I agree with you it seems like the Treasury is constitutionally-obligated to pay its debts. Any law prohibiting the payment of debts would be unconstitutional.
I think Republicans will try to blame Biden but it's going to be hard since they've broadcasted their intentions this far in advance.
It’s hard to imagine a rationale republicans might have to justify the rhetoric we’re hearing and reading. It’s even harder to envision the crippling what they seem to be proposing will cause.
What’s inexplicable to me is the possible benefit “they” might imagine, given the range of potential outcomes, vis-a-vis coming elections without the benefit gerrymandering, deceit, and sabotage. Although, it’s true they’ve been getting away with it this far.
The benefit is that they get to be "relevant" and famous, and influential, and hold office (particularly those who live in safe districts).... and don't forget the graft. The benefit is entirely selfish and short-sighted.
Their calculus in the situation is also flawed, Their understanding of their role and of the larger implications of what they are doing is woefully incomplete. They have LOTs of rationales for how things will turn out in their favor or be favorable to them (which are mostly wishful thinking).
These people understand that roughly half the voters are likely to vote for them NO MATTER WHAT. Actually, those that live in red areas know that significantly more than half will vote for them (in the general) NO MATTER WHAT.
They aren't worried about the libs or intellectuals screaming or hurting, because there aren't enough of those people in their districts to make a difference.
The people in purple or contested areas are likely worried, but those aren't the people causing problems (other than keeping their heads down so as not to get attacked from the right).
What we are seeing is a good argument (and evidence) for NOT having safe districts, period... for finding some other way of choosing these people.
But since these people control that process, nothing will be done until the Revolution comes--and then people will do something equally as bad, only different.
One thing I’ve learned in the Trump years is the ASTONISHING amount of wishful thinking that seemingly reasonable people can have. Over and over I find myself saying “Well, what did you think was going to happen?”
They have forgotten or are ignorant of Finagle's law, one version of which goes:
The perversity of the universe tends to the maximum.
This is related to Murphy's Law:
What can go wrong, will--at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way.
Which in turn is related to/inspired by the laws of thermodynamics
Always start working from the basic understanding that the universe is going to screw you over. You end up with more pleasant surprises than unpleasant ones that way.
There will always be those that will want to blame the Democrats and will do so. The overwhelming majority of them vote republican.
There will always be those, who in the name of fair and balanced reporting, will do the both siderism thing--well, the Democrats COULD have fixed this before the GoP House took over. Charlie gives an example in this very article.
Who gets blamed will (un)shockingly depend upon the political identity of the person in question... which means the big question will be, where will the middle (particularly the center-right) come down on?
The reality is that the debt limit thing is a STUPID thing. Having that in place is like begging for trouble. It should go away.
And Rampell is even blaming Democrats for failing to stop the coming Republican engineered meltdown, by squeezing the debt ceiling vote into their final days in power. That logic is a chapter in “bothsides” waffling, even if the next sentence tries to revert to basic logic. Sprinkle just enough blame on the innocent party, to keep some kind of GOP cred, just in case?
I agree with you it seems like the Treasury is constitutionally-obligated to pay its debts. Any law prohibiting the payment of debts would be unconstitutional.
I think Republicans will try to blame Biden but it's going to be hard since they've broadcasted their intentions this far in advance.
It’s hard to imagine a rationale republicans might have to justify the rhetoric we’re hearing and reading. It’s even harder to envision the crippling what they seem to be proposing will cause.
What’s inexplicable to me is the possible benefit “they” might imagine, given the range of potential outcomes, vis-a-vis coming elections without the benefit gerrymandering, deceit, and sabotage. Although, it’s true they’ve been getting away with it this far.
Excellent piece, and thank you, Mr. Sykes!
The benefit is that they get to be "relevant" and famous, and influential, and hold office (particularly those who live in safe districts).... and don't forget the graft. The benefit is entirely selfish and short-sighted.
Their calculus in the situation is also flawed, Their understanding of their role and of the larger implications of what they are doing is woefully incomplete. They have LOTs of rationales for how things will turn out in their favor or be favorable to them (which are mostly wishful thinking).
These people understand that roughly half the voters are likely to vote for them NO MATTER WHAT. Actually, those that live in red areas know that significantly more than half will vote for them (in the general) NO MATTER WHAT.
They aren't worried about the libs or intellectuals screaming or hurting, because there aren't enough of those people in their districts to make a difference.
The people in purple or contested areas are likely worried, but those aren't the people causing problems (other than keeping their heads down so as not to get attacked from the right).
What we are seeing is a good argument (and evidence) for NOT having safe districts, period... for finding some other way of choosing these people.
But since these people control that process, nothing will be done until the Revolution comes--and then people will do something equally as bad, only different.
One thing I’ve learned in the Trump years is the ASTONISHING amount of wishful thinking that seemingly reasonable people can have. Over and over I find myself saying “Well, what did you think was going to happen?”
They have forgotten or are ignorant of Finagle's law, one version of which goes:
The perversity of the universe tends to the maximum.
This is related to Murphy's Law:
What can go wrong, will--at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way.
Which in turn is related to/inspired by the laws of thermodynamics
Always start working from the basic understanding that the universe is going to screw you over. You end up with more pleasant surprises than unpleasant ones that way.
Exactly! After a while it gets astonishlyvapid.
There will always be those that will want to blame the Democrats and will do so. The overwhelming majority of them vote republican.
There will always be those, who in the name of fair and balanced reporting, will do the both siderism thing--well, the Democrats COULD have fixed this before the GoP House took over. Charlie gives an example in this very article.
Who gets blamed will (un)shockingly depend upon the political identity of the person in question... which means the big question will be, where will the middle (particularly the center-right) come down on?
The reality is that the debt limit thing is a STUPID thing. Having that in place is like begging for trouble. It should go away.
And Rampell is even blaming Democrats for failing to stop the coming Republican engineered meltdown, by squeezing the debt ceiling vote into their final days in power. That logic is a chapter in “bothsides” waffling, even if the next sentence tries to revert to basic logic. Sprinkle just enough blame on the innocent party, to keep some kind of GOP cred, just in case?