by Mario T. García
Like probably most Americans, I am frustrated at the mess in Washington over the debt ceiling increase. I think the Republicans have shown themselves to be total ideologues, caring little about the art of compromise.
Clearly, they have no real commitment to lowering the deficit since they have passed up an opportunity thrown to them by President Obama to significantly lower the deficit in a balanced way that is not just all spending cuts but involves some tax increases as well, especially on the wealthiest percent of the population.
It seems that the Republicans' real agenda is not deficit reduction but protecting the interests of the wealthiest Americans and the big corporate interests. I suspect that some partial compromise will be done but with a majority of Republicans, especially the Tea Party types, still voting against it.
However, in the end the ones who lose, as is usually and unfortunately the case, will be the majority of middle-class and working-class Americans who will be faced with less money for social safety net programs and also for educational and other vital social programs.
It is always the little guy who loses out while the politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, look out for their own interests and that of the ruling economic elites.
