There is irony in this cirisis

and well before you reach for them pitchforks, and we might get there, realize this... the RW prays at the altar of the Empire. Yep they do (as long as they don't have to fight in it). It ranges from Team B, all the way to PNAC (and strengthening America's Defenses.) Alas, we have reached the point that while they pray at that altar they are NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR IT... I mean, Taxed Enough Already, haven't you got the message?

The Empire is collapsing. No, it is not obvious yet, but it will be that much more expensive to keep troops in the field. THAT MUCH MORE expensive. So what happens when we can't afford to pay for them? The Empire is about to fall appart, and the irony of who is doing it, is just lovely.

the consequences of this... this goes well beyond just higher interest rates. That is just the beginning.

fax machines. Even the densest among them have to sense that the natives are restless. Maybe we should start drumming.

of those will not be easy

Peacefully?

"Life is hard. It's even harder when you're stupid."

pay for the Wars and let the Middle Class and Poor send their
Kids to fight it. This was true for Afghanistan War and Iraq
War. Bush gave Rich Tax cuts as he sent Middle Class and Poor
Kids to war. Nothing has changed. Republicans will not let
the tax cuts expire.

as my mom put it, the formerly grand country of the United States

People OUTSIDE the US get it. Americans, not so much.

:hi:

the corporate media is in the pocket of the Republicans and visa-versa and I have no doubt that should such a thing as you describe happen, as to which party or ideology will get the lion's share of the blame and it won't be the corporate supremacist, Republicans.

My own belief is that should a sudden collapse happen, the extremists; (Tea Party) will become even more empowered than they are now, their ilk preys and thrives on the passions of the people and I have lost any faith the corporate media under such circumstances would seriously attempt or be able to elevate reason and logic over emotion.

The expansion of the for profit prison industry suits the needs of the type of situation you describe, to house the American People when it all hits the fan, supporting a 21st century version of slavery as a means of cheap labor to help maintain the status quo, for as long as possible.

That's what the so called "War on Drugs" combined with ever decreasing tax cuts for the mega-wealthy was/is about a one/two punch at the power of people, the former by disenfranchising the people from their government and the latter by starving the peoples' elected representative government from being able to champion the peoples' justified causes and protect them from corporate abuse.

Thanks for the thread, nadinbrzezinski.

continents, we can't afford it. Them boys will be coming home.

As to the Tea Party et al... we are at the point of dysfunction that the only thing missing are bullets...

I almost expect a hot civil war to come.