The 1991 hit movie, “Thelma and Louise”, starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon (and a very young Brad Pitt) has an ending which can only be described as a movie classic. As Thelma and Louise are being chased by the police for multiple crimes they decide to intentionally drive their car off the cliff on the edge of the canyon. An incredibly spectacular and unforgettable Hollywood ending.

While I may have spoiled the ending of that movie for some of the younger GenX readers who were looking forward to downloading “Thelma and Louise”, have no fear. The Republicans in Congress are literally threatening to drive the U.S. government and the global economy off of the cliff of a canyon so unfathomable that it would be too horrible for any sane individual to even contemplate.

In order to placate the Republican nihilist faction in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy granted all their policy and procedure demands with the notable exception of sacrificing his first born son (rumor has it that his second born son might have been a possible McCarthy bargaining chip).

One of those demands was to refuse to raise the federal budget ceiling unless the Democrats in Congress gave in to draconian budget cuts to such essential programs as Medicare and Social Security. Of course if the budget ceiling is not raised the federal government will virtually shut down in a very short period of time.

Further, if the United States defaults on its multitrillion dollar debt, the global markets will react so negatively that irreparable harm may be visited on billions of people – and certainly among the poorest of that number. In the world of the Republican nihilists, Armageddon is actually a plan. And since we know that the gelding Speaker of the House is not about to do the sane thing, much less the right thing, we are staring down at an abyss – a scenario that might be pleasing to Vladimir Putin, but every man, woman and child will suffer, even the billionaire right wing extremists who are financing the political barbarians that now seem to be in control of the Republican Party.

This is one time that cooler heads and saner minds may not necessarily prevail. And this is certainly one time that each and every one of us needs to pay attention and make sure that voices of sanity and reason are raised – constantly.

This is yet another time when silence is not an option.