The Republicans caved when Boehner offered a tax increase for the rich. Obama said no and offered nothing in return. The Republicans caved on the debt limit. Obama said no and offered nothing in return. An uncompromising stance is a win-win for the president. Either he gets 100% of what he wants or he gets a crisis, a crisis that the majority will see as Republican caused. Resolution isn’t the road to more power; a crisis is.
Obama may not know (or care) how an economy works but he does know how to get elected and how to maximize his power. He is the product of democracy predicted by both Plato and Aristotle. One who is put in power by the masses due to his ability to charm them, not for his knowledge and ability to govern for their benefit.
The community organizer will certainly take us to the brink and maybe over. Our best hope is that he sees a last minute compromise as a dramatic way to claim he fought to the bitter end then finally saved the country from the radical right.
RANDOM THOTS 
This is why the progress of Esperanto – the solution to the language barrier – while steady, has been very slow.
Stop the Earth! I want to get off!!