The latest offer from those I have called Banana Republicans would keep the government shut down and threaten again to default the nation and crash world markets in a few weeks unless Republicans get their way. This is financial terrorism, pure and simple. Until Republicans get their way, the government shutdown continues. Unless Republicans get their way, the world economy crashes, after a brief delay.
Let's be clear: Republicans fought a holy war to shut the government and create a crash with default unless Obamacare is destroyed. When that failed, they fought a holy war to shut the government and create a crash unless spending is cut to Herbert Hoover levels. Now they want to continue the shutdown and threaten a crash in a few weeks unless President Obama accepts cuts to Medicare and Social Security.
Progressives must demand President Obama declare he will NEVER accept cuts to Medicare and Social Security -- cuts which in all honesty the president has tried to accept before. Enough is enough.
In my last column in The Hill I proposed Democrats accept a cut in taxes for repatriation of foreign capital from multinationals, in return for Republicans accepting a gigantic jobs program to rebuild America's infrastructure of roads, ports, bridges and schools. This is a far better deal.
Financial terrorism is the use of threats of Draconian results that gravely harm every American. Create terror that these events may happen, then bully opponents into concessions to prevent the events that cause the terror, and if all else fails and their polls collapse, beg Democrats to give Republicans a break so their poll numbers don't keep falling and they can try it again.
The government shutdown must end. Now. Period. Or there should be no deal. Financial terrorism must end and should not be used as a lever to attack Obamacare, or to attack Medicare and Social Security, or for any other purpose.