Political Economy

The impending economic disaster known as the sequester is scheduled to start in about 2 weeks.  It will affect nearly every American in some way.  From fewer air traffic controllers to keep travelors moving safely to less money for small business loans and everything in between, this is the poison fruit of a dysfunctional Republican majority in the House of Representatives.  Unable to unilaterally cut social benefits, and threatening to take the country down as a result, they were presented with a meat axe and told if they could not agree on a sane package of cuts and revenue increases they could wreck the economy.  The media presented it as a no brainer.  Who could possibly want to destroy the nascent recovery for ideological fun and games.  The tea party wing of the republicans said "What's not to like".  It's the old Chinese fable of the horse and the scorpion crossing the river.  The scorpion promised the horse if he would carry him across the water he would not sting him.  Halfway across, the scorpion stung his ride.  The horse asked why he would do this when he knew they would both die.   The scorpion replied he could not help it because that was his nature.  So it is with the crazy wing of the Republican party.