LIKE a good American, I have endeavoured to remain ignorant of
the "fiscal cliff" and its perils. When confronted with stories
about tense negotiations in Washington, I have let my
consciousness ramble freely over more agreeable subjects, such
as debt peonage or vivisection. But then a local news outlet
burst my cozy envelope of oblivion with a powerful spot about
the prospect of $8 gallons of milk. This I could not fathom.
How? No agreement on taxes and spending and, bang, just like
that, $8 milk? And now we've plummeted over this "cliff". How
will Americans afford to make their cereal delicious?  First, we
should ask how milk could conceivably double in price through
legislative inaction? I will admit that I am not quite convinced
that American lactophiles will really feel the pinch. According
to a Reuters report:       It's this "trigger a chain reaction"
bit that gives me pause. What's the government going to do with
all that dear milk? Float a battleship in it? Why not sell it
back to distributors at the