Sooooo. Last week, the U.S. Federal Government managed to settle the 'debt crisis' at the last moment to the satisfaction of a very select few. For a variety of reasons, polls indicate that 2/3 of the American population believe that the solution put into place is nothing more than a big pile of shit.
End result: The 'efforts' or lack thereof, of these clowns we call Congress produced the first downgrade in the credit rating of the United States. Never happened before, through all the trials and tribulations that the U.S. has faced in its 200+ year history ...
What detrimental effects this will produce remains to be seen. It ain't gonna be pretty. Higher interest rates, stagnation of an already fucked up economy, joblessness, homelessness, you name it, it's just around the corner, folks.
Massive spending cuts to social services but no new taxes on the wealthy and multi-national corporations makes absolutely no sense. The shameful "Bush Tax Cuts" remain firmly in place. The argument is that job creation, currently so desperately needed, is dependent upon the wealthy remaining wealthy.
What?
Bailout money that was supposed to stimulate job growth went instead to corporate bonuses. I recall last year's Gulf of Mexico oil spill tragedy in which the CEO of British Petroleum casually commented that he wished the whole thing would just go away so he could get back to racing his yacht.
So, there you have it voters. You put 'em there. What next?