Look: I am eager to learn stuff I don't know--which requires actively courting and posting smart disagreement.

But as you will understand, I don't like to post things that mischaracterize and are aimed to mislead.

-- Brad Delong

Copyright Notice

Everything that appears on this blog is the copyrighted property of somebody. Often, but not always, that somebody is me. For things that are not mine, I either have obtained permission, or claim fair use. Feel free to quote me, but attribute, please. My photos and poetry are dear to my heart, and may not be used without permission. Ditto, my other intellectual property, such as charts and graphs. I'm probably willing to share. Let's talk. Violators will be damned for all eternity to the circle of hell populated by Rosanne Barr, Mrs Miller [look her up], and trombonists who are unable play in tune. You cannot possibly imagine the agony. If you have a question, email me: jazzbumpa@gmail.com. I'll answer when I feel like it. Cheers!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Republicans, All Wrong, All the Time - Pt 30: Treason Edition

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and Secessionist Texas Governor cum future POTUS, James Richard Perry are all committing treason.  Thus implyeth Scott Sumner, which we discover, with a touch of irony, via Krugman.

I stopped reading Sumner a long time ago, for a variety of reasons.  Credit where it's due though, as he calls out these lizard-people - though he can't quite muster whatever it takes to explicitly play the treason card.  Instead, he weasels it like this: "Unlike Rick Perry, I don’t think it is treasonous to advocate easy money or tight money.  Treason is advocating policies that you know will hurt the country, because you hope you can derive political gain from America’s misfortune.  I’ll leave it to my readers to decide who should be charged with treason."

It's amazing that someone can suss the bull with such lucid candor, and still not poke it in the eye, though he does provide sticks.  Maybe this is what passes for subtlety among politically conservative neomonetarists.

Meanwhile --  are we screwed, or what?
.

2 comments:

fried said...

Treason is advocating policies that you know will hurt the country, because you hope you can derive political gain from America’s misfortune.

True, and true again. The desire of the Republican troika in Congress...boehner, cantor and mcconnell to pursue policies that undermine the economy and inflict maximum pain on 80% of Americans is seen by them as a political win.
Any effort to ameliorate the effects of the economic contraction must be derailed. Their stated aim is to destroy the presidency of Obama, and set themselves up for a power grab. And it is treasonous. And, it might not work. Yesterday's defeat of the GOP sponsored funding bill, sent the troika back to the drawing board. The dems and the tea party are forming an unholy alliance and refusing to dance to the troika's tune.
Need a stopgap bill by midnight on Sept. 30 or the government goes into shutdown mode...again. And, this latest defeat makes FEMA aid to flood victims in NJ and fire victims in Texas unfunded...might not play so well in those republican states.

Jazzbumpa said...

I hadn't thought it through to the FEMA level. You're right, of course. And you can add in the effects of the recent earthquake with its epicenter in Cantor territory.

The Rethugs have been overplaying their hand since the absurd Clinton impeachment. So far, it hasn't cost them anything, so they keep raising the stakes.

I'm not sure what will break first, public support for these lizard people, or the country itself.

I seriously fear that we will devolve into fascism. It's really not that big a stretch in the wake of Citizens United. The next prez will get to nominate at least 2 Supreme Court justices. If its a Rethug, then America is toast.

Alas,
JzB