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xchrom

(108,903 posts) Tue Oct 22, 2013, 08:37 AM Oct 2013

The Coming Grand Bargain: 'We're All Neoliberals Now'

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/10/22-0

After the U.S. government shutdown you'd expect Republicans and Democrats to remain at each others’ throats, so different was their vision for the country, or so it appeared.

In reality, however, only a bit of the political theater was reserved for "Tea Party" Republicans to invest in their political future by denouncing Obamacare, which they know will enrage millions of people forced to buy shoddy corporate health care; many of these future victims of Obamacare will become diehard Teapartiers.

But the real intent behind the government shutdown was lost on the mute American media. The Republicans were once again allowed to use the threat of government default to steer the Obama administration to the right — the right-leaning tail wagging the dog of government in the direction of a "Grand Bargain" to cut "entitlement" programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and other public services.

But like real dogs, government body and tail cannot be separated: the Democrats are allowing themselves to be "wagged" because they fully agree with the Republican's neoliberal agenda.

5 replies

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The Coming Grand Bargain: 'We're All Neoliberals Now' (Original Post) xchrom Oct 2013 OP

Time To Mount A "Lift The Cap" Campaign...... global1 Oct 2013 #1

+1 xchrom Oct 2013 #2

Absolutely! Those programs should be untouchable. LuvNewcastle Oct 2013 #3

Don't worry: the Tea Party will save us (I'm serious) Proud Public Servant Oct 2013 #4

You could be right. LuvNewcastle Oct 2013 #5

global1

(25,253 posts)

1. Time To Mount A "Lift The Cap" Campaign......

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 09:09 AM

Oct 2013

Check out this link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023871310

Don't let them toy with SS, Medicare and Obamacare.

Lift the Cap is an easy fix for SS. We need to get this message out.

xchrom

(108,903 posts)

2. +1

Reply to global1 (Reply #1)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 09:12 AM

Oct 2013

LuvNewcastle

(16,846 posts)

3. Absolutely! Those programs should be untouchable.

Reply to global1 (Reply #1)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 09:28 AM

Oct 2013

Whatever needs to be done to save them should be done. Lifting the cap is the best solution.

Proud Public Servant

(2,097 posts)

4. Don't worry: the Tea Party will save us (I'm serious)

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 09:42 AM

Oct 2013

I absolutely believe that President Obama is willing to sit down at the bargaining table and Dog Food Commission away the safety net; I believe this because he's said he will, repeatedly. But the Tea Party, God bless 'em, has been remarkably steadfast in their refusal to give the President anything, ever, even if he's putting Dem sacred cows on the table. So there's no need to worry; a "Grand Bargain" requires both sides to give up something, and the Teahadists will keep the GOP from ever doing that.

LuvNewcastle

(16,846 posts)

5. You could be right.

Reply to Proud Public Servant (Reply #4)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 09:56 AM

Oct 2013

The teabaggers are mostly older people who are just now receiving their Social Security, and they aren't going to put up with cuts. They might even support a tax raise if it will save SS and Medicare.

I think it's very important that we keep talking about where all that money went -- to the wealthy. Most Americans don't know where it went; in fact, they just think there's a shortfall and it's because they didn't pay in enough all these years. The good Democrats need to really put out the word on who that money went to and how we can make those people pay it back.

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