More Up to the Minute News on the Default Crisis

I'm tempted to again leave the Grim Spending Cutter as the total comment on the day's non-events, but I do have an observation.  The only commentary I watched Wednesday was Lawrence O'Donnell, who hasn't changed his basic take for weeks: Obama is not really sincere about big budget cuts, all of the plans are political, none will pass or else be signed, and at the eleventh hour Congress will pass a one-page clean debt ceiling bill.  I do depend on Lawrence for the sardonic truth, but I disagree on several points. 

First of all I believe that President Obama is sincere in wanting a big package, especially in view of this story (even though it originated in Politico, not exactly my most trusted name in news), which I find persuasive: he really wants to avoid a drop in the U.S. credit rating, and at least one of the agencies is explicitly calling for a big package. (I wouldn't say he fears it more than default, though, as the headline says.)

Second I'm not at all sure the Congress is capable of passing anything that President Obama can sign, even at the 11th hour.  There's talk of the White House crafting yet another bill, and the likelihood of a very short extension on Tuesday.  I take heart in O'Donnell's suggestion that ultimately an up or down vote in the House won't require a single TPer vote to pass, if Dems are on board.  But I'm starting to go through the Climate Crisis process now.  Just like the effects of the Climate Crisis, I knew that serious economic hardship is likely to eventually hit this country, as the need for growth outruns resources and a depleted environment.  But like the CC effects, I hoped it was some time in the future, and present actions might address it and forestall it.  But like the CC effects, I'm mournfully becoming used to the idea that there is no confident daylight between now and that future.  The big difference is that our society unknowingly caused the Climate Crisis (even if it is now willfully making it worse), and the consequences come from nature--from the physics and chemistry of what's been done.  But this time we are knowingly and unnecessarily electing to cripple our economy, for no real reason.  And once it starts (or arguably, continues, but on steroids) I'm not sure that economy will ever recover.