It's Whose Fault?

Pointed Fingers

On the off chance something gets passed today, what will we have to show for it?

Republicans will get the blame, yes, we all know this.  Whether it's true or not makes no difference.  It will be what is recorded by those who write history, despite the fact that the other party controls the White House AND one house of Congress (AND apparently, has favor in the Supreme Court).  An injustice and wrong attribution?  Perhaps. 

But we will all share the burden for a bill that won't have enough spending cuts or enough taxes to make any dent in our debt.  It's one of many times this has happened.  This is just the only time it's had a cool name.  Fiscal cliff.  Cute.

The problem is that we are all starting from different mission sets, and any combo thereof.

Mission Set 1: avoid fiscal cliff at all costs, perhaps for the sake of the CURRENT, "fragile" American economy.  This leads to accepting shoddy work, not to mention kicking the can of debt down the road.  It also makes our economy more fragile, since debt will not have been paid down.

Mission Set 2: avoid compromise at all costs.  This leads to the production of no work, shoddy or otherwise.

Mission Set 3: avoid spending cuts at all costs.  This leads to only taxes being raised and kicked can down road.

Mission Set 4: avoid raising taxes at all costs.  This leads to disharmony within the Republican Party and its [perhaps misattributed] subset of Tea Party, and to being called "rich."  Ouch.  Also leads to Kicked Can Down Road.

So the fact is all we lose if we allow any one mission set.  All of us meaning, we who would like a solution to Social Security before we actually get to our sixties, we who have children to whom we teach good budgeting skills, and we who have never looked up to Europe as more than a great place to tour and take pictures of deserted cathedrals.  Don't get me wrong: it's still a great place to do mission work.

The Divide

Many have waxed on about the divide in America.  America just continues to splinter.  They say it's like the Grand Canyon, one side on the North Rim and the other on the South (I can't resist, but there are a whole lot of people just enjoying the ride down the Colorado River in between.  Oh, to be a fun-loving American who cares less about the future, or trusts that somehow everything will end like a Disney movie!  Truly!).

Let's wax off that though, shall we?  It's no longer the Grand Canyon.  It's the medieval times map of England.  Hard-working serfs in the red mainland work hard to produce food and wages that serve the appetites and programs of blue castles of cities.  Serfs' values are dramatically different, yet they are being called on to support those with whom they do not agree... some on very deep (dare I say religious?) levels.

We are spending too much, and taxing too little.  Meanwhile, freedoms are being assaulted, and in one very tangible way.

The Call

Government has always taxed what is sees as bad behavior and rewarded what is sees as good behavior.  Today is no different.  And politicians can do much to further their beliefs behind the scenes.  But some aren't even trying to keep their objectives under wraps.  The new tactic in old sheep's clothing is to tax success (old news) and freedom (the new news).  That way, there is no obvious constitutional violation - yet certain freedoms become harder to exercise. 

And it's being done in the name of "law," "order," and "tolerance."  But only for some people.

Wrong call.