Pay No Attention

Captain Oblivious believes that the economy is growing and there is no reason to fear a double-dip recession. Also, if for some reason people are afraid that the stage is set for a recession, it is important to be clear on one thing and one thing only: it won't be Obama's fault.  See, aside from inheriting a mess from his predecessor (who somehow was actually some kind of god-emperor who caused all manner of suffering despite Congress being controlled by the Dem's for the last portion of his term reign), Obama has also suffered the misfortune of numerous natural disasters (no doubt caused by his predecessor out of spite and racism) that have thwarted his visionary economic recovery plan.

Yes, there is no fear of a double-dip recession.  Unless you talk to any of the last three directors of the Fed's monetary affairs committee, who put the odds of a recession between 20% and 40%.

Unemployment is up, hiring is down, manufacturing is down, inflation is on the rise.  Where exactly are the signs that our economy is turning around?

Oh, right - the lavish birthday party/fund raiser Obama is throwing himself.

You Say It's Your Birthday!

As the ship sinks, the band plays on.  Captain Oblivious, after railing against millionaires and billionaires during the debt ceiling debates tantrums and demanding that the wealthy pay even more of their fair share, is celebrating his 50th birthday in grand fashion.  Really grand fashion, it turns out.  Of course, it's not just a birthday party...it's a fundraiser!  Tickets to the event will cost around $40,000!  I bet a lot of the people who will pay $40K are also owners of private jets or run corporations or even run/own corporations that own private jets.

what is not clear is whether anyone who ponies up the $40K will then get to claim that they have erased their personal share of the national debt.

would a balanced approach to the debt crisis include asking wealthy people to voluntarily donate money to the government for the express purpose of paying off the national debt?  Do any wealthy people give extra money to the government on the belief that the government needs it more than they do, or that the government will find a better and more worthwhile way to spend that money than the individual could?  There is no law prohibiting the voluntary payment of extra taxes.  Finally, when does the government's revenue constitute a windfall?

I just hope that nobody serves Obama peas on his birthday...although the old line, "It's my party and i'll cry if I want to" works on just so many levels these days.