Here comes the shockwave

A budget meteor – $85 billion in diameter – enters America’s atmosphere in a week, and we’re getting a sense of what the shockwave would look like.

“Thousands of security screeners would be furloughed. Wait times at the busiest airports could increase by up to an hour,” explains a reporter.

The trouble is we’ve heard all this before, and we’re at the part of the fable where the villagers frankly don’t care if the wolf eats every last sheep.

“The Navy would shut down four of its nine carrier airways.”

We get it – but what can we do about it?

Well, the Speaker of the House John Boehner, wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal, in which he says, “Washington must get serious about its spending problem. If it can’t reform America’s safety net and retirement-security programs, they will no longer be there for those who rely on them.”

What he’s saying is, if the government wasn’t on the hook to spend so much on old people and sick people, this could all be averted.

Well then! If we believe the Wall Street Journal – and I have never known it to lie – those of us who are healthy and employed, must politely, but firmly, ask those who are retired and sick to stop cashing at least SOME of their government checks.

Mom – this means you. If you find yourself short, I will write you a check myself – as I’m sure every other working American would do …

Yikes! – she’s calling already. I’ll get that later.