Debt Ceiling and CNN: The Liar Network Lies

Logical syllogism: 1. CNN thinks it, and other leftist Democrats, gained traction in the debate on "shutting down" the government by running stories about Social Security checks not going out, the military not being paid, etc. SCARE TACATICS, in other words, using propaganda. Therfore, CNN--as a leftist political action committee--is going to use this tactic whenever it can, whether or not it makes any sense. 2. The debt ceiling vote is a votte where such scare tactics seem plausible. 3. Therefore, CNN will run scare stories about how a vote against raising the debt ceiling will hurt ordinary citizens by keeping the military from being paid, stopping Social Security checks, etc. Okay. I admit I cheated. I KNEW CNN had done exactly what I describe above (today, Wednesday) before I typed it. This was not a case of my famous foresight, although I could have predicted it. Yes, CNN actually said today that failing to raise the debt ceiling will cause the military not to be paid and Social Security checks not to go out. This is a LIE. The Federal Government has money, and is getting more all of the time. Further, the present debt ceiling already allows the BORROWING of TRILLIONS of dollars (our debt). What we are talking about is a proposed INCREASE in the debt ceiling, meaning we can borrow MORE. Failing to authorize this does NOT "shut down" the government. It does not even mean we automatically "default" on our debt. We would just be unable to BORROW more. Now don't be misled. We NEED to borrow more, because we are still spending way beyond our means. We don't have the money. But we can manipulate funds, and use the money we DO have, in such a way as to not cause much immediatge effect when we reach the present debt ceiling. Contrary to the LIARS at CNN (The Liar Network), the main danger here is NOT that Social Security checks will fail to go out, or that the military will not be paid. That will not happen--and, in fact, cannot happen. Again, we will still have MONEY. We just won't be able to BORROW more. That means that everything will continue pretty much as normal, as the crunch GRADUALLLY occurs. Yes, it is not clear exactly what happens when we reach the point that we don't have the money, and can't borrow it. Do we "pro-rate"? Notice that Social Security checks will still go out, but maybe a 1% reduction will occur. That is hardly no Social Seucirty checks going out. Same with military pay. The government is NOT shut down. It just can't borrow any MORE NET MONEY (as it still can maintain present borrowing). And it is LIKELY that things like Social Security and military pay will not be affected at all, as we simply hold off parying for less essential things. Not so bad, right? Right. Except. The economic fascists on Wall Street, and in the "international community", are going to get real nervoijs if it appears their gravy train is about to be derailed. Despite the CNN propaganda lies, the ONLY real immediate danger here is that the economy of the U.S. and the world will be adversely affected by panic. Further, of course, Republicans in general are NOT saying that the budget must be "balanced" in 2012. What Repubicans are saying (see previious article) is that we have to have a SERIOUIS move toward fiscal discipline before they will vote for increasing the debt limit. I would, ad do, take the same position. And the results of "playig chicken" here are NOT so obvious as shutting down the government (where even there nothing really serious would occur for a long time) . If we don't raise the debt ceiling, it will be MONTHS before anyone will notice. It would be YEARS before we would have to put a BIG crimp in Social Security and military payments. So much for the LIES of CNN. The propaganda scare tactics. But what should we do? Lots of things. Paul Ryan has suggested some. And it is DEMOCRATS who would rather endanger Social Security payments than cut money for UNNECESSARY things like Planned Parenthood and NPR/PBS. But what about reducing Federal salaries 25% ? Sounds "harsh"? Not so. My older daughter had her salary reduced by abut 1/3 becaues of the recessioin. My brother (one of them) had his salary reduced a full 70%. Federal employees--including Congress--now earn MORE, on average, than private employees. WHY? We can't afford it. I am willing to flatly state that we should reduce all Federal salaries at least 10%--subject to being reinstated when we have the money. 25% is not, in fact, unreasonable, but probably politically impossible. And what aobut PENSIONS. Federal employees have much too generous pensiion benefits--especailly Congress. So far as I knoiw, a Congress person is entitled to FULL SALARY for life, AFTER ONE TERM. I still don't understand why people have not taken up their pitchforks and invaded Washington (as in "Frankenstein"), over this particular outrage. Federal pensions should be more in line with private pensions. WE DO NOT HAVE TGHE MONEY. When that happens to private businesses, they have to cut back DRASTICALLY. The Federal Government fails to cut back at all. At best, it stops INCREASING SO FAST. It should not be increasing at all, but swhould be substantially DECREASING--however we have to do it. I will address taxes in another article. P.S. You know, it boggles my mind. Back to no paragraphing, after one article where my frist screen showed the same paragraphing as the final, published product. But onlyl one article. Would it be too paranoid of me to sugget that Googe is trying to drive me actually crazy? Yes, I agree it probably would be too paranoid, but it is driving me nuts. I don't get published what the screen shows, AND it changes from day to day for no apparent reason. My younger and older daughters are in Mexico for my older daughter's 30th birthday ()yes, her life is OVER--as is true of all women at 30). When (if?) they get back, I am gong to try to solve this once an for all. You may not think enough of my paragraphing to even care, ubt it is really getting to annoy me (assuming my final screen accurately reflects what everyone else is seeing, and even if it is just my computer it is annoying).