In the US, the deficit hawks are dominant, and they're bound and determined to make regular Americans suffer even more. 

As usual, in imposing unnecessary economic austerity and suffering on struggling Americans, there is no austerity imposed on themselves or the wealthy few they protect. 

Unfortunately, they are aided and abetted by a corporatist Obama administration.

While writing from Berlin and pointing out the deliberate illogic of the German deficit hawks, Paul Krugman reminds us of the historically ignorant, hypocritical deficit hawks here in the US.

Paul Krugman puts in in perspective: 

"Suddenly, creating jobs is out, inflicting pain is in. Condemning deficits and refusing to help a still-struggling economy has become the new fashion everywhere, including the United States, where 52 senators voted against extending aid to the unemployed despite the highest rate of long-term joblessness since the 1930s.

"Many economists, myself included, regard this turn to austerity as a huge mistake. It raises memories of 1937, when F.D.R.’s premature attempt to balance the budget helped plunge a recovering economy back into severe recession. And here in Germany, a few scholars see parallels to the policies of Heinrich Brüning, the chancellor from 1930 to 1932, whose devotion to financial orthodoxy ended up sealing the doom of the Weimar Republic.

"But despite these warnings, the deficit hawks are prevailing in most places — and nowhere more than here, where the government has pledged 80 billion euros, almost $100 billion, in tax increases and spending cuts even though the economy continues to operate far below capacity.

"What’s the economic logic behind the government’s moves? The answer, as far as I can tell, is that there isn’t any.

"In America, many self-described deficit hawks are hypocrites, pure and simple: They’re eager to slash benefits for those in need, but their concerns about red ink vanish when it comes to tax breaks for the wealthy.  Thus, Senator Ben Nelson, who sanctimoniously declared that we can’t afford $77 billion in aid to the unemployed, was instrumental in passing the first Bush tax cut, which cost a cool $1.3 trillion.  (Bold added).

"What I do know is that economic policy around the world has taken a major wrong turn, and that the odds of a prolonged slump are rising by the day."

We've gone from bad to worse.