More Weapons of Mass Distraction

Here we are on the eve of a possible, hourly looking more probable default by the U.S. government.  This is not feckless little Greece with one eye on Germany awaiting salvation; this is the (tiresome phrase) the world's sole superpower about to go under.  The U.S. has no Master Race to the North to look to; we are king of the mountain.  This morning (about five a.m.) I found myself posting this to the New York Times in response to one of Tom Friedman's minderbender pieces ("Sorry Kids, We Ate It All"):

"Seniors, Wall Street and unions.."

The post-Reagan American Plan: Decimate the union movement, keep the wages of the average worker stagnant to diminished, deregulate the financial sector, embed hidden inflation to artificially keep inflation low, favor the corporations. The post-Panic of 2008 Global Plan: After greed, institutionalized corruption and outright bungling lead a newly laissez-faire capitalist system into the greatest financial crisis in history, look to the average man and woman here  and throughout the globalized (flat Earth?) economy led by the U.S. to refinance the enormous debt and credit obligations that accumulated. In pursuit of the latter plan, have shameless journalists blame seniors and the few unions left for the mess, archly including Wall Street in their list of demons so they don't look completely detached from reality.

      I know.  Why do I bother?  The truth is I find it a bit therapeutic to vent in the Times.  (I'm a little disturbed right now because of my own financial decisions.  Sold my supposedly solid gold Berkshire Hathaway stock in anticipation of a crash--my hoped for hedge against inflation in a financial world that gives .0001% interest on savings.)  Then, when I had time to read what I had written and reflect on it a bit, I said to my self-satisfied self, "Self, how right you are!"  This led to further thoughts on the subject, admittedly, just speculation.  Remember that half a quadrillion dollars in debt (only nominal valuation we were assured--whatever consolation you want to take from that...) that was out there in the economic cosmos in the aftermath of 2008?  These jokers pull out the hair on their Congressional barber shop coiffed heads about a mere thirteen or so trillion in debt while their own debt makes $13,000,000,000,000 dollars look like chump change.  Let's see.  Only 467 trillion more to go.  They are not going to reach into their own deep pockets to bail themselves out--after all the DNA of the capitalist compels him to accumulate as much wealth as possible and then hold onto it through thick and thin--so they use every nefarious device their Wharton-trained wunderkinds can come up with to save their skins.   And although they spent thirty or forty years squeezing the little guys and gals, this is still the richest country in the world, so...let's squeeze them some more.   It's all so perfect.  Put a clueless Black Harvard graduate in the White House and let him take the fall.  Make it more interesting by creating the impression that it is those Dixiecrats from Texas and other such benighted zones in the homeland or the Tea Party that are to blame.  Just so long as you don't go knocking on the doors of Poor Old David Rockefeller and his pals for any contributions.

      Have you noticed how you are being nickeled and dimed to death by just about everyone in a position to squeeze a few pennies more out of you?  Prices of food, gasoline, just about everything go up and up (no inflation, remember), utilities and cable companies, banks and credit card issuers (in spite of Elizabeth Warren's tears) all more mercenary than ever, acting like pit bulls grabbing you by the neck and then slowly taking in more and more of your throat until you suffocate?  Why, they are behaving so desperately it's almost enough to make you feel sorry for them.  Almost.  It's almost enough to make you feel guilty accepting your social security check.  Gee, I guess they need it more than I do. I still have a few extra bucks.  Take it.  Please take it.  Let me help you refinance.  The over 40 million of our poor brothers and sisters can always serve Cheerios for dinner and the fat middle class can spread out visits to the dentist--or the cardiologist.  If there is another stock market crash like the last one that saw the Dow lose half of its value in a matter of weeks, it'll be one great buying opportunity.  We're all going to get richer!