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cmb123 commented on the blog post FDL Book Salon Welcomes Paul Krugman, End This Depression Now!
If the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ budget were passed this year, can you comment on or predict what the effects would be? Would it end this depression now (or soon)?
At the same time, what do you believe would be the concrete effects if the Ryan Budget were passed this year? (I recognize the Ryan Plan can be woefully short on specifics, but I think everyone knows it means drastically cutting spending on everything but the military and slashing taxes, disproportionately in favor of the rich.)
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cmb123 commented on the blog post Maybe People Don’t Believe in Government Because Government Hasn’t Given Them Anything to Believe In Lately
What people want is a secure and stable economy that does right by them. People say they want to cut the deficit because both parties insist that it is necessary for a secure and stable economy. You can get people to say they want to change things like the retirement age for Medicare and Social Security if all they hear is how necessary it is to cut those programs in order to save them. It is an echo chamber, and it is almost funny to listen to people in the media try to chalk up these things to some supposed American distrust of government (despite government programs like the Postal Service, Medicare, Social Security, Food Inspection, Disaster Relief, etc being wildly popular programs!).
If people are made to understand that cutting government spending at this time will lead to more unemployment and a prolonged recession, believe it or not cutting government spending will not be popular – supposed genetic distrust of the British King notwithstanding.
It is like saying that we must want to eat peanut butter sandwiches because of our inherent hatred of ham. No, we want to eat peanut butter sandwiches because we are hungry, and peanut butter and bread is all they have given us.
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cmb123 commented on the blog post The Breaking Point
I think this is all very well-said and I agree with it. We must do more than withdraw when we are being abused in this way.
The answer is finding choices that we can support and getting them on the ballot against the politicians we cannot support. Whether that’s in a primary or in a third party challenge, we have to find someone to take these people on directly for votes. Enough is enough. No more of this garbage from the Democrats that we just have to bend over and take it from center-right Democrats because the Republicans are purportedly worse. The best way to solve the problem of choice between two bad options is to find another option. It is time. Long past time.
