Comments on: El-Erian on the coin

By: Zdneal

Zdneal — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:31:45 +0000

Auros:

No, it’s even simpler, the current Republicans should understand what the debt ceiling is.

See? Simple!

Impossible, but simple. Thanks for providing another useless solution.

Felix, you are less than useless on this. You are actively and objectively evil. Maybe not intetionally, but it cannot be said strongly enough that your prescription is awful and useless. You really should think about all the people that will suffer because you didn’t want your sensibilities offended.

By: Zdneal

Zdneal — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:42:13 +0000

Sounds like your ridiculous concern trolling worked Felix. Good job on sabotaging the American economy.

By: Chris08

Chris08 — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 17:52:59 +0000

Some people like Ezra Klein have become fraidy cats about the coin, filled with forebodings they can’t actually spell out about how it “could go wrong.” Fear of novelty, in my view. I would suggest that Obama order the coin minted NOW and deposited in the Treasury (or wherever). Then IF, and only IF, the GOP tries to use the debt limit as blackmail would he use it. He would have it ready to use, and if he did, it would be clear that he was driven to it. That would assure people that it was done as a last resort when good sense could not persuade the GOP to give up their nonsense. And leave the coin there for future use if the nonsense started up again.

By: Auros

Auros — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 08:01:29 +0000

The “cure” Felix is seeking is simple. Republicans must be beaten in elections so thoroughly that their party ceases to be viable as currently constituted, allowing the shell to be re-captured by sane people, or a new party to rise in its place. I’d be perfectly happy to see the Libertarians rise in their place, or the Dems complete their transition to becoming the center-right party of business interests while the Greens and other elements on the left matured into a new center-left party advocating European-style social democracy and the interests of labor.

By: klhoughton

klhoughton — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 04:14:29 +0000

“I do not believe that the proposal would end up serving as a means to a greater benefit – that of shocking Congress into taking its economic governance responsibilities seriously.”

If Congressional Republicans had done that, we wouldn’t be talking about #mintthecoin. Anyone stupid enough to think that’s an achievable goal hasn’t been paying attention.

Anyone foolish enough to negotiate with people who won’t who doesn’t have a BATNA should be shot and sent to the Russian Front, without wasting money on the pine box. (Note: this is not advocating the assassination of the American President, or his staff.)

By: f.fursty

f.fursty — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 03:15:33 +0000

I agree. It’s perfectly fatuous to claim that the root cause of the current fiasco is “Congressional dysfunction.” The root cause, as Felix knows perfectly well, is that the Republican Party, having
failed to enact its policies through conventional means — you know, win elections, pass legislation in Congress, get legislation signed by President — thinks it is ok to threaten to blow up the economy unless it gets what it wants.

Any analysis of the situation that does not begin with this premise is bound to be flawed.

By: GregHao

GregHao — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 00:49:08 +0000

Sadly, like so many other people, Felix doesn’t quite get it right. The problem isn’t “Congressional dysfunction”. It is Republican obstructionism and it is important for journalists and OpEd writers to be clear on that. The only people who are talking about bringing the country to default, technical default, or whatever else are Republicans.