Cheap Marie Antoinette Reference

It's almost comi tragic to look at the VERY SERIOUS debate about the dueling budget proposals in Congress.

Like, here's the lowdown.

We cut taxes a whole bunch cuz it's popular! We did that for 30 years. We cut them for everyone, of course. But, we let the rich get the biggest slice of the pie cuz why not. Maybe they'll take pity and toss some to some poor people.

Hey, while we cut taxes, we can slowly let businesses creep in and expand their control. We spend 30 years letting business make more and more money without significantly raising wages. Workers are barely keeping up with inflation. Brilliant!

We earn less and less but, don't worry, we cut taxes so we don't notice as much. And, hey, we can slowly destroy the safety net. We spend 30 years snipping the cords. Lose your job in 1970, you'll get a significant chance to get back on your feet. Come down with a debilitating disease in 1970, there's a good chance you'll be able to live with modest dignity.

Lose your job in 2008? lol! Good luck. Need social security disability in 2007? Early onset Alzheimer's keeping you outta work? Well, look at it this way. At least you won't remember how miserable the two year wait for benefits was.

30 years later, we wake up on the tightrope. We waged two massive wars without raising taxes and passed unfunded mandates. Shit, we actually kept CUTTING taxes, we have no money. Plus we had to give piles of money to the banks when they shit the bed!

Shit, we can't raise taxes, the stagnant wages we cultivated will demolish anyone making less that $100k.

And, look--Christ--the businesses took advantage of us, fucked up the economy, and now we need to pay for all these people out of work, retiring into poverty, or working two jobs while in poverty!

Goddammit, what do we do?

Somebody call Paul Ryan. We need to cut this debt. Tell him to cut spending. We can't raise taxes cuz the rich asked us not to.

The poor? Let them eat cake.

Image from Flickr user DonkeyHotey