Video: The Simpsons' Mr Burns explains the US fiscal cliff In the latest series of The Simpsons, Mr Burns is seen reeling from the defeat of Mitt Romney in the US presidential election. Motivating himself to move on from the defeat, he takes time to explain the upcoming fiscal cliff. The fiscal cliff is across-the-board tax hikes and sharp spending cuts scheduled for January 1, which economists warn could trigger a new recession. Mr Burns explains it a little differently: "Think of the economy as a car and the rich man is the driver. If you don't give the driver all the money, he'll drive you over a cliff- it's just common sense.