Now Is The Time

[Timbuk3]

If I was POTUS, this is what I'd do TODAY. I'd tell the American people, and businesses, what's going to happen.

First, we're not going to default. Not Tuesday, not ever.

We have enough income to pay our creditors.

The 14th amendment demands that we pay them. We will.

What's unclear is if we'll have that income in the future, so we'll need a savings account.

What this means to all of you is that until the congress sends me A CLEAN BILL TO RAISE THE DEBT CEILING THROUGH AT LEAST 2013, the only bills that will be paid by the Federal Government are the interest (and principal, where necessary) on the debt, and certain "emergency" services.

An example of an "emergency" service is providing sufficient funds to bring all of our troops home from overseas. Not just Iraq and Afghanistan. We're going to close our bases in North Korea, Japan, and Germany, too. No American soldiers will be stationed anywhere but on American soil. All ships at sea will be called to their home ports. Most soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines will be furloughed until this "crisis" is resolved.

No social security checks will go out until further notice. No funds will be provided to medicare or medicaid.

Government offices will be closed. National parks will be closed.

A small number of military personnel will be retained on duty to guard those facilities.

All remaining income will be deposited in a savings account.

This failure of congress to raise the debt ceiling will result in MASSIVE layoffs. There will be fewer people working, so there will be fewer revenues in the future. American MUST save any extra income in anticipation that congress will never solve its inability to negotiate a neutral, balanced solution to this problem.

I urge you to mail, email, or call your congressmen and women to urge them to put a quick end to this situation, but until congress resolves it I have no other choice. The full faith a credit of the USA is at stake.

Prepare for the worst.

That is all.

[snappyturtle]

1. Wow! Have I missed something? I've only been away from my computer for

a short time.....your proposal is so drastic.

[Timbuk3]

3. Drastic times

call for drastic measures.

Give American what it voted for.

Gridlock and a government that doesn't function.

[pintobean]

2. We're lucky you're not POTUS. n/t

[Timbuk3]

4. Why?

Because having a "trigger" that cuts medicare and SS if cuts aren't made to medicare and SS is "better"?

[abelenkpe]

5. There's a trigger in the compromise being consider now?

Any dem that considers that a win is a fool.

[Timbuk3]

6. That's my understanding

As I understand it, Obama agrees to it, too, so it will be signed into law. Thereby giving the GOP another lever of power.

Please note that I view this as a failure of congress, not a failure of the POTUS. I'm not here to start a flame war between Obama supporters and detractors.

But if this bill passes they've succeeded in taking SS and medicare away from us.

George Carlin was right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYIC0eZYEtI

[BiggJawn]

7. So we bring all of our troops worldwide home. THEN what?

Hundreds of thousands of newly-mustered-out people walking into a 10% unemployment buzzsaw.

"Government offices will be closed". Uh, yeah, like the EPA? The FDA? Yeah, food inspections, who needs those? just take some Pepto.

No Social Security cheques? No Medicare?

And you think measures like this would protect the "full faith a credit of the USA"?

Stupid is as stupid does, I guess...

[Timbuk3]

9. I can see that no one gets it

I don't expect that those fat fucks riding around in their Medicare paid hoverrounds at the Glenn Beckkk tent revival would be quite as supportive of their teabagger representatives when the SS checks stopped.

Why is everyone opposed to giving America what it voted for?

"Progressives" who stayed home during the last election because they didn't get their rainbow-farting unicorn soon enough, so-called "centrists" (who are really just low information voters) who voted for the GOP because they thought they'd create jobs, and the aforementioned teabagger brigade elected a dysfunctional congress. On purpose.

So it's somehow better to surrender what we've paid into SS and medicare to the wealthy than to let the voters feel the pain they brought on themselves?

Maybe you can explain how?

[BiggJawn]

11. The "fat fucks on the hoverrounds" would just go on blaming Obama.

Maybe you should use the "sarcasm" smiley next time?

[MadHound]

8. Ah yes, the "DIE NOW" plan

Are you sure you're on the right board?

[Timbuk3]

10. I'm on the right board

Sometimes standing strong means you feel a little pain.

Right now they're negotiating a "trigger"; cut medicare and SS by November, or it will automatically be cut.

Is that your preference?