They're dashing through the corridors of power in Washington with appropriately grim expressions this week. Congressional leaders are talking about the upcoming 'fiscal cliff,' which journalists are dutifully describing as a "looming crisis."
In fact, if you do a Google News search for articles containing the words "fiscal cliff" and "looming" you'll get 72,000 hits (as of Wednesday evening). We know because we tried it.
72,000 hits.
But nothing's "looming." Nothing. There's just some language in a law Congress passed last year. If they don't want it to happen they can un-pass that law. It's a simple as that.
And do you want to know something? They don't want it to happen.
Nobody Move
This phony crisis is a lot like this scene in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, where Cleavon Little as The Sheriff pretends to take himself hostage to escape an angry crowd. You may remember the gag line, which included a word we won't use: "Nobody move or the $^((*&^(* gets it."
Brooks crafts his throwaway lines pretty carefully, too. Look for the earnest man who says "I think he means it," or the woman in the crowd who says "Won't somebody help that poor man?"
Here's how the "fiscal cliff" scam's being played: Congressional Republicans are holding the guns to their own heads. Democrats are the town leaders, dutifully laying their weapons down.
And the American media are the gullible townsfolk, carefully writing in their notebooks about the "looming" threat to their sheriff.
Richard (RJ) Eskow: The "Fiscal Cliff" Is a Hoax ... and a Mel Brooks Routine
In fact, if you do a Google News search for articles containing the words "fiscal cliff" and "looming" you'll get 72,000 hits (as of Wednesday evening). We know because we tried it.
72,000 hits.
But nothing's "looming." Nothing. There's just some language in a law Congress passed last year. If they don't want it to happen they can un-pass that law. It's a simple as that.
And do you want to know something? They don't want it to happen.
Nobody Move
This phony crisis is a lot like this scene in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, where Cleavon Little as The Sheriff pretends to take himself hostage to escape an angry crowd. You may remember the gag line, which included a word we won't use: "Nobody move or the $^((*&^(* gets it."
Brooks crafts his throwaway lines pretty carefully, too. Look for the earnest man who says "I think he means it," or the woman in the crowd who says "Won't somebody help that poor man?"
Here's how the "fiscal cliff" scam's being played: Congressional Republicans are holding the guns to their own heads. Democrats are the town leaders, dutifully laying their weapons down.
And the American media are the gullible townsfolk, carefully writing in their notebooks about the "looming" threat to their sheriff.
Richard (RJ) Eskow: The "Fiscal Cliff" Is a Hoax ... and a Mel Brooks Routine