Toilet Paper Economics

Theme song: Jagged Little Pill (You Learn)

Well, friends, Obamacare has already cost me money.

Here's how it happened:

I was working with the marketing department of a local law firm to close a consulting contract and -- guess what?

The courts are closing. The firm is, at least temporarily, shutting down. No consulting project for me -- at least not for the moment.

There's no sense hiding it. I'm mad as a hornet.

I mean, this country is supposed to be all about capitalism and I can't make a buck because the government is (partially) shutting down? Excuse me?

It would be one thing if I had been asking for a "handout," but, no -- this was a business-to-business, cash on the line and I'll pay taxes on it type of affair.

The thing is, though, I'm not the only one.

Here's a shutdown sampler:

• Federal employees (hu)manning a drawbridge in Seattle sent home. No liftie drawbridge, no bring in goods. No sale. Too bad seller, too bad buyer
• WIC recipients -- no more funds and no more healthy food for you, your baby or your fetus
• Colleague of mine employs 10 people funded with naval contracts. See ya later -- you can go home now -- no check for you

Why mention the 800,000 government employees who will simply not get paid -- unless, maybe, you are one of them.

The reason is -- what again?

Oh, yeah. Some people don't like the idea of universal health care. They think it tastes like green eggs and ham.

They prefer other people taste impossible-to-get-coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Oh, wait. Green eggs and ham is the thing you are supposed to try before you say you don't like it. (Sorry, Mr. Cruz -- I think you got a little mixed up when you were doing all that filibustering.)

I really, really hate to talk about politics and enter into tasteless, senseless, circular debates. I am doing it for two reasons:

1. It is my duty as a citizen to speak up when I think a situation is truly unjust and
2. I am willing, just for the heck of it, to try some political green eggs and ham

Those of you who disagree with me -- well, maybe you'll send me a ranty tea party type response and call me a commie.

(I am a commie -- you heard it here first.)

So what is the point in pointing out that we are the only industrialized nation that doesn't have some form of universal health care?

No use pointing out that European countries have had universal health care for decades and no, it won't fly that their economies are "so much weaker than ours" -- not when you start to talk about minting trillion-dollar coins.

Yeah, you read me right.

One article I read about this shutdown debacle said, "At a time when Washington is topsy-turvy, it’s good to know that at least one thing can still work like it’s supposed to: The use of large-denomination platinum coins to circumvent the debt limit."

Granted, that article was written by an ultra conservative.

Granted, the only way that minting trillion-dollar coins is "good" is if the suggestion turns out to be a joke.

I have already written about the likelihood of the dollar losing its status as the international reserve currency. That particular post was the least popular one I've written for this blog and this one may be a contender.

But you should know, the solution of printing and minting endless supplies of "money" is definitely on the table and being taken seriously by right-wingers and Berkeley and Harvard economists alike.

I call it Toilet Paper Economics because, let's face it, at the rate we print money that's what it will be worth. Yes, you will be able to wipe your a** with it.

Is that good to know?

I think we all know that this fiasco was an effort to forestall Obamacare. I'm proud of President Obama that he did not cave in. After all, this was what was at stake:

In return for a one-year suspension of the debt ceiling, House Republicans are demanding a yearlong delay of Obamacare, Rep. Paul Ryan’s tax reform plan, the Keystone XL pipeline, more offshore oil drilling, more drilling on federally protected lands, rewriting of ash coal regulations, a suspension of the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to regulate carbon emissions, more power over the regulatory process in general, reform of the federal employee retirement program, an overhaul of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations, more power over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s budget, repeal of the Social Services Block Grant, more means-testing in Medicare, repeal of the Public Health trust fund, and more.

Failed. Obamacare went into effect today. Next stop: Debt Ceiling.

People -- and I'm talking to our government -- you have about 16 days to decide whether you want to start minting trillion-dollar platinum coins and kick off the Toilet Paper Economics era.

The other choice, and I hope this is the one Obama will make, is to do nothing.

That's right. President Obama can break a debt ceiling law that, under the current circumstances, just doesn't make sense.

Please, Mr. President, stay strong and don't play games.

Why?

Because you and your esteemed colleagues on Capitol Hill are playing them with our lives -- or at least our livelihood.

Your Turn

What's your opinion? Socialist victory or toilet paper economics?

Bonus resource: Obamacare explained.