The editors of the Washington Post urge action on the federal budget:
The big picture here is that, at a time when financial markets are already showing serious signs of stress caused by events in China, Europe and emerging economies, U.S. politics loom as yet another source of uncertainty rather than stability. The increasingly populist, decreasingly sensible election season discourse in this country is veering far away from practical issues — such as how best to raise and spend money for public purposes at the federal level — that ultimately determine the economic well-being of Americans and, indeed, the world. Instead, the ostensibly most powerful nation on earth has a federal budget patched together out of temporary law and borrowed private savings — and all of the people who aspire to lead that nation are talking about other things.
all of which underscores the basic problem with a political strategy that does not build coalitions but rather makes each succeeding accomplishment that much more difficult.
Should Democrats and Republicans collaborate in solving the country’s problems? Sure. Start building bridges rather than setting bonfires.
The increasingly populist, decreasingly sensible election season discourse in this country is veering far away from practical issues
Such as who gets to be in the country? How much should we allow corporations and billionaires to depress wages by importing cheaper foreign labor? Whether or not a small elite should be able to dictate policy against the will of the people?
Yeah, those aren’t practical issues. The editorial writers of the Washington Post can go fuck themselves.
(And I say that as someone who is NOT a Trump supporter.)
Congressional approval ratings have been hovering in the low teens for years. Yet, we keep re-electing (for the most part) the same bums. Bridges aren’t coming anytime soon.
Steve