Over the past month we have been inundated with moaning’s
and ramblings of a so-called ‘Fiscal Cliff,’ approaching in good old ‘Murica.
American and Canadian Media outlets as well as pundits left right and center
have been explaining to the terrified populace what this means while espousing
myriad views on the steps the American Congress needs to take to prevent the
American economy from falling off the proverbial cliff. It all sounds very apocalyptic,
but the hypocrisy evident in the North American media when discussing this
fiscal cliff is absolutely appalling.
You
see, not one American or Canadian large media outlet or any politician has
actually told the truth about what the ‘fiscal cliff’ actually is and when you
dig into this statement you find the hypocrisy that is plainly evident for the
more observant among us.
This hypocrisy my dear readers, is that the fiscal cliff is another word for…………….AUSTERITY. You know
that policy that western governments and big business have been pushing on
Europe since roughly 2009? Yeah that’s pretty much what the fiscal cliff is. Increased
tax rates across the board, slashed spending across the board and many more ‘fun’
add-ons. That is primarily what the ‘fiscal cliff’ is about and exactly what
austerity is about.
The
reason for this change-up of terms is that austerity evokes the image of a more
friendly policy: one that promotes simpler living and less government spending,
while the term ‘fiscal cliff’ makes it sound like your economy is going to
tumble right off the edge into the economic abyss.
Why
the duplicity though? The answer is shockingly simple. The American congress,
media and politicians for all their stupidity, have seen what austerity looks
like and they want absolutely no part of it. Though they push this on indebted
nations such as Greece, Italy et al. when it suits their purposes, they want absolutely
nothing to do with austerity when it hits closer to home, hence the term ‘fiscal
cliff.’
By
utilizing this term and American media effectively controlled the public
response in the matter which did many things. First, it had the effect of fostering
fear and uncertainty in both the people and the markets. By doing so, this put
public opinion directly opposed to austerity (oops, I mean fiscal cliff) and
allowed the American Congress, to bypass the questions involved if they had
chosen to label it austerity. Secondly, it allowed the American congress to put
up a smoke-screen and avoid dealing with the real issues that are prevalent in
their economy such as a lack of production, exorbitant military spending, and an
inefficient public AND PRIVATE sector. Finally, by avoiding the issues listed
above, they were able to focus on the fear created by the ‘fiscal cliff’ and pass
legislation that pretty much circumvented anything of note.
Though
the Americans would like to convince us there is a difference between the two
parties, the reality is that the Democrats and the Republicans are just
different sides of the same coin. They are both heavily reliant on corporate
donations and are manipulated by various lobby groups. With regards to the ‘fiscal
cliff,’ both parties wanted to avoid the sting of austerity; but they only
differed in the minutiae which created the veneer of political theatre that
allowed for the people to be distracted from the real issues that plague and
will continue to plague the United States.
The
saddest part of this whole debacle is that the media didn’t dig beyond the surface
of the ‘fiscal cliff.’ Instead of focusing on the real issues and presenting
people with the problems plaguing America, they instead focused on the drama
and bickering in Congress, to the detriment of all. The worst part is the
hypocrisy and the double standard on display for all to see. The next time
anyone in North America tells Europe to stick to its austerity guns, the
Europeans should collectively laugh in their face. Again, it all boils down to
the failure of modern journalism and their complacency in the face of political
and corporate pressure as well as their reluctance to write and produce things
with substance. Instead of misinformation how about information for once
instead of hypocrisy, lies and subterfuge. Expect more of the same in 60 days
when the debt-ceiling debate comes to the fore.
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