By Judith Gayle | Political Waves
It’s been a hectic week politically, what with the minority party unified in chiseling its newest ‘cliff’ to send us over. Indeed, they’re almost gleeful in their refusal to raise the debt ceiling which would allow the US to pay bills it has already incurred. Talk of shutting down government has put politicos on high alert, re-thinking Obama’s options, which include minting a platinum trillion-dollar commemorative coin to cover the debt or simply paying out what’s owed, relying on stipulations of the Fourteenth Amendment’s directive that “the validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned.”
Understanding the utter chaos Pubs have in mind for America unless Obama hands over more money meant for public welfare in exchange for their cooperation, the lefties seem willing to embrace these non-traditional options, with Krugman urging the former and Pelosi approving the latter. The reality of a governing system too stuck to wiggle has finally sent us looking elsewhere for ways to break the loggerhead.
It turns out that 2012 gave us, according to a recent study, the most unproductive congress in history. Ever. (As well as the hottest year on record but neither is a surprise, I think.) Playing hurry-up-and-wait, Harry Reid has had to deal with 386 filibusters of proposed legislation. Those weren’t fully realized procedures, of course. Nobody took the podium, as Bernie Sanders did last year. They were merely threats to lock down the floor with obstruction, but they served the same purpose. One peevish politician is able to put the good of an entire nation — indeed, the well-being of over 300 million Americans — on hold indefinitely, and they do so regularly. (You can support the movement to fix the filibuster rule here.)
And now, here comes a New Moon in Capricorn, linking arms with some very powerful friends, all with the capacity to give us a harsh glimpse of the stripped gears and locked clockworks of this faltering system. Nobody blink. This is a new beginning in a new year in a new era — all in the no-nonsense sign of government, systems and authority. A New Moon echoing with the past while carving itself into the future.