Christmas drear

O Gawd how I miss the campaign. We’re now down to yakking about puppy picks, what Michelle will wear to the balls, and whether the Smoker-in-Chief is mincing words about whether he does or doesn’t. Athens is in its third day of riots, the world economy is in a handbasket headed for Hades, we are fighting two wars, and we keep piling on the debt at home with a ho hum.

There is, of course, the Detroit debacle to perk us up. I hesitate to say “bailout” because I don’t believe that’s going to happen. I know bupkes about macro economics, except that “macro” means big, but when you look at the rate that Detroit is hemorrhaging dollars and the fact that new car demand is down from 17 mill a year to ten, anybody who can add and subtract would bet that there is no way that those companies can pay back these or any loans. They’ll take the money, reimburse their stock ops and let the chips fall where they may. Right now, Barney and Nancy want to give them a veto-proof $15 Billion dollars. Chump change in the world according to TARP. And they will have til March to get their asses out of its current sling and come back for more. What a plan! What a great country! What an eye-ache!

Some hotshot who works for Rick Wagoner, the top-kick at GM, actually tried to tell the booboisie this morning that Rick’s $16 mil. in bonuses, were really only a fraction of that when you figure the value of the stock. If you believe that then you will probably fall for his prognosis of GM’s overseas sales as solid. If there was any good news from Mo Town, why would it be an asterisk from this flack instead of a headline as big as The New York Post had for OJ’s recent change of address: "NOW ROT."

The big question for me is: Would we bail out American workers in Marysville, Ohio, making Hondas or BMW builders in South Carolina? I don’t think so. I think we tell them foreign fkrs to take a flying leap at a freakin' doughnut. But the argument, which we haven’t even heard a hint of from them, would be: We are American workers who pay taxes and all the subsidiary dependents of our industry would be screwed just as much as up in Detroit. If anyone is suggesting that GM's apron is more important because it’s bigger, than I want to know where the cut off is. What’s too big to fail, and, too small to care about?

But see, they are not asking for a bailout. American cars have one in the top ten car sales according to Consumer Reports. Why aren’t people buying American? I’ve had four Jeeps. I thought that was a good statement of how ‘mericun I am, although I now question why the dealer didn’t give me an Old Glory lapel pin so I could double down on my patriotism rush. Then, I found out that my ‘90 Wrangler was actually assembled in Comminist Chiner. What the hotel? YGBSM!

So, what is a patriot to do? Back up these billionaires on their boneheaded plan just so we can someday apologize to our children and their children for the extra gift they keep giving the gummint with every paycheck? Or tune into the post-season playoffs with a vengeance? Go Pats! (If they can squeak in past the New Jersey 'Jits.)

On another somewhat less sanguine note, I learned this morning from Dave Walker who was the head of the GAO (the nation's top accountant) that we’re broke, screwed and tattooed. By 2030 the entire budget will be spent on Soc. Sec., Medicaid and Care and interest on the national debt. That’s if things keep on keeping on. There will be ZERO money for defense (now 54% of our annual budget), twice as much for VA, about the same for education, right next to nada for infrastructure and scientific research. Even Ted Stevens couldn’t squeeze a nickel out of that budget.
Walker says that beginning next year and 20 years after, 78 million people will become pensioners and medical dependents of the US taxpayer.

If you haven’t seen this guy click here then pour a bracer and have a look. This interview is over a year old but I watched him say the same things today. Medicare, he says, is 5 times worse than SS. Now he is working for Pete Peterson’s new foundation so that he can do in the private sector what he could not in government. He said, “My new position will provide me with the ability and resources to more aggressively address a range of current and emerging challenges facing our country, including advocating specific policy solutions and courses of action.” Sweet.

Pete Peterson said, “The entitlement monster is unfunded. We are dangerously dependent on foreign capital. Our health care costs per capita are twice the level of the developed world. The goal is to integrate public policy and charitable giving and to answer this question: How do you educate a public that has become largely inert?”

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