Everyone Just Take A Breath!

I feel sorta like I did when all the chaos and hullabaloo was happening prior to the election.  Non-stop, 24/7 coverage, opinions on the right, opinions on the left, do this, don't do that, doomsday if this scenario happens, easy street if that scenario happens.  It's like that now as the media, the pundits, the professional hecklers keep pounding away on the "fiscal cliff".  I had a post several weeks about where we get our news.  I said then and still believe that it's very important to check several sources.  But I swear sometimes they've all gone crazy.  Just take a look at Real Clear Politics for example.  On any given day they have  a collection of articles coming from both sides.  There are strident, pointed, opinionated, sometimes off the chart articles.  Try watching TV news.  The networks...in the pockets of the Dems.  And don't even get me started on the cable channels.   Fox and MSNBC...both bad.  CNN...at least they try.  NPR...please.  The fishwrap...nope.  I look at the internet news sites and I think CBSNews is the best of a bad lot.  The rest...not so good.  So as I said, you gotta look at everything.

I guess people have to be so remarkably opinionated to get an audience.  But for me...I just feel like turning them all off.  If someone is so far to one side or the other, in my eyes they are a jackass.  Now they would say they are passionate.  That they have strong beliefs because there is so much at stake.  That if they don't win disaster will befall all of us.  B.S.  This country has been through incredibly tough times, both from an economic perspective and from a national security perspecive.  Are we vulnerable?  Yes.  But with all the strong opposition for any idea that one side has, I don't see any radical moves occuring.

There is remarkable gathering commentary about the demise of the Republican party.  That it is just a bunch of old, white guys who are out of touch, hate women and minorities, want to protect the fat cats, and go to war at the drop of a hat.  Did I get that right Maureen Dowd?  Hmmmm...I may be an old, white guy but I'm certainly not any of the rest.  And I've got news for the smug winners and haters on the other side.  Things go in cycles.  Who's up now may be down soon.  I like to think we're all Americans and can get past the rhetoric.  But the hateful speech of the other side is tough to take.  Everyone should think about that before they go prancing smugly about claiming political domination for the foreseeable future.

As for the "fiscal cliff", something is going to happen.  The folks who beleive in big government and the protectionist/redistributionist state won.  There will be consequences.  But take a look at history.  Things go in cycles.  The pendulum swings.  So...taxes will go up.  There will be impacts on small businesses and those who rely on dividend income.  This Obamacare thing is going to be expensive and, I suspect, none too effecient.  But for the vast majority of the country it isn't a disaster.  We'll have to pay more.  Simple as that.  We'll give more to government and less to other things.  I know to most  of my ilk it's maddening that our taxes are going to fund bigger government, to make more people dependent and to squash the dreams of so many.  But it is what it is.  We've got a good check in the House of Representatives and I'm confident that Boehner will get the best deal he can.  He's in a tough position and I for one will support him.  Remember, what comes around goes around.  One of these days we'll be able to unshackle the economy and unleash the American entrepenurial spirit.  But for now...most are hoping we don't go over the cliff...but whatever happens I think it is going to be a pretty wild ride...