So, are they gonna do a Thelma & Louise?

[Jackpine Radical]

Will the Republicans drive it off the cliff, or will they surrender? Or will the Dems offer them some small face-saving concessions? Could the whole thing be some bit of theater they're putting on for our entertainmnt while other things go through in the background?

I'm not doing this as a poll because I wanna hear actual opinions.

Personally, I'm really concerned that they will run it into the wall. I've expressed my opinion that it would be a terrible mistake for the Dems to give in to the Tea-rrorists, and I stand with that. It's entirely on THEM. The pain will be awful. I have skin in the game--the debt ceiling will swallow most of my income until there is a resolution. But I think we have to stand firm now because if we give in, the last shred of democracy is lost and we will have fallen under the power of a small, well-financed bunch of zealots who will come back for more and more, like an insatiable blackmailer.

[ruffburr]

1. One thing for sure-

They get their way there will be no end to the extortion demands till the whole country looks like Detroit,

[Jackpine Radical]

4. I agree entirely.

And I shudder to think of the harm that will come from a default. There are no good answers; if the Republicans have their way, people will suffer and die. If they continue their tantrum while Democrats stand firm and let the default happen, people will suffer and die. But I think fewer will be hurt in the latter case. It's sort of a harm-reduction paradigm. However, anyone--including me--who is confronted by the immediacy of lost income will be sorely tempted to sell their more distant future in exchange for immediate relief. It's just human to respond that way. I understand it, and my empathy and compassion are fully activated. But it's sort of like the case of a compassionate surgeon who wants to do you a grave injury with his scalpel now in order to give you some prospect of a better quality of life in the future.

The one thing I can think of to help is for us to be generous with each other. Maybe DU needs to put more attention into the Make a Wish foundation & OneGrassRoot. I've given money that way in the past & will do so again, to the extent I can.

[Jamastiene]

11. That is true.

It is almost like a no win situation. Giving in to their demands is bad. Default is going to be bad. They should be considered traitors for this bullshit they are pulling.

And to top it all off, they are having some kind of three ring circus on the veterans' monuments complete with a Confederate flag waving around, from what I read. It is like they are having a big racist KKK/neo-Nazi rally/party while undermining the very existence of the country.

They should be tried as traitors for this shit they have pulled, imo. I know it is just my opinion and probably not possible to try them under any current laws, but I can't help but wish for it. What law could be cited? I don't know, maybe the Patriot Act. That is an extremely flexible law when it comes to drumming up excuses, uhm, reasons to charge people with terrorism).

I'm happy to see the Democratic Party standing strong against those teabaggers, but worried for the sake of the country because of this horrendous hostage situation the teabaggers have pulled here.

[bobGandolf]

16. kudos for comment! I agree. n/t

[bemildred]

2. Cliff.

But it's not up to them now, I think. They are rocking the boat, discrediting the Kabuki theater, there will be consequences. People's positions are being threatened.

So, I dunno what happens Thursday, but these guys are going down. This is the Joe McCarthy moment here.

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. All I can say is that I am afraid.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Migod, do I share that feeling with you!

[maryellen99]

6. me too

I really think we are headed for default.

[Jamastiene]

7. I am not entertained.

If this is the Republicans' idea of entertainment, where is the gong or some rotten tomatoes? I'll take either, happily.

I don't think they are going to come to an agreement. I think this is maybe possibly the beginning of something hideous thing teabaggers have planned, some kind of coup. It will not be pretty. The whole damn bunch should be arrested for treason or whichever charge it is where they try to undermine the US as a country. Sorry for the discombobulated reply. It's been a rough day and my brain isn't working as good as usual.

[CreekDog]

8. No, they won't do a Thelma and Louise

Thelma and Louise didn't have 300 million unwilling passengers in the back seat.

[Rex]

10. +1

nt.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. I gotta give you points on that one.

[2naSalit]

9. To answer your question

Yup.

I have only the "what's left" of what I once had to lose, that being my housing, chance for income - all my funds were spent on this month's rent already - and what food I can fit in my vehicle and that will be repossessed in a few months but I can probably weather the winter in it being an SUV and hopefully migrate to some place where I can camp out for the duration.

It is what it is and all I can do is try to survive in the most basic manner at this point. It's gonna be a cold-assed winter for most of us.

[Southside]

12. We will have a deal or food subsidies stop in November

"What this means if there’s not a deal, if Congress doesn’t reach a deal to get federal government back up and running, in Utah about 100,000 families won’t get food stamp benefit,” says Tibbits.

http://fox13now.com/2013/10/14/utah-families-on-food-stamps-could-be-cut-off-soon/


The debt ceiling will be raised or the GOP will wake up a sleeping giant. This cannot and will not happen. For all the racial talk about SNAP (WIC, EBT cards etc), food subsidies help families in every state blue to red, across race and ethnicity. We don't have enough food banks to handle that many families.

If the Tea Party thought Occupy Wall Street was a big national protest, wait to see the protest if food subsidies are stopped. Nothing will compare to that ensuing outrage from the left and maybe from governors on the right as well.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. Like the old Kristofferson lyrics (as sung by Janis Joplin)--

"Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose."



(Ironic--this apparently comes from a Tea Party website)

[Southside]

18. That really scares me

So many people fighting just to get by. They get ridiculed as takers and what are they taking a $250 subsidy to feed their families or $650 to house their families.

Take that away, what do they have left to smile about. Crazy we are going to risk taking that from them. The Koch brothers think no can touch them, but we are all in this together. That nurse taking off their depends might be an Obama supporter.

[karadax]

17. The EBT "glitch" this past weekend..

showed that corporations are willing to take the hit rather than have their employees face angry mobs of people that want groceries. The Walmart stores highlighted in the news called the corporate office for instructions and the brass told them to accept no limits.

I've read in places where some think this past weekend was a "test" to see how everyone would react if the benefits stopped flowing. I don't necessarily buy that but I am relieved to know that perhaps stores will do the right thing if default does happen and the food pantries are overwhelmed.

[Southside]

19. I think some stores shut down. We've had other tests.

After hurricane Sandy, we had tests at a lot of gas stations. Police officers at every gas station. People get upset when they forced to go without common comforts.

[seabeyond]

14. i need to go to the grocery store. is this like before a blizzard, stock up on comfort food? nt