he other night, I went to a drinks event for journalists at the British Embassy. Naturally, it was full of budget wonks who clustered around the bar, exuding pessimism the way gatherings of grandmothers exude hugs and Jean Nate. Everyone quizzed everyone else about what they were hearing from their sources. Turns out, everyone was hearing the same thing: Democrats do not want to touch anything that puts entitlements on the table. Republicans will not move an inch on tax cuts. The most terrifying takeaway: there are indeed Republicans, and maybe even some Democrats, who think that default is somehow no big deal.
I’m absolutely stonkered by this. When I blog about strategic default by individuals, conservatives flood my comments with indignant outbursts, excoriating the sort of people who would rather pay private school tuition or an auto payment than their mortgage. But many of these same people–or the politicians they elect–seem to think that it’s preferable to default on the obligations of the United States rather than raise taxes one penny.
Yes, I understand that you think it is terrible and immoral to raise taxes; your opponents feel the same about cutting social spending. But it is really, really terrible to default on obligations you have voluntarily assumed, and make no mistake, this is what you will do if you refuse to raise the debt ceiling. Either we will default on our bonds, or Social Security checks and military pay deposits that people have planned on will not be issued. It is appalling to contemplate reneging on our obligations this way, and Republicans are wrong to attempt to get their way by threatening to force the United States to welsh on its promises. Imagine that the tables were turned, and Democrats were demanding enormous tax hikes in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, with not a penny in spending cuts. Would you regard this as a just and acceptable tactic?
Yeah, me neither. Which is why Republicans shouldn’t be deploying it.
Read more: http://www.businessi…7#ixzz1R8v4Mt4Y
Join the conversation and have a little fun at Capitalstool.com. If you are a new visitor to the Stool, please register and join in! To post your observations and charts, and snide, but good-natured, comments, click here to register. Be sure to respond to the confirmation email which is sent instantly. If not in your inbox, check your spam filter.
You must log in to post a comment.