The debt-ceiling debate was based on a faulty foundation—there was never any option other than raising the ceiling. The only way to account for a growing populace in need of a larger infrastructure is raising the debt ceiling. Yet, somehow, the Republican Party seems to think that although we need to grow, we cannot borrow the money to expand to equally serve all of our people. 

The debt ceiling “crisis” is part of a much larger, real crisis: the jobs crisis. Instead of understanding that the debt deadline would quickly approach and long term solutions to unemployment and social services for the unemployed needed to be addressed, the debt ceiling became a series of hastily determined sacrifices with longterm, devastating effects.

John Nichols joins Jon Wiener on KPFK to deconstruct the history, problems and ramifications that the debt ceiling debate has on our political system. 

—Anna Lekas Miller