Our economic situation is theater of the absurd. No one seems to notice that President Clinton had a budget surplus which President Bush turned into a huge deficit by his war of choice in Iraq and other budgetary moves. Almost every Republican in Congress backed every budget-busting move. Now they are practically religious zealots about balancing the budget. This makes me wonder if their motivation is principle or politics. Luckily Bush didn't privatize Social Security.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman thinks that now is a time for government stimulus, partially because corporations are investing overseas. Their profits often end up in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands. If corporations are private citizens for election donations, why not tax them like us?

Bernie Madoff and few others are jailed for financial shenanigans while millions of hardworking Americans lost their savings. Why prosecute Bernie? Simple, he hurt the one percent.

Locally, convoluted corporate tricks by Homestead NW, and at Semiahmoo and Galbraith Mountain resulted in hundreds losing their savings and no one going to jail.

But people are incarcerated for stealing a pack of cigarettes. No wonder many Americans want to push Congress over that cliff.

Harvey Schwartz

Bellingham