On Our Terms

Today, I was watching one of seemingly endless reports on the “stalemate” concerning extending the debt limit in Washington. The speaker of the house and other Republicans had just met with the President to discuss “negotiations” concerning the deficit and talks relating to increasing the debt limit of the federal government.

I was struck by a remark the speaker made. He said, after some posturing, “as long as the President accepts our terms, we can reach a settlement”.

I immediately stopped and uttered an expletive. When I was working, I spent at least ten years as either the lead negotiator or a member of the negotions team. I never have heard a negotiator say, “as long as they accept our terms”.

That is simply not done. Negotiators may say, we are working hard for our positions, or we believe in certain principles, but to say the other side has to accept “our terms” is unique.

And what are those terms? Senator McConnnel, has said Medicare Reform (ending it) is on the table! This is in the face of over 70% on every poll imaginable, who do not want Medicare substantially messed with.

But the cons do not care. The compromise must be “on our terms” or no deal.

They are playing with creating a potential financial meltdown that will have global ramifications, but any agreement must be “on their terms”

But nevermind, as the cons say. Sara Palin recently said, with a straight face, that the deficit is President Obama’s fault, and exceeds all the deficits in the history of Presidents. Oh, come on!

In 1945 the federal deficit was almost 100% of GDP. That was a deficit, that took almost 30 years to pay off.

And, the Republicans yelled about that too, ignoring that the deficit was developed to save the nation.

Bush did not have that excuse. He spent like there was no tomorrow, because it was the only way he could get re-elected. He personified the saying, “Anyone can get elected who cuts taxes and raises spending”.

So now we watch this merry dance, of the cons refusing to give up anything, hoping the President, whose re-election is coming up, blinks.

He better not. He blinked and extended the rich tax cuts, which has seriously damaged the country.

You see, in spite of the con lies, the rich (and corporations also) do not do what they promise to do. (GASP!!!)

They do not invest the extra income they keep because of tax cuts in the United States. Instead they invest in foreign companies, oil companies for example, because that is where the return is.

And, regardless of the con lies, ALL oil companies are global now. Not one owes any allegiance to the United States.

In fact, right now, Obama’s nominee for Commerce Secretary, is being opposed by Republicans because Obama will not support scuttling a bill that offers some protection from outsourcing to the few remaining American jobs left in the United States.

That’s right, Republicans were able to take control of the House, with a promise of jobs, jobs, jobs….and turn right around and hold a nomination hostage so they can outsource even more jobs out of the country.

Remember, these are their terms.

So far, the American people have been duped by this whole thing. Fox News preaches this garbage 24/7 aided by the conservative propaganda chorus that has people believing the world is flat. People would rather believe the lies, than face the truth:

1. We are going to have to raise some taxes to pay down the deficit. We essentially charged two wars, and we have to begin to pay the bill.
2. We need to develop an national energy policy to deal with the global warming that is killing hundreds of thousands in the world (and in Missouri).
3. We need to develop a national economic recovery policy that relies on government infrastructure partnerships between private and public investment; ideally focusing on clean energy initiatives.
4. We need to invest in our educational system so we can re-train a generation who have been displaced by outsourcing.

And we cannot even begin doing these things on “their terms”; because the bankrupt conservative economic policy got us in the mess in the first place.