The Debt Ceiling and the Conservative Bubble

[Sbane]

I don't know if the government has software which can prioritize payments. Why should it? Why should someone assume that a certain political party will go insane and act like 5 year old children? I would be disappointed if the government did have software to prioritize payments since that would be a waste of money. The government should try to be efficient and reduce unnecessary spending. Don't you agree, Torie?

[Sbane]

I don't know if the government has software which can prioritize payments. Why should it? Why should someone assume that a certain political party will go insane and act like 5 year old children? I would be disappointed if the government did have software to prioritize payments since that would be a waste of money. The government should try to be efficient and reduce unnecessary spending. Don't you agree, Torie?

No, it is imprudent not to have the capability to pick and choose when things go awry. It should not cost that much money in the larger scheme of things. Think of it as a cost like, well, an insurance premium.   Anyway, we now know that the debt will be paid, and blaming software was BS, and for some reason the troops are being paid, without a software block, so I think much of it is hype. Both parties are in heavy spin mode now, and it is nausiating to me. Obama should be negotiating, and he can stand firm on Obamacare, but no, this is all about moving poll numbers because the Dems think this is a path to taking the House. They are very probably wrong, but they are going there.

Oh yes, the Pubs disgust me for not going to conference on the budget months ago. They didn't because they ran the risk that dissident Pubs might defect, since if the conference fails, after 20 days, stuff can be forced to the floor without a discharge petition, which is why Pelosi offered to give up that card in this context under the gun. But the Pubs are gutless in that if they cannot hold a majority on the merits, they should not be able to "win" based on procedural games.

But of course both parties have made procedural games into an art form. It is all about trying to move the polls now. And both parties on wrong in thinking all of this BS will move the polls much when push comes to shove in the next election. The Fruited Plain is that polarized. Where are the adults? Where are the politicians with guts who are more interested in good public policy than winning the next election?  The system is, if not broken, at a minimum not working on all cylinders. But in the end the public gets what they deserve. Both members of both parties should demand better, but they don't.

The democrats don't think they should have to negotiate over the full faith and credit of the United States and I agree with them. Why should they negotiate with these tactics? Holding the debt limit hostage like this is not an act of responsible adults and the children in the room need to be taught once and for all that it is not acceptable behavior. There is no rational argument for why the Democrats need to negotiate and if there is I haven't heard it.

[Sbane]

I don't know if the government has software which can prioritize payments. Why should it? Why should someone assume that a certain political party will go insane and act like 5 year old children? I would be disappointed if the government did have software to prioritize payments since that would be a waste of money. The government should try to be efficient and reduce unnecessary spending. Don't you agree, Torie?

No, it is imprudent not to have the capability to pick and choose when things go awry. It should not cost that much money in the larger scheme of things. Think of it as a cost like, well, an insurance premium.   Anyway, we now know that the debt will be paid, and blaming software was BS, and for some reason the troops are being paid, without a software block, so I think much of it is hype. Both parties are in heavy spin mode now, and it is nausiating to me. Obama should be negotiating, and he can stand firm on Obamacare, but no, this is all about moving poll numbers because the Dems think this is a path to taking the House. They are very probably wrong, but they are going there.

Oh yes, the Pubs disgust me for not going to conference on the budget months ago. They didn't because they ran the risk that dissident Pubs might defect, since if the conference fails, after 20 days, stuff can be forced to the floor without a discharge petition, which is why Pelosi offered to give up that card in this context under the gun. But the Pubs are gutless in that if they cannot hold a majority on the merits, they should not be able to "win" based on procedural games.

But of course both parties have made procedural games into an art form. It is all about trying to move the polls now. And both parties on wrong in thinking all of this BS will move the polls much when push comes to shove in the next election. The Fruited Plain is that polarized. Where are the adults? Where are the politicians with guts who are more interested in good public policy than winning the next election?  The system is, if not broken, at a minimum not working on all cylinders. But in the end the public gets what they deserve. Both members of both parties should demand better, but they don't.

The democrats don't think they should have to negotiate over the full faith and credit of the United States and I agree with them. Why should they negotiate with these tactics? Holding the debt limit hostage like this is not an act of responsible adults and the children in the room need to be taught once and for all that it is not acceptable behavior. There is no rational argument for why the Democrats need to negotiate and if there is I haven't heard it.

Because of the consequences. And most Dems around here think those consequences will be more negative than I do (beyond the politics), and I think they are significantly negative myself. That is why. You don't pick your opposition. They are just there. You do the best you can. And it goes both ways. I know, the the Dem leitmotif right now is to try to teach the Pubs a lesson (and in particular, oust them from control of the House), and hope the cost to the nation is not too high. Good luck with that, and I mean that sincerely (at least about the bit that the nation will not be hurt too much), not sarcastically, but also in the sense that the Dems will need a lot of luck. I doubt it will work out the way that you hope.

And reinforce this behavior? When will it stop? So the republicans don't even have to win elections anymore, all they have to do is threaten to burn the country down, and if the Democrats don't negotiate it is their fault if something bad happens ( I hope they are able to prioritize payments to avoid default). I do not understand how anyone could vote for the GOP after they use such tactics.

[Sbane]

You may well be right about it not helping Democrats, but it is just absolutely disgusting if Americans don't blame the Republicans for the mess that they caused. In any case they will only be hurting themselves in the long run, especially those who don't make a lot of money. I won't be as affected by whatever happens. The people need to get educated about the issues and what the Republicans are doing. If they don't, ultimately it will only harm them.