Matt Taibbi: Its up to the Democrats to save the Republicans from Ted Cruz

[grantcart]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/democrats-must-stop-ted-cruzs-hollywood-ending-20131011

Taibbi is smarter than the average reporter but he also maintains a "Democrats are only marginally different than Republicans" patronizing tone which drives him to some particularly unfortunate points.

If you really don't think that there is difference between the two then it isn't the least important that one strategy is absolutely defeated.

So as we approach a completely manufactured crises between one party that wants to govern and one party that wants to perpetually renegotiate and institute policy through the prospect of financial collapse he thinks it is up to the Democrats to find some way (and he just hopes we find it) to save the Republicans the way out.

But the Democrats have to be big enough to resist the temptation to let the Republicans destroy themselves. They should be bringing every conceivable kind of pressure to save Cruz from himself and educate the public about the dramatic consequences of a default.

. . .

But Cruz and his people are something we never see in Washington – believers. His caucus is not doing this for Redskins tickets and PAC money. They're going for the Thelma and Louise ending. One last tender moment, holding hands and all. I have no idea what the Democrats can do to stop them, but we better hope they're trying everything, and not seeing a huge future political win as their ace card.

How about this Taibbi, why not lay the blame and the responsibility at the feet of those that are the ones that are most responsible, Tea Party Radicals, whimpy Republican moderates, Wall Street leaders watching from the bleachers and all of the hand maidens in the media who, like yourself minimize the real differences between two completely different political philosophies.

No compromise, no negotiations and no fig leaves.

If we do 'help' the Republicans, Mr. Taibbi, only one thing for certain is known for sure:

They will do it again, and again, and again.

If a mentally unstable person has a gun you don't take the gun and take out some of the ammunition. You take away the gun.

[Brigid]

1. Sorry, Mr. Tiabbi, but I think I'll go with Napoleon on this one.

When your enemy is imploding, don't stop them.

[valerief]

2. Taking a gun from a Teabagger. Now that's funny.

[Z_California]

3. I usually agree with Taibbi

Not this time.

It's going to be up to the rich guys who built this monster to make the big save.

[grantcart]

4. Yep Wall Street needs to shave off 5-600 points in the first hour of Monday's trading and we will

everything resolved.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

6. what needs to happen is corporate America be freaked the fuck out and THEN

bring to bear the full weight and force of Fortune 500 $$$$$$$$$$4 and marketing to rid our country of this Tea Party Cancer in Congress and work to do same in states. Tired of these extremist exurbia types who go to their jobs in the city and poison their minds on Rush and Hannity. Then they head home in the evening and weekend to build their bunker and stock up on ravioli.

[grantcart]

8. So any DJI predictions?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3751580

[arely staircase]

7. Taibbi is usually good

but not always.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. No Labels, GOP and Whigs

yup, will remain cryptic

[Cha]

10. This is exactly what I think of Taibbi.. nailed it.

Taibbi is smarter than the average reporter but he also maintains a "Democrats are only marginally different than Republicans" patronizing tone which drives him to some particularly unfortunate points.

Thank you, grantcart!

[tsuki]

11. What good does blame and responsibility do? Can you cook it?

Can you wear it? Can you use it to pay the mortgage? I have lived in collapsed societies. You don't want to go there.

[grantcart]

12. So have I. People's Republic in Vietnam 1998

Electricity only ran 6 hours a day.

Only 1 restaurant in Saigon was operational.

Elderly rummaging through the garbage to eat.

Only a few packages in the stores.

Ten thousand families who drifted back from the New Economic Zones to find cover under the ledges of buildings to find a dry place to sleep.

The fact that we don't want to go there is the ammunition that they are using against us.

If we offer to renegotiate a deal that was already negotiated to further cut expenditures from the draconian sequester cuts guess what will happen.

In 6 months they will do it again, and again.

This has to be the last time this tactic can be used.

No negotiation, no compromise and no fig leaves so that they never try this tactic again.

[tsuki]

16. Then you should know what it is like. Only this time,

you will not be able to get in a plane and fly off.

Look, no one has more revulsion for the Teabagging Moroni and their Media enablers than I do. T=bills are being dumped. China is calling for the 'de-Americanization' of the world. China has bought over a thousand metric tons of gold this year that can be traced. Brazil is laying cable to hook up to the Brics swift system. Among other things.

The Teabaggers are calling DC routing for the shut down. They have 3 months supply of freeze dried food in the garage and lots of bullets. They are preparing to get their fat asses off the couch and become Mad Max. No clue.

They may never have to try this tactic again. It just might be all over.

[grantcart]

18. We are agreed that it is bad. The only issue is how many times are we going through with this.

For me it is not theoretical.

The last shutdown cost me $ 20,000 and this one even more.

We are just getting to the point where all our bills are paid and we were thinking of splurging on buying a TV.

If it continues for 3-4 weeks then basically my business of the last 10 years is wiped out and we start over.

The only question here is how many times are we going to let them try it.

By drawing a firm line in the sand it will be one and done, a 6 week compromise only means that we go through this again in 6 weeks, which would get us to the point of wondering how we would be able to stay in an apartment.

We need to ensure that this tactic dies and is never tried again.

[Warpy]

13. Thank you.

The Republicans have no clue what they're playing with. Either there is a revolt within their party, Boner is removed and a clean bill passed, or all kinds of hell are going to rain down on this country.

There was a near disaster back in the late 70s when there was a technical default of one day due to high traffic overloading the computers. Everybody then knew it was only a one day delay. This time, they don't know how long these nitwits are going to keep standing on their dungheaps, pretending they are masters of the planet. The consequences are going to be miserable. Expect store shelves to become empty as no credit = no trade. Expect closed gas stations, no place to fuel the SUV to get to work. Expect everything to grind to a halt rather quickly.

If the Republicans want a Depression, they'll get one in record time.

[Brigid]

14. What do you mean "if?"

The Repugs do want another depression. I truly believe that.

[Warpy]

15. i think fanaticism and self preservation are running a close race

If they throw us into a Depression, they're going to have to be poor along with the rest of us, especially when they're kicked out of office for starting it.

Yet they are zealots who don't think they're wrong about anything and can't anticipate any consequences of their actions beyond beating the liberals.

[tsuki]

17. We are in a depression. John Williams at shadow stats has the

figures.