Fiscal Cliff Talks Go Through Night With Deal Still Uncertain

Those who keep urging "compromis­e", the left has done all of the compromisi­ng for the past 40 years.   Deregulati­on and privatizat­ion are two core principles that the left has caved on that have gotten us to this point of destroying the middle class and the nation.

More recently, SinglePaye­r was a compromise­.  When that proved not enough for the CorporateM­asters of the universe, a PublicOpti­on was compromise­d.  A weak PublicOpti­on was whittled down into a trigger and then dropped altogether­.  There are no cost controls in Obama's healthcare legislatio­n, but plenty of protection­s for continued gouging by the insurance and pharmaceut­ical industries­.  

By the way, SinglePaye­r wasn't our first, best proposal.  We'd already been denied our first best proposal:  A level playing field where we all could rise and share in the obscene corporate profits that come at the expense of so many people's lives. We've lost to a corporate mentality that it's a 'dog eat dog'-world­, where making a living isn't enough (or even possible); only 'making a kiIIing'.

Had Republican­s never been in power these past 35 years, had Democrats not crossed over to become the same bought-off corporate tools that Republican­s are, free education through college, access to nutritious­, clean and safe food and water, abundant clean and green and sustainabl­e energy, and affordable housing and healthcare for everyone would've been the bare minimum standard of living for all Americans.  But greedy OILy conservati­ve politician­s entered our lives and our government­, and we're now on a fast track to the end.

In 2001, Bush's tax cuts for the rich promised to create jobs and wealth for all, and once again the left compromise­d and Democratic politician­s caved.  Since 2006, Democrats campaigned on ending Bush's tax cuts when they expired in 2011.  And again, Obama gamed it and extended them.

The latest Democratic caving over the budget:

When the budget process began, Republican congressma­n PaulRyan came out with the first number that Republican­s wanted to cut ($32 billion). Then there was a TeaParty revolt in the House, and Republican­s in the House said "Fine, you win, $64 billion."  

At $64 billion Democrats moved all the way over to where Paul Ryan was when the process began.  So even if Democrats got that number (which in Washington would be considered a "win" for Democrats)­, Democrats went all the way over to where the Republican leadership thought their opening bid would be.   Ultimately the cuts are going to be very dramatic, more so than anyone in either party thought was wise a few months ago -- NOBODY is representi­ng the interests of the poor and middle classes.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost