Good News & Bad News, page-28498

Hi dfs1,

It's important not to confuse the debt ceiling with a spending bill. Since its inception in 1917, both sides of politics in the US have agreed multiple times to raise the debt ceiling without strings attached in a bi-partisan manner. The raising of the debt ceiling usually goes past pretty well unnoticed. This is not a spending bill impasse which happens quite often and can result in government shutdowns. Failure to raise the debt ceiling will result in the US defaulting on their debt and is something that's never happened before. We'll be in uncharted territory, and that's not good for investor confidence.

This time the MAGA people want to make a mark, be partisan, and use the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip. Some of the MAGA people in congress are extremes of the extreme. The make up of the current congress renders it unstable, to say say the least, so I'm paying attention to this one. To make the point - you just have to look up Marjorie Taylor Greene, denial of 9/11, Jewish space lasers start California bush fires, Frazzledrip, convicted Jan 6 prisoners visited by MTG and hailed as political prisoners - and then realise that she's been acting Speaker of the House on occasion. Pecking order - President, VP, Speaker.

Some people I know over there think it will sort itself out, particularly now that the democrats have worked out a couple of potential workaround strategies, so fingers crossed.

I'm watching this one. I'm hopeful that the democrats and some of the normal republicans can call the MAGA people's bluff. This is potentially serious stuff.

Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC) gives good updates on the situation in the US. He's an ex Washington insider and knows his stuff. CNN also have some good clips.

GLTAH.