28 Comments

I'm actually for minting the coin. But I'm also for suspending the writ of habeas corpus and saying anyone who helps the US default is guilty of treason, and jailing them. As Biden should have done on January 20, 2021.

Expand full comment

Is someone able to explain the downfall of minting the coin. Kicking the can down the road ?

Expand full comment

It never got to that point.

Expand full comment

I agree that we should not negotiate with these terrorists. They think they are participants in a reality tv show. Causing the US to default on its debt would have serious real world consequences. It might even damage the billionaires. These traitorous people should be in jail!

Expand full comment

Should have been in jail for 2 years, actually.

Expand full comment

It is time to get serious about the “war” TC has mentioned before. These treasonous types in the former GOP orbit need to be treated to aggressive action of whatever sort to expose their mendacity. Dana Millbank has begun calling them out. Mainstream media need to call lies “lies’. Biden needs to take the requisite bold actions. Etc etc etc. Yes time for action. Even minting the coin, or selling 27 1/2 % T-bills. Probably have a pretty good market esp with short term! Keep us going TC!

Expand full comment

Could my mind get around the corners of the US avoiding credit default? How many Qevins, Quiverin' as well, could my soul tolerate? What hope did I have of getting through HFC TERRORISTS DETERMINED TO STRIKE THE...with sane mind? NONE! Surprise, Surprise! I wound up smiling at the end of it. Much praise to TCINLA. for sure.

Expand full comment

As retired seniors, we are looking at a glum New Year, if these crazy traitors have their way. Can we, the people, join in a class action lawsuit to put them on trial for not upholding their oath of Office? Asking for a friend.....

Expand full comment

I’m glad somebody understands this. I sure don’t. I just understand the Repubs planning the default are despicable and without honor

Expand full comment

Do the idiots not realize that if they defund air traffic control, ALL commercial flights in the United States would cease immediately? Did any of these people graduate from high school.....? Asking for a friend.

Expand full comment

Not even grade school. They know better, but damn, that greed and power thing. But the MAGAts (all repubs at this moment in time) just blather libtard hate

Expand full comment

Dana Milbank nails it. Gifted https://wapo.st/3W6mrne

Expand full comment

Thanks! I subscribe, but had missed this. I particularly enjoyed the links to the tweets.

"House Republicans and their usual allies in the media had already been trading epithets: “fraud.” “Harlot.” “Benedict Arnold.” “Insurrectionists.” And now comes word that Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and other Republican moderates, in a sign of their lack of faith in McCarthy, have begun talks with Democrats about a “discharge petition.” That would circumvent GOP leaders, increasing the debt limit without them. "

Expand full comment

Yes Millbank does!!

Expand full comment

Thank you!

That is a tremendous gift.

Expand full comment

Thank you.

Expand full comment

brilliant, Tom. I've already told you how your rage enables even more brilliant writing. I have a sort of block against any kind of economics talk, but this I think I understand.

thing is, I'm not sure what effect rage has on me. or actually, I am and it's not great, but my rage at these scumbags is appropriate. all day, I've been trying to figure out if they're more stupid than malevolent or vice-versa. not especially worthwhile, that.

how many of us are sick of this "taking the high road" thing? I'm already hearing a lot of "I am."

but as I keep saying, the other side won't stop drinking the Fuck News bullshit...I refer again to the C-Span call-in shows.

I suppose their longest game is to cause enough chaos that the government does indeed fall and people get frightened enough to fall for some creep promising to get us all out of trouble. not a very long game at all, and very risky. I assume that's what the smartest guys in that caucus think. the less smart ones are all very short game folks, most with the attention spans and conceptual sophistication of the stupider species of gnats. it's certainly Bannon's game, and he is clearly the "intellectual architect" of this "movement."

yesterday I heard the increasingly irrelevant TFF (this isn't grammatical, but it's fine for now) promise that if he's elected again, he's going to "break up the cartels." that summer in Aspen, I had a friend who was very fond of saying "ho-hum scro-tum," and it works very nicely for right now.

Expand full comment

“We’ve got to change the way we’re spending money wastefully in this country. And we’re going to make sure that happens.”

So what McCarthy is saying is he doesn't like the way our tax and borrowed dollars are being wasted now and he wants to waste them differently?

Expand full comment

yeah, I figure that's it. "deficit hawks" when the president is a Democrat. but only then.

in a word, what they're planning is to take the government hostage. period.

Expand full comment

Repubs sure know how to do that, why the billionaires are all in for them…

Expand full comment

Thanks for explaining the options for getting around the MAGAt debt limit intransigence. I think the T-Bill interest rate trick would be my preference. It is, in effect, a Ponzi scheme, and certainly not a valid long term solution, but it could get us through 2024 without a default, and give the Dems something they could hammer the MAGAts with if they could come up with a cute name for it. How about "MAGonzi Scheme?"

Expand full comment

Can’t quite “like” this. Gives me shivers at 3am, but appreciate that there is some way to defang the terrorists in our midst. They may call themselves a legitimate political party, but have not been one for decades. Now they are enemies of America, not just people with a different view of governing. They are weaponized and deliberate evil…. Do what you must Joe

Expand full comment

I know that everything in theory can be explained mathematically, I however have no idea how to do that, that said, where has this idea been since the last time we flirted with disaster? Is it possible that the repugnantkins totally missed the class on mathematics? Words cannot express the revulsion............

Expand full comment

How long will McCarthy last as speaker? Anyone taking bets? TC

what do you think his odds are of

survival?

Expand full comment

I have a head of lettuce on the counter. We'll see.

Expand full comment

Worked with Liz Truss.....

Expand full comment

Priority spending was discarded as unworkable years ago. https://wapo.st/3GEb2p7

Expand full comment