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Cali_Democrat

(30,439 posts) Sun Oct 6, 2013, 09:04 PM Oct 2013

Dear President Obama: don't cave to the GOP's extortion politics

Michael Cohen
Sunday 6 October 2013 07.30 EDT

The shutdown is political blackmail. If Democrats give in, the GOP will keep putting the US democracy and economy at risk

To a casual observer of American politics the ongoing government shutdown and prospect of a cataclysmic debt default in the next two weeks may look like just another round of "DC dysfunction" between two parties hopelessly polarized and ideologically divided. It's not.

While the government shutdown is nominally about the Republican crusade against Obamacare, the issues at stake are far bigger than one law or even one president or one Congress. In reality, the psychodrama playing out in Washington is about the future of democracy in America.

And no, I'm not exaggerating. Unless the GOP's brand of extortion politics is thwarted, America's democratic institutions will be so badly subverted that the nation will simply find itself in the position of staggering from one manufactured crisis to another with potentially both political parties threatening economic and political Armageddon if they don't get their way. That is, quite simply, no way to run a democracy and it's why the only option facing President Obama and the Democratic party is to win this showdown and force the GOP to concede defeat.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/06/obama-shutdown-dont-cave-republicans

3 replies

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Highlight:

Dear President Obama: don't cave to the GOP's extortion politics (Original Post) Cali_Democrat Oct 2013 OP

K and R Faryn Balyncd Oct 2013 #1

I'm sure he knows and agrees. Kablooie Oct 2013 #2

Wall Street and many of the 1%ers won't allow the default Iliyah Oct 2013 #3

Faryn Balyncd

(5,125 posts)

1. K and R

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Sun Oct 6, 2013, 09:38 PM

Oct 2013

Kablooie

(18,638 posts)

2. I'm sure he knows and agrees.

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Sun Oct 6, 2013, 10:44 PM

Oct 2013

but he can't allow the debt ceiling not to be raised either.

It's a difficult challenge.
If the world economy crashes, even if it's the Reps fault, Obama will have to shoulder the blame from the world.

If Dems ever get in charge of the whole Congress they'd better work quickly to eliminate this wormhole in our laws because the worms love routing it out bigger and bigger.

Iliyah

(25,111 posts)

3. Wall Street and many of the 1%ers won't allow the default

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Oct 7, 2013, 12:09 AM

Oct 2013

because it will ruin "them", and they can careless about the world as long as it don't eff them. As far as the minerals/rocks like gold, silver, that will tank as well. Dollar downgraded another will emerge and again it won't be rock. And most corporations don't want that. So Pres O can sit and watch the GOPers destory each other and I hope they take the whole party down, piece by piece.

America will be fine.

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