Monday, December 31, 2012

The Physical Cliff

     Someone I love asked me to explain the “physical cliff” about a month ago.  Rather than correcting the proper delineation of that phrase, I proceeded to offer my best explanation of that which will transpire if our elected officials fail to reach a reasonable compromise on the absurdly large and pressing economic issues we face in our country.  I was happy to speak to my dear one in basic bits of data because it helped to clarify the confusion in my own mind, as well.
     Following on 30 minutes of our fumbling back-and-forth at the breakfast table, we were both reasonably satisfied that we understood the circumstances and possible ramifications of the “fiscal cliff.”    But then I had another thought: she may have had it right in the first place.  Perhaps a physical cliff rising hundreds of feet above a rocky canyon would be an effective incentive for 535 senators and representatives to make a decision.  Line them up on the edge and give them five minutes to figure out a solution.  The alternative awaits them below…
“Come senators and congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled…”
From “The Times They Are A-Changin’”
By Bob Dylan

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