So, what's next?

[MadHound]

God knows what kind of hell is going to come out of the actual budget bill next week, but for all intents and purposes it is a done deal and the people of this country are going to suffer for it. Just as we've suffered from the last "deal" that was made over the tax cuts.

But the big deadline looming on the horizon is raising the debt ceiling, and the outlook isn't inspiring.

With this mother of all deadlines approaching, we can be assured that the Teabaggers and 'Pugs will play this out to the hilt, demanding all kinds of outrageous concessions in exchange for their vote. And given the past track record of Obama and the Dems, we can expect little or no pushback, or a fight, from them.

Frankly, I think that it is going to get really ugly, and really painful for most folks. I suggest that you prepare as best you can, because nobody, absolutely nobody in positions of power within our government is going to have our back.

We're on our own, and we're being left to the tender mercies of the insanity that is now conservative America.

[kentuck]

1. Reality, what a concept!

I guess we'll just have to bend over again. Nobody seems to have any other solutions except compromise with the devil.

[MadHound]

3. Yeah, God knows having the Dems actually stand up and fight for once

Is seemingly a dead concept. Dems haven't put up a real fight for over a decade now, just go through the motions and then do a face plant cave. Followed by as much ass covering as they can, claiming some sort of mythical victory. I noticed that Plouffe is on all the Sunday shows tomorrow, probably sent out for cleanup purposes:eyes: "No, we won on this deal, we really did win!"

[lunatica]

2. It's already ugly. Ask the foreclosed homeless

And the forgotten unemployed. We don't hear much about them anymore.

[MadHound]

4. Oh I know,

I was unemployed until last month, and now, since I'm a teacher in a time of massive education cuts, I can't get a teaching job, and instead I'm working a McJob.

But there is still lots of wealth to transfer to the top of the socioeconomic ladder, and the pain is only going to get worse and worse.

[Terra Alta]

5. It looks like the poor and middle class are getting screwed again.

I'm tired of getting the short end of the stick. I'm tired of the tax breaks for the rich while programs for the poor get cut. It just doesn't make any sense. And Obama is allowing it to happen, why?? He really needs to get his shit together.

As for what we should do, I wish I knew. I'm doing all I can just to make it, and it keeps getting harder every day. x(

[wysingm]

6. in the best of times, in the worse of times

Black America's permanent recession in the best of times, in the worse of times: Black unemployment in 2003 was 10.8 percent. It is now 15.5 percent.