There are many adversities facing the nation that have arisen over the decade that Republicans have dominated government.
Republicans have presided over spending deficits that are nearly double those of the last Democrat-controlled federal government. These government deficits have been funded by loans from other regimes–mainly China–which makes our country an economic slave to other governments. This is no small fact when Chinese corporations make bids to buy an American oil company and consumer appliance manufacturer.
The foreign purchase of American bonds allows the Federal Bank to print more money which devalues the existing supply. Consequently prices rise and the value of labor is diminished because set wages have less value.
The trade deficit has skyrocketed while Republicans have adopted free-trade philosophies. Free trade has done little more than allow manufacturers to seek the lowest cost labor market and encourage economic growth through consumerism and credit rather than production and thrift. Consequently American working wages are shrinking, savings are disappearing, private and public debt is mounting and social stability is eroding.
Opened door immigration policies, through neglect of the enforcement of existing immigration laws, have continued unabated under Republican government. Illegal immigrants can find employment at higher wages than citizens and still reduce labor costs for employers. This is because they do not incur costs for benefits or FICA taxes. Consequently, rather than illegals being punished, they can find work more easily with higher pay than those who have been born in this country.
Republicans have expanded the scope and intrusiveness of the federal government into every aspect of American life. Republicans supported a federal ID program that has begun to be implemented through state departments of motor vehicles using drivers’ licenses. Local schools are hostage to federal education programs (a centerpiece of President Bush’s 2000 campaign), cities are overwhelmed with costs of unfunded federal mandates, and courts have continued their usurpation of legislative power on all levels and Republicans have not lifted a finger to stop it. By the way, seven of the nine Supreme Court Justices were appointed by Republicans.
Please note that none of the above criticisms even mentions the War on Terror (often designated here as the War Against International Terror or W.A.I.T.), any criticism of such is considered by media supporters of the Republican regime to be paramount to treason or, worse, motivated by a liberal mind. Although the purpose of this commentary is not to criticize America’s military occupation of Iraq, Republicans used Iraq’s perceived role in global terrorism to rally voters in both the 2002 and 2004 elections.
Insanity has often been defined as doing the same thing and expecting different results. If such is the case, then conservatives who vote Republican, out of hope that the party will slay the federal leviathan, are perhaps the maddest of Americans. The GOP has controlled Congress for 10 years. The president has been Republican for five years. Republican nominees to the Supreme Court have been in the majority since the 1970’s. In spite of this political growth and domination of a political organization that promises to pull the reigns on the power of government, centralization of wealth and power launches forward at a pace that despots in development would envy.
The failure of Republicans to reverse the usurpation of power by the federal government is a victory of a political system that is filled with people serving their own ambitions and interests. This should not surprise many who have supported GOP candidates with the hope that they would restore a moral culture to public policy and governing institutions. Those voters, especially those who claim to be Christian, generally accept the notion that human nature is frightfully self-serving and the record of the Republican party, when compared to the campaign promises of restricting government power, if not proving that faith outright, at least proves Republican leaders to be duplicitous.
American politicians have proven to be arrogant, vane and venal. Their only purpose for condescending to we common folk in their various “town hall meetings” is to cement their popularity which they hope will secure reelections. Republican officials, however, won their office with promises of slaying the growing federal dragon so as to rescue us from tyranny. They have, rather, become keepers of the dragon and suggest that it will protect us from unknown dangers from undetectable sources.
This strategy of building support upon shadows standing on penumbra is not worthy of support. Republicans have violated their contract and thinking that they are going to change when they are the beneficiaries of their abuses is naiveté. Such simplicity in thought by the general public is not going to secure the greatness of a nation in troubled times.
“Published originally at EtherZone.com : republication allowed with this notice and hyperlink intact.”