Christmas Fantasy
by Emma X

Emma X
I just love the Christmas stories
you humans tell each other.

A revolution is an expensive undertaking.  I believe I have made that point before.  But still felines ask me, why are you so concerned with human politics?  The answer is simple; in order to plan and execute The Revolution on the scale we have imagined, we have to make the best use of monetary resources.   We have invested our money the way human corporations do, with our fortunes rising and falling on the natural swell of free enterprise helped along by well-greased skids.  We are present in visible and not so visible global transactions.  One might say that we are using the machinations of a corrupt system to bring about its own downfall, much like the workings of the U.S. Congress.  In short, we are in the markets.

Blackwater Security did not discriminate
among species; if you had money to spend, your
 cause was righteous. 

This was a strategy that worked well in the Bush years, when laissez faire was the password and no one was checking extra cartons on arms deals.  If whole truckloads of cash could 'go missing' in Iraq you can imagine that a few extra shipments of weapons could be redirected for a few well-placed dollars. And investments in the war machine yielded a very cozy war chest.  Oh, those were heady days.

John Boehner's biggest opposition is not from
across the aisle, but from inside his own party.
His Speakership may be on the line.

But today it appears that we are headed for a fiscal cliff.  It might be a fiscal slope, or fiscal 2% grade.  Who cares?  World markets are emotional things, and the mere fact that the economic state of the world is in the control of petulant and emotional third graders masquerading as government officials is enough to send investments into a downward spiral.  Things aren't looking good.

Speaker Boehner says that Obama's tax proposals are
 a 'Christmas Fantasy'.  Taxing rich people and leaving
 entitlements intact will release flying velociraptors from
their murky lairs, ending freedom as we know it.

So what is John Boehner doing?  Most polls show that about 60 to 70% of Americans want a compromise and will accept certain tax increases. The economy appears to be slowly but steadily improving.  Most centrist Republican politicians and pundits have publicly stated that the party should accept a tax raise for the upper 2% in exchange for spending cuts yet to be named, and everyone should go home and enjoy their eggnog.  But sadly, Speaker Boehner cannot control his own caucus, and Tea Party conservatives are keeping everyone from away from Christmas cheer.

Republican Grinches.
Tim Huelskamp (R) KS,
and Justin Amash (R) MI
were removed from the
House Budge Committee
this week.
David Scherikert (R) AZ
was removed from the
House Financial Services
Committee.  All stood by
their convictions to not
allow tax increases, thus
blocking the Speaker's
attempts at compromise
within his own party.

Concerned Republican leaders made examples of hard core 'no tax' House Representatives blocking a possible compromise.  The result was a minor revolt against Boehner's leadership.  The Speaker will come up for re-election on January 3rd.  Will he sacrifice his own Speakership for the common good, or will he allow the American to go over the much-touted fiscal cliff in an attempt to save his own career?

Eric Kantor took advantage of Boehner's
delicate position within a divided Republican
Party to quietly suggest that he might make a
better House Speaker.  Yep, Its beginning to
look a lot like Christmas in Washington.

Meanwhile Boehner publicly blames the President for a lack of  compromise.  That might just be the case.  The Democrats hold the advantage here.  If America goes over the proverbial cliff, taxes automatically go up for everyone. While they are clearly not comfortable with the situation, they know full well that the Republicans are losing the  PR battle on this one, so where is any incentive?

An evil President Obama is using all of his
dark tricks to subjugate the American financial
system and bend it to his will.  That's Boehner's
story, and he's sticking to it.

Ode To The Fiscal Cliff
A Holiday Poem by Emma X

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through The House
Hung deals and strategies worthy of Faust.
The economy hung by the breath of a hair
In hope of a compromise out of thin air.

The opinion of voters was given short shrift.
Ahead loomed the monster, the Fiscal Big Cliff,
And in House Committees there rose such a clatter
that common sense fled, and no longer did matter.

John Boehner remarked with his last cogent breath,
 The raising of taxes?  Political Death!But still he's aware that the country is waiting,
With Congress' approval at 10% rating.

So Boehner continues to dance on the edge
Of a self-made, self-righteous political ledge,
While we deck the halls with paper mache
Hangings made out of our 401K.

They'll solve it you say, no 'ifs', 'ands' or 'buts',
But people, remember that Congress is nuts!
We sent them to govern with little reserve.
Whatever the outcome, its one we deserve.

Too doubtful, you say?  They will make it all right!Well, o.k. Dear Fluffy, you just sit there tight.
In just a few weeks, regardless of feeling
These same folks will have to discuss the debt ceiling.