Long, Hot Summer

 
Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe it’s that the dog days of summer always seem to fire up political passions.
 
But this debt-ceiling kabuki in Washington has everybody hot and bothered.
 
Democrats are mad at Republicans, and Republicans are mad at Democrats, of course. But conservative Republicans are also mad at Tea Party Republicans. And vice-versa. Liberal Democrats are mad at President Obama. The President is mad at John Boehner, and Boehner’s just as mad back.
 
Maybe it’s that none of us know what this is all about.
 
What is a debt ceiling, anyway? What does “default” mean, anyway?
 
And will it be a “catastrophe,” as some smart people say, or just a bump in the road, as other smart people say?
 
Worst of all, now they can’t even agree on whether August 2 is really “August 2,” as in Doomsday.
 
Cynical me, I was surprised when so many Americans heeded Obama’s call on them to call Washington that Washington’s phone lines and computers went down. Maybe people were paying attention. Maybe they are mad as hell.
 
Apparently, we have in America the ability to resolve really tough standoffs, like the NFL lockout. But when it comes to our financial future, we’re helpless.
 
Somebody hose us down.
 
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Gary Pearce

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Long, Hot Summer

 
Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe it’s that the dog days of summer always seem to fire up political passions.
 
But this debt-ceiling kabuki in Washington has everybody hot and bothered.
 
Democrats are mad at Republicans, and Republicans are mad at Democrats, of course. But conservative Republicans are also mad at Tea Party Republicans. And vice-versa. Liberal Democrats are mad at President Obama. The President is mad at John Boehner, and Boehner’s just as mad back.
 
Maybe it’s that none of us know what this is all about.
 
What is a debt ceiling, anyway? What does “default” mean, anyway?
 
And will it be a “catastrophe,” as some smart people say, or just a bump in the road, as other smart people say?
 
Worst of all, now they can’t even agree on whether August 2 is really “August 2,” as in Doomsday.
 
Cynical me, I was surprised when so many Americans heeded Obama’s call on them to call Washington that Washington’s phone lines and computers went down. Maybe people were paying attention. Maybe they are mad as hell.
 
Apparently, we have in America the ability to resolve really tough standoffs, like the NFL lockout. But when it comes to our financial future, we’re helpless.
 
Somebody hose us down.
 
Avatar photo

Gary Pearce

Categories

Archives