I see a lot of people on DU saying a default will significantly hurt them

[Nuclear Unicorn]

I see a lot of other members of DU demanding no negotiations, no deals; the TP will be blamed so it's more important to teach them a lesson they won't soon forget.

My first impulse is to not see people unnecessarily hurt. These aren't abstract numbers in some news network's opinion poll, these are people you can talk to right now. So, now what?

[Fumesucker]

1. You seem to be under the impression that it's two entirely seperate groups

I'm not so sure that is the case.

The Republicans are playing a game of Chicken.

They've already won several times playing this game, give in again and it will be Chicken all the way down.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. There is a thread of fellow DUers discussing how they will be impacted

I didn't ask my question in that thread because it seemed out of place. However, I didn't see any of them giving a rallying war cry, which is what motivated me to ask.

[LiberalLoner]

10. My DH and I will be badly hurt. I write my politicians (D) every day asking them

To stand firm.

My losses are nothing compared to the possibility of the loss of democracy for our nation.

[aristocles]

2. There will be no default. Read the news this morning.

The sky is not fallling. Tempest in a teapot.

[Cha]

4. I want to look into your Crystal Ball.

[Le Taz Hot]

5. Most experts give it even odds at the moment.

What "news" did you read? If you're referring to the Senate, that news is heartening, but remember, all of this has to go to the lunatic-controlled House wherein Cantor is now in charge of deciding whether or not the vote goes to the floor. Think about that. Cantor, batshit crazy teaklanner Cantor, is in charge of this country's, the world's fate.

[RandiFan1290]

7. For some here

It's more important that the republicons get their way.

[Laelth]

17. I am advising clients to get some liquidity immediately.

If I am wrong, no great loss. They can invest in the Twitter IPO. If I am right, they'll have some cash as they watch their securities' value plummet.

I certainly hope you are right, but the fact is that the money-bags on Wall Street no longer control their beast, the Republican Party. How this plays out is anybody's guess, but there's a real risk of default, here, and I think it's naive to assume that everything will work itself out.

-Laelth

[Skidmore]

6. I'm not certain what else there is to do.

After you've called your legislators, what else is there to do? The TP doesn't give a flying fig what happens to people and have proven thus far to be resistant to pushback. None of them will suffer consequences in terms of reelection for another year and they are counting on people to forget it was them. Whatever happens now, it will take quite some time to recover from the damage these people have inflicted on the nation.

[Cha]

8. Well, there's already a lot of people hurt from the Government Shutdown..

and if the Gov Defaults.. millions and million of us won't get our SS checks that are our lifelines to paying mortgages, rent, food, etc etc. Not to mention all the people losing their Gov jobs en masse and the domino effect of all of it..

Just waiting to see what happens and it won't be long now..

thanks for your thread, NU

[scheming daemons]

9. a default will hurt everyone....and i mean EVERYONE

Including non Americans.

The US dollar is the base currency of the world.

A default will bring the whole world into recession, not just the US.

[Turbineguy]

11. Think of having a mortgage that you can barely afford the payments on.

Last edited Tue Oct 15, 2013, 09:24 AM - Edit history (1)

Now double or triple or even quadruple your interest rate. After that, cut your income in half.

[Laelth]

18. +1. n/t

-Laelth

[LisaLynne]

12. But what is the alertnative? Give the Republicans what they want?

And then next time, they do it again. And again. And again. Until they've destroyed everything good about this country. If you give the bully your lunch money once, he'll just be back the next day.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

14. Therein lies the rub

How many villages do we bomb before we have enough democracy? That's not a call to capitulation but we are, nonetheless, obligated to recognize the collateral damage. It's kind of gut-wrenching, honestly.

[LisaLynne]

16. If we continue to capitulate, then eventually, we end up with even more collateral...

damage, IMHO. At some point, you have to make a stand. I do understand what you are saying, and we do need to always weigh the costs very carefully.

I also think that "bombing villages" metaphor is a little misplaced here. There are better ways to bring democracy to the world than bombing, which is actually counter-productive, but I don't see any other way to advance a progressive agenda than standing up to the teabaggers.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. I'm informed by the ongoing endless timeline in which the rights of millions of

Americans like me are denied simply to please religious dogmas others wave about from a religion they don't even practice. When told that we are hurt by this, the others say 'poutrage, pony, pragmatic' they say 'can't won't plenty' they say 'I me mine' they say 'we don't care'.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

15. At least you have the virtue of knowing demanding your equal rights under the law

(and I include God's law in that statement) isn't going to cost anyone their already meager government check. You standing up for your God-given rights doesn't take bread out of anyone else's mouth; but as long as this debt ceiling fight plays out even those on the white hat side of the serial drama will be shooting widows and orphans.

[KharmaTrain]

19. Shutdown Vs. Default...

These are two separate issues that people are confused about. The government shutdown is a bad thing...and needs to be hung on the teabaggers and rushpublicans as much as possible. In this case the more the pain is felt, the worse is it for them. The shutdown is doing a lot of political damage and many would like to see that continue...thus favor holding a rigid line on re-opening the government. I'm one who wants to see them broken...totally capitulate and be willing to do with less government services in the process. I know that is not popular with those reliant on a government job with few resources or those who are losing services...and wish this mess hadn't happened in the first place. Unfortunately if the extortionists in the rushpublican party get their way, we'll have government by hostage for the next two years or longer.

The default is another story. That hurts everyone...either through the evaporation of savings and jobs or the associated rise in interest rates and prices. We could see a replay of the dark days of '07-'09 and the longer the government is in default the longer it will take for the economy to rebound.

It appears there'll be some bones thrown to the rushpublicans to avoid going off the cliff, but it's another band-aid. The hopes here is that there's been enough damage inflicted upon the rushpublicans and teabaggers by this fiasco to set off that long awaited circular firing squad that could consume that inept and corrupt party...