As the manufactured government shutdown created by the reality TV president continues, something other than Trump’s DACA sellout for his metaphorical border wall is being missed by the public.
Lost in this latest episode of “The Apprentice: White House Edition” is the reality that the shutdown occurred because Republicans and Democrats have been unable to agree on how to spend money they don’t have to feed their spending addiction responsible for our record-breaking budget deficits.
Calling Washington’s spending an addiction is not hyperbole. Drug addiction, for example, is a disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior to the point that he/she is unable to resist the urge to find the next high no matter how much harm it may cause to themselves or others.
Likewise, Washington’s spending addiction is a political disease affecting their brains and behavior — even a “very good brain” like Trump’s — to the point that our representatives are unable to resist the urge to find the next spending high.
Short of admitting they need help, addicts will try to hide their addiction in many ways, including blaming others for their problem and scheming for ways to get more money for their addiction, which is exactly where we find Washington today.
Earlier this month, Trump’s favorite Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, passed a set of rules that automatically abolished the debt ceiling, thus putting out of control spending on cruise control. By eliminating the need for a vote on the matter, the impact of this bankruptcy-inducing scheme remains hidden because no one is forced to go on-the-record.
By the way, Trump supports permanently ending the debt ceiling and has already worked with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi to get it done.
Republicans in the Senate — including so-called conservatives like Mike Lee and Rand Paul — are also looking for ways to feed Washington’s spending addiction. Last week they were joined by Joni Ernst as sponsors of the “Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2019.” This money-spending scheme would permanently eliminate shutdowns by guaranteeing endless financing by the government to keep it open, even if Congress fails to pass a spending bill.
According to Sen. Lee, “Shutdowns create instability and unpredictability not only in government, but also many families and businesses that interact with the federal government.”
Do you know what else creates instability and unpredictability? Explosive deficit spending and bankrupting America. Of course, Washington would have to admit they have a spending problem to understand this fact, which isn’t likely to happen, so eliminating shutdowns allows them to hide their addiction.
According to Spender’s Anonymous, the first step to recovery is admitting that you’re powerless over spending and money and that your life has become unmanageable.
Powerless over spending and money? Life has become unmanageable? Sounds like Congress to me, and it sounds like it’s time for America to hold an intervention … perhaps in 2020.
David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative. His politically incorrect and always “right” columns are also featured on NOQReport.com.
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