A thought crossed my mind reading today’s Wall Street Journal, and I offer this thought to the vice-president: if you have the choice of continuing the entirely pointless exercise of fanning the flames of the phony debt and deficit "crisis" VERSUS fulfilling the more traditional daily role of vice presidents who are sent to attend funerals, I’d suggest that you’d the country a bigger favor by picking the latter. Seriously.

   Oh, to be sure, the drama is far greater to be at the center of the public stage of one of the great shams in modern times:

Deficit-reduction talks led by Vice President Joe Biden face their biggest test starting Tuesday when the group begins three days of politically sensitive discussions, including a proposal for a government spending cap that is bitterly opposed by the White House…

Mr. Biden had deliberately put aside the tough topics during the group’s first meetings, suggesting members first focus on the "low hanging fruit" of cuts that could be accepted by both parties, a White House official said.

Now, the bipartisan group is picking up the pace with the aim of crafting the beginnings of a deal by July 1.

….

But both Biden and the panel have risen in stature as it’s become clear just how crucial their role will be in reaching a deal to raise the government’s $14.29 trillion debt ceiling. Treasury Department officials have said the government could begin defaulting on its obligations as soon as Aug. 2 if the borrowing limit is not raised, but Republicans say they won’t vote to do so unless agreement is reached on a plan to dramatically slow federal deficits.

The group is making progress where others have failed this year by hanging together, a feat several members attribute to the vice-president’s ability to persuade hardened partisan warriors to lay aside talking points and look for areas of agreement. [emphasis added]

   "Biggest test". "tough topics". Almost makes me want to tweet pictures of myself…

   But, the truth is this is a cruel sham.

   There is no debt or deficit "crisis". And all Biden is doing is reinforcing the sham. A sham that will hurt a lot of people.

He said he expected the group to quickly agree to about $1 trillion in deficit reductions.

   Oh, so, we’re going to cut $1 trillion dollars from the budget–without increasing taxes on the wealthy and without cutting the Pentago–at a time when we should be spending MORE money, not less, because the only real crisis we have in the country right now, and for the foreseeable future, is that millions of people don’t have a fucking job or can’t pay their bills with the pathetic jobs they have now (which, by the way, for the genuises in Washington who don’t understand basic economics–when you don’t have a decent income or a job, you can’t pay taxes and, then, the government doesn’t get the same revenue and, uh, we get deficits. Hello???).

   So, Joe, find a funeral to go to. Or get hip with the protocol or polish your remarks for a future funeral. Yeah, maybe not as exciting–but you’d be doing a whole lot less harm to your country.