I can hear 50 million seniors saying "Fuck it! Default already."

[TahitiNut]

After all, when it comes to the 'choice' of fucking seniors or fucking EVERYONE, then the latter is the only "FAIR & BALANCED" choice. That means default.

A paradigm: A 2-year-old found a live hand grenade in daddy's foot locker. He's absolutely enthralled by all the attention he's now getting. It's wonderful to be the center of the Universe when you're a 2-year-old. What that means is... HE'LL DO IT AGAIN.

[closeupready]

1. Yes. Agreed.

K&R

[hlthe2b]

2. I share your cynisism... and welcome back TN

I haven't seen you in some time. Why is it that ten years of RETHUG shit continues to reverberate? Why do Americans never seem to learn what these ugly selfish cretins are all about? sigh....

[TahitiNut]

4. The public is awash in disinformation.

We're seeing the end of the "Age of Reason" and a resurrection of the Dark Ages theme of "facts are the tools of Satan to test our Faith." In such sewage, prideful ignorance reigns supreme and revisionist history holds sway over all. I'm seeing the lowest public commitment to reason and rational thought in my 68-year lifetime. Never before have I seen such trivialization of "facts" and sneering dismissal of science. The 30-years-war against our education system and demonization of educators has taken a severe toll.


When was the last time you heard ANY elected official credit the Age of Reason for the very founding of the United States? (Me neither.)


(FWIW: I believe this perspective is seminal in gaining a better understanding of Our Times.)

[formercia]

I found a Grenade in my Daddy's footlocker

It was a MKII souvenir from WWII. I was 8 Years old at the time. The filler and detonator had been removed, but everything else was still there. I looked out the attic window and saw the upstairs neighbor coming up the walk, so I pulled the pin and tossed it his way. He heard the ping of the spoon and striker and saw it rolling down the walk. He dove for the dirt and when nothing happened, he looked up and saw me grinning from the attic window.
I did get a lot of attention. I was sore for days afterwords.

[TahitiNut]

7. Those were "training" grenades.

They were very common "war surplus" when I was growing up (post-WW2) and used for paperweights or curiosities.

[formercia]

10. It wasn't a Training Grenade

He was a Demolitions Specialist and deactivated it himself. It was Olive Drab with a yellow band around the Neck, signifying that it was HE.
This was 1954, and our Neighbor had just returned from Combat Duty in Korea. He knew exactly what it was. Talk about Flashback...he was pissed, to say the least.

[stevedeshazer]

3. +1

[EFerrari]

5. Tahiti Nut!

Fuck it! Default already!

[TahitiNut]

6. !

:hug:

[L0oniX]

8. Me and wife are moving to French Polynesia soon ....got a bigger sail boat.

So yea ...fuck it!

[Le Taz Hot]

24. Oh, fine!

Rub it in! :tthhhhhppptttt!!!!: ;-) I could live the rest of my life out on Moorea but, as an American, they won't let me stay anymore than 6 months. Congratulations for being able to pull it off.

[TahitiNut]

27. You and me both. Moorea is superb.

Sadly, I can't find a Tahitian to marry me or let me adopt them.

[Fire1]

9. HEY THERE!!!! Where on earth have you been??? So good

to "see" you!!! LOL!!!

[pitohui]

11. no you can't hear any such thing and you KNOW you can't

this post makes absolutely no sense

if you're one of the "old old" the difference between a default that happens a decade from now (or a default that happens never) is way different from a "default already" which might have the effect of ending your life in a few days, if you're much too old to work or to have any other way to bring in $$$ -- the social security and medicare checks must go out on time, they simply must, for money is required to buy people's very ability to survive

find another way to deal with the two year old that doesn't involve daring the child to fling the grenade

i've suggested it several times and i still don't see why my idea wouldn't work --i say to have federal law enforcement arrest every GOP obstructionist in congress or the media who is profiting by the threat of default -- since they are able to influence the market, they had DAMN well better not have any short stock, hedge funds, precious metals etc. that are set to rise because of all this nonsense or they need to be arrested -- clear conflict of interest

if the two year old is in federal prison he is not in a position to "do it again"

this i think is a much better idea than "default already" which will result in the deaths of many older people who don't have the means to survive an interruption in money and survival supplies like food, medicine, and air conditioning (during heat advisories which are frequent this summer) -- someone over 75 can die within hours of heat stroke

[William769]

12. +1.

:thumbsup:

[Rex]

14. Agree. Much better idea.

[TahitiNut]

19. Utter (chicken little) nonsense.

(I won't pretend to be arrogant and condescending and say "you KNOW it.")

Without understating how serious and economically catastrophic a default would be, it must be understood that it's not the equivalent of a shutdown. Some payments would continue, and OASDI/HI benefits would almost certainly be among the continued payments.



http://jaredbernsteinblog.com/tca-yrevocer/

I could argue that earmarked OASDI/HI inflows would be adequate, in and of themselves, to pay current benefits and that the application of such funds for any other purpose would be unlawful, but it seems we're Through The Looking Glass so such rationalisms do little to douse the hair-on-fire conflagration.

[treestar]

13. My sympathies are limited to those Seniors who did not vote

Republican or stay home to teach the Democrats a lesson. I know many elderly right wingers who voted Republican.

[onyourleft]

20. My sympathies are with...

...all of them as this is the age of disinformation.

[MoonRiver]

15. I so want Obama to stand up to these blackmailing bottom feeders.

Let them reap what they have sown. :mad:

[Stinky The Clown]

16. NuT!!

Yo!

Good to see you.

[TahitiNut]

17. !

:hi:

[unkachuck]

18. K&R....n/t

[OwnedByFerrets]

21. Actually they are saying " Raise the fucking limit and leave my

shit alone".

[TahitiNut]

26. Sadly, that's not on the menu.

It's Sophie's Choice ... the US held hostage by 2-year-olds with hand grenades.

[Le Taz Hot]

22. And WHERE have YOU been?

Glad to see you're still alive and kicking. I've missed your voice on DU.
:hi: :luvya:

[TahitiNut]

25. Lurking.

Sometimes the (same-old-shit) on DU is more than I want to tolerate. Nit-picking, hair-splitting, nay-saying, and superficial 'pop' discourse wears thin sometimes. I tend to like a more calm and reasoned examination of many perspectives and considerations ... not bomb-throwing and knee-jerk ad hominems.

:silly:

Oh... btw ... :hug: Love ya, Taz. :loveya:

[Dark]

23. so why aren't they saying that about the rich? Line seems to be, kill programs for poor, middle

class, but don't raise taxes on the rich.

[me b zola]

28. Where you been?!

Damn good to "see" you. :hi:

And yeah, most of us (i'm not a senior, tho) are damned sick of being held hostage by greed.