Country Finally Admits It Has No Idea What 'Fiscal Cliff' Means, Has Been Nodding For 14 Years

In a landmark moment of collective honesty, the government of India's Ministry of Finance acknowledged in a white paper published Thursday that neither ministry officials, members of parliament, financial journalists, nor the general public have known what 'fiscal cliff' means since the phrase entered popular use in approximately 2011. A survey of 4,400 adults found that 96% nodded confidently when the phrase was used in a sentence, 98% agreed it 'sounded bad,' and 0% could provide a definition. The white paper noted that the phrase has been used 7,200 times in Rajya Sabha alone since 2012, in 'sentences that are technically grammatically correct.' The Finance Minister, reached for comment, nodded thoughtfully and said: 'Yes, absolutely, the fiscal cliff. We are monitoring it closely.'