This is what happens when there is a public record

You get the inevitable flip flop:

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.

Barack Obama, 16 Mar 2006

By August 2nd, we run out of tools to make sure that all our bills are paid. So that is a hard deadline. And I want everybody to understand that this is a jobs issue. This is not an abstraction. If the United States government, for the first time, cannot pay its bills, if it defaults, then the consequences for the U.S. economy will be significant and unpredictable. And that is not a good thing.

Barack Obama, 29 Jun 2011

So, what happened? Obama went from being a Senator attacking the opposition President to the President fending off such attacks. That’s how politics works.

My view:

I spoke to RT America about the mockery of a sham that is US public discourse on the debt ceiling issue. First of all, the US government creates dollars. They can always manufacture more if they so choose. It’s a rubbish argument to suggest the US is going bankrupt because of its deficit spending. Second, If people want to reduce deficits, cut spending or increase tax revenue by creating jobs or raising tax rates. It’s as simple as that. The debt ceiling issue is "a farce It’s a sideshow. It really shouldn’t happen." It is politics pure and simple –cynical and dangerous politics to be sure. I say a deal will be reached but only after an irresponsible period of posturing and pandering for the 2012 elections. Of course, the tail risk – default – is there.

"It’s a farce, it’s a sideshow, it really shouldn’t happen"

P.S. – See also:

1 Comment
  1. NOTaREALmerican says

    People that are calling it a side show and a farce are thinking like economists. The average American doesn’t understand that “the US government can create dollars”. What it does understand is the government shouldn’t be able to “create something for nothing”.

    Economics isn’t a science. When you remove the morals from economics it’s kinda tough to know what purpose is left for it.

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