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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRepublicans are creating their own worst economic nightmare
http://www.salon.com/2013/01/15/republicans_are_creating_their_own_worst_economic_nightmare/
Tuesday, Jan 15, 2013 02:28 PM EST
Republicans are creating their own worst economic nightmare
Hitting the debt ceiling could set off a global financial panic -- and plunge us even deeper into our fiscal crisis
By Jamelle Bouie, The American Prospect
snip//
Republicans insist that we can hit the ceiling andbecause the federal government will continue to take in moneypay our debts without any damage to the economy. We should pass a bill out of the House saying there will be certain priorities attached to certain things, namely payment of debt services and payment of our military, said Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey last week, during an interview on Laura Ingrahams radio show.
Putting aside the technical problems with this schemeprioritization wont work if debt service obligations exceed revenues on any given daytheres the simple fact that this just underscores the extent to which the United States has devolved to banana-republic status. When the richest country in the world cant figure out a way to pay its debtseven as investors are eager to purchase Treasury bondsits a problem.
To wit, ratings agencies are threatening, again, to downgrade the United States if we hit our debt ceiling, regardless of whether were able to resolve the problem or pay our bondholders. Why? Because we will have proven, again, that were an unreliable country. Heres a statement from Fitch, a credit ratings agency:
With no legal authorisation for net debt issuance, the Treasury would be forced to immediately eliminate the deficit a fiscal contraction twice as great as the recently avoided fiscal cliff by delaying payments on commitments as they fall due. It is not assured that the Treasury would or legally could prioritise debt service over its myriad of other obligations, including social security payments, tax rebates and payments to contractors and employees. Arrears on such obligations would not constitute a default event from a sovereign rating perspective but very likely prompt a downgrade even as debt obligations continued to be met.
Its worth noting the irony in all of this. Republicans insist on using the debt ceiling as leverage for spending cuts because, they argue, were in the midst of a spending crisis, hence our large deficits and growing debt. This is nonsense: At the moment, we face a large gap between what we are producing, and what we can produce. To close that gap, we have to spend, and the government remains the best entity for doing this, given stagnant wages and high unemployment.
But even if that werent true, even if our spending and deficits were too high, the Republican strategy of provoking debt crises is counterproductive. It doesnt lead to less spending, and it doesnt lead to lower debt. Instead, it destroys financial trust in the United States, and makes it more expensive for us to borrow and finance our operations. And if we hit the debt ceiling, it could lead to global financial panic. Thus accomplishing everything Republicans say will happen if we dont reduce our debt.
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Republicans are creating their own worst economic nightmare (Original Post)
babylonsister
Jan 2013
OP
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)1. The Republican Party = Global Terrorists. n/t