Playing Fiscal Chicken….No Cliff in Sight!

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Loretta’s latest Christmas card, in as questionable taste as ever, seems like an appropriate illustration for the Winships’ story. Hey, are we the first blog to put this up today or what?

One of the scarier times for planet earth occurred back in October of 1962.  They called it the Cuban Missile Crisis.  A young, brash American President was playing a serious game with the Russians and Fidel Castro.  As the news reported that a Global Nuclear confrontation could be imminent…..Americans first responded in total disbelief.  The Russians had placed Intermediate Nuclear Missiles on the island of Cuba.  We had pictures of those using U-2 Spy planes.  Late in October the Russians shot down one of our U-2 planes.  No one to this day knows who was piloting that plane.  The price of gasoline spikes by 30 percent a gallon and people generally were amazed that such a big deal had occurred in our hemisphere.  OK, so we had a ill-fated “Bay of Pigs” invasion of Cuba.  OK, so we tried unsuccessfully to have CIA and Mafia people “take Fidel out”.  In the end, Premeir Nikita Kruschev, backed down and agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba, after we created a US Naval blockade of Cuba, while our B52’s flew overhead.  We had gone to Defcon 4, before the situation was resolved.  Had things gone badly, this could have been the end of the world….as we had known it.  That was the Nuclear Cliff…..to be sure!

Fast Forward to the ridiculous machinations going on by Republicans, Grover Norquist, Tea Party Members and the incredible falsetto drama going on all about the so-called “Fiscal Cliff”.  In the beginning, we believed that the President should negotiate with the Republicans and come up with a reasonable answer that all could agree upon.  Obviously, the Republicans have remained recalcitrant and unwilling to give an inch. They indeed will pay the price for this in 2014.  It truly seems that they really don’t care.   They figure they have rigged the system and by a national gerrymandering scheme will be able to remain in power in a variety of States even if they lose 50 Congressional seats.  Hopefully they will lose 100….as long as they keep this attitude!

The game has changed Mr. President.  This is now a hard-core game of Fiscal Chicken.  Good, raise taxes on everyone!  Cut pay to the Military and Social Security and Medicare.  Gut and reduce the cost of the US Military.  Instead, make the necessary changes to implement ObamaCare.  Make sure that Insurance and Medical Provider have to reduce costs by 20% over the next four years.  Playing Fiscal Chicken?  You bet…..then, let’s get after Global and National Companies that have moved jobs out of our country.  Tax them into the Stone Age!  Make the necessary to IRS Regulation changes to find all the hidden funds being buried in off-shore banks.   Let’s create incentives for US inventors and innovators.  Let’s play Fiscal Chicken by positive action.  If the Republicans want to pass “anything”….we use their method……..”Filibuster your act into the next century!”  Two can play that game.

Evidently, members of Congress don’t care much about the American people, their welfare or their future.  The stupid idea that we are still living in the 19th Century and can fix things with old technology…needs to go the way of the buggy whip.  The time has come to “stay the course – Mr. President”  Don’t be bullied, or pushed into making every system we have into a convoluted mess and twisted out of all proportion.  Let’s fight to maintain current and raising wages for American workers.  Let’s fight to create and maintain a fully vibrant economy.  Forget the Fiscal Cliff…..that is so – yesterday!  The time has come to play Fiscal Chicken Mr. President.  The Republicans are stuck in the mud.  No need for all the rest of us….to go there and get our hands dirty.  Walk on by……..Mr. President.  Walk on by!  This is no Cuban Missile Crisis.  This is just a bunch of electeds that can’t find their way past their next campaign donation.

There are a few things we actually DO NOT want:  NO Value Added Tax….ever!  Dump Cap & Trade forever!  Keep raising our mileage standards to match those of the Europeans!  Make sure Corporations in this country pay their employees a fair and competitive wage with affordable healthcare and retirement options!  Let’s make sure that Obama Care gets all the necessary tweaks to smooth out the rough spots!  Time to fix the immigration issue too…..now!   Let’s totally disregard what the Republicans want or need for now…..until they make some serious changes!  The time has come to Play Fiscal Chicken Mr. President…..cause there is No Cliff in sight!  Maybe, there never was – if you compare it to a real crisis.  So, let’s just VETO for a while and see what happens!  Afterall,  we have all of 2014 to restore those Middle Class Tax Cuts!


About Ron & Anna Winship

Independent News Producers/Writers and Directors for Parker-Longbow Productions. Independent Programming which includes a broad variety of Political, Entertainment and Professional Personalities. Cutting Edge - a talk show...is the flagship of over 30 URL websites developed or under development. The Winships have been blogging for the Orange Juice since back when nickels had buffalos on them, and men wore onions attached to their belts, because it was the fashion back then.