays.

[...]

“You can live green; now you can even die green,” he said. “And for those who do not want to leave a big footprint on Mother Earth, this is the best and most economical way to go.”

That’s still pretty steep for a dead body. Cremation Online (Who knew? I should have guessed.) has a basic package for $725 if the body is within 35 miles of an establishment they use in various Texas cities. If not, they will still pick it up for some extra mileage fees. (Hey, family, just get it there yourself, eh? It shouldn't be too difficult to get me in the bed of the truck, but if I'm upstairs, you might want to work in pairs. FYI, I'm still working on that idea of spontaneous human combustion, but just in case I don't manage that, you could always 'accidentally' have a fire that consumes the body. Maybe on the way to the crematorium. You can figure it out.) While it may be cheaper than their traditional rip-off, your local funeral home is no doubt going to find a way to charge you an arm and a leg for cremation, too.

Green burials, also known as natural burials, are increasing in popularity. But they are not new. They were once common in the United States and are practiced by Muslims and those of other religious faiths in many countries throughout the world.

Muslims? Better check out everybody using a “green” burial – they might be terrorists.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Wow, What a Guy

[Obama:] As a next step and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the military chain of command, I have also decided to reverse a long-standing policy of not sending condolence letters to the families of service members who commit suicide while deployed to a combat zone. This decision was made after a difficult and exhaustive review of the former policy, and I did not make it lightly. This issue is emotional, painful, and complicated, but these Americans served our nation bravely. They didn't die because they were weak. And the fact that they didn't get the help they needed must change. Our men and women in uniform have borne the incredible burden of our wars, and we need to do everything in our power to honor their service, and to help them stay strong for themselves, for their families and for our nation.

  TPM

So much better than bringing them home and not sending any more.

Indeed, it's a disgrace that these families have suffered what could be considered worse than having a loved one die in combat and then been shunned by the military who put them in that position, and that needed to be addressed. He could have done that two years ago, though. Of course he had alreday been elected at that point and was no longer campaigning. It's different now.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Better Than Cremation?

Environmentally conscious people in the United States are opting for what are known as "ecofunerals".

The conventional US funeral is expensive and environmentally unfriendly so "green" funerals, which are cheaper than a traditional burial, are appealing to the budget conscious.

A "green" burial is one where the decedent is buried without toxic embalming, an outer burial container, concrete liner or metal vault, in a 100 per cent biodegradable container.

  alJazeera

(Video at the link.) This is this legal? How long? I thought that was the whole scam – you were legally required to have all that shit. Perhaps I haven’t read anything since I was about 18 when I read Jessica Mitford’s ” The American Way of Death.”

Hey, kids...if it's cheaper than creamation, count me in.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Sheer Genious

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF) "Operation Fast and Furious" sold thousands of assault rifles and revolvers to traffickers suspected of being linked to Mexican drug cartels.

The operation's goal was to unearth and dismantle illicit firearms trafficking routes between the U.S. and Mexico by tracking the weapons, but officials poorly monitored their movement and the majority of the weapons went missing.

[...]

Obama has said neither he nor Attorney General Eric Holder had approved the operation and that "appropriate actions" would be taken after the investigation is complete.

  Raw Story

Michelle Bachmann for President

Marcus Bachmann runs an “ex-gay” therapy center, a controversial type of therapy aimed at converting homosexuals into heterosexuals through Christ.

  Raw Story

After all, if she can turn a gay man straight, just think what she can do with this country.

Can't wait to hear more from these freaks folks.

In case any gays aching to be straight and pious are reading this, here's your link to Marcus Bachmann:

Bachmann grew up in a Democratic family, but she says she became a Republican during her senior year at Winona State. She told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that she was reading Gore Vidal's 1973 novel, Burr: "He was kind of mocking the Founding Fathers and I just thought, I just remember reading the book, putting it in my lap, looking out the window and thinking, 'You know what? I don't think I am a Democrat. I must be a Republican.'"

  Wikipedia

Poor thing doesn't know what she is either.

Celebrate

You can celebrate independence from the Imperial Mother today, but if you're celebrating freedom, you're living in a dream world. Still, you can be proud.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Good God, Man!

American Civil War re-enactment....in England?

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Who Knew Interviewing Could Be So Difficult?

Check out this interview with Ed Milliband, Labor leader in Britain, regarding the current strikes over there in which he simply repeats the same verbage no matter the question. (The explanation given from most observers is that his handlers insist he 'stay on topic' to get a 10-second sound-bite out of the interview.) Read the snippet below from the person who did the interview only after you’ve listened to the clip.

Afterwards, I was overcome with a feeling of shame. I couldn’t look him in the eye.
But before I dried up completely, and had to be led out of Westminster with my mouth opening and shutting, I had an opportunity to ask one last question. I had an urge to say something so stupid, so flippant that he would either have to answer it, or get up and leave. `What is the world’s fastest fish?’ `Can your dog do tricks?’ `Which is your favourite dinosaur?’ But, of course, this was a pool interview, and I had no wish to feed out the end of my television career to Sky and the BBC.
I realise now, of course, the perfect question to ask, to embarrass him and to keep my job, I should have asked was whether the strikes were wrong, whether the rhetoric had got out of hand, and whether it was time for both sides to get round the negotiating table before it happened again.

  TwitLonger

Truly, that would have been the perfect question. Hysterical.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.