That Bad Ceiling Feeling: Unlike the Fiscal Cliff the Debt Ceiling Is the Real Deal | Common Dreams

That Bad Ceiling Feeling: Unlike the Fiscal Cliff the Debt Ceiling Is the Real Deal | Common Dreams
"Yup, that’s right. The debt ceiling is upon us again and Republicans are showing every sign that they will once again attempt to hold the country hostage to force a “grand bargain” they hope will result in major cuts to Social Security and Medicare."

Chris Hedges on the Fiscal Cliff ‘Ruse’ - Truthdig

Chris Hedges on the Fiscal Cliff ‘Ruse’ - Truthdig
"And what exactly is taking place is not a pretty picture, according to Hedges. The Truthdig columnist says the fiscal cliff is really “a massive debt peonage by the 1 percent” that is meant to enslave everyone and everything from citizens and states all the way up to the federal government." 

America’s Deceptive 2012 Fiscal Cliff » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

America’s Deceptive 2012 Fiscal Cliff » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"Wall Street lobbyists blame unemployment and the loss of industrial competitiveness on government spending and budget deficits – especially on social programs – and labor’s demand to share in the economy’s rising productivity. The myth (perhaps we should call it junk economics) is that (1) governments should not run deficits (at least, not by printing their own money), because (2) public money creation and high taxes (at lest on the wealthy) cause prices to rise. The cure for economic malaise (which they themselves have caused), is said to beless public spending, along with more tax cuts for the wealthy, who euphemize themselves as “job creators.” Demanding budget surpluses, bank lobbyists promise that banks can provide the economy with enough purchasing power to grow. Then, when this ends in crisis, they insist that austerity can squeeze out enough income to enable private-sector debts to be paid.

The reality is that when banks load the economy down with debt, this leaves less to spend on domestic goods and services while driving up housing prices (and hence the cost of living) with reckless credit creation on looser lending terms. Yet on top of this debt deflation, bank lobbyists urge fiscal deflation: budget surpluses rather than pump-priming deficits."

The Fiscal Cliff Is Just An Early Battle In A War Dems Will Win | The New Republic

The Fiscal Cliff Is Just An Early Battle In A War Dems Will Win | The New Republic
"So yes, by all means Mr. President, please bargain hard for as much revenue as you can get. The Bush tax cuts were terrible policy that saddled us with trillions in debt for little discernible economic payoff, and they exacerbated income inequality to boot."

Constitution Puts Burden Of Budget Blame On Boehner

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Generals speak out on the War Profiteers & the Cliff

Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard, Jr., Center for Arms Control & Non-Proliferation, joins Thom Hartmann. 4 days to go until the nation goes off the so-called "fiscal cliff." And nobody is paying closer attention to what's going on on Capitol Hill than the war profiteers in Virginia. What impact will looming defense cuts have - and might they actually be just the thing America needs to get back on the right track?

6 Reasons the Fiscal Cliff is a Scam | Alternet

6 Reasons the Fiscal Cliff is a Scam | Alternet
"Stripped to essentials, the fiscal cliff is a device constructed to force a rollback of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as the price of avoiding tax increases and disruptive cuts in federal civilian programs and in the military.  It was policy-making by hostage-taking, timed for the lame duck session, a contrived crisis, the plain idea now unfolding was to force a stampede."