A Flintstone Moment

The recent showdown over the debt ceiling and its most unfortunate outcome is neatly summed up for me by a scene in an old episode of "The Flintstones." In this particular episode, Fred and Barney plan to watch the fights on television. At the appointed time, they sit down at Fred's television set, all ready for the big bout . . . only to have an announcer come on and report that the station is being blacked out for a 25-mile radius, with only the promise of updates on the fight in the form of round-to-round reports. To entertain the viewers in the blacked-out area, the station offers a musical act . . . Alice Blue Jean and her Magic Banjo.

Fred, furious, yells, "Oh no, you don't!" He responds to being cheated out of the fight by throwing a vase at the TV set. "That's for Alice Blue Jean and her Magic Banjo!" he exclaims.

Which pretty much explains my attitude toward a debt ceiling agreement that gave the rich and powerful even more breaks at everyone else's expense. I was expecting to see President Obama go to the mat and fight it out to preserve tax increases on the wealthy and spending on various social programs, but instead there was no fight (although Obama insists that he's going to fight for us and keep us posted about it!) . . . and all the middle class got was more song and dance. When House Speaker John Boehner crowed about getting nearly everything he wanted, I wanted to throw something at the TV set.

Just like Fred Flintstone.

The Tea Party is ascendant, and the progressive movement is in a shambles. And all the middle class can do is get angry and throw a fit. If this crap keeps up, Americans are going to do more than just throw things at their TV sets.

I'm Not Buying It

Members of Congress, especially Republican members, say that the debt ceiling deal passed and signed into law by the President today will save a lot of money, and the $917 billion in spending cuts (mostly affecting public amenities) agreed to will help the economy.

I'm not buying it.

They also say that the lack of tax increases will make the government more responsible with the people's money and encourage more job creation.

I'm not buying it.

They say the bipartisan commission that will look into greater cuts totalling $1.5 trillion will be fair and equitable.

I'm not buying it.

But mostly, folks like John Boehner and Kevin McCarthy all say this is a good deal for the American preople.

I'm not buying it.

Here are some of the other things I'm not buying - a new car, a plane ticket to Paris, a house, or an expensive Christmas present for my mother.

Thanks to the way Washington is running the economy, I can't afford any of that.