Understanding the Republican Agenda
The reasoning behind the Republican plans for our nation are becoming clearer. It has long puzzled me why conservative interests in America want to make the government smaller and to reduce the income of the nation. But I think I am beginning to understand.
It isn’t quite true to say that they want to reduce the size of all government – The Republicans only want to cut those parts of the government that limit the uncontrolled growth of financial institutions and big business. They want to cut only those programs that deal with human services, social and regulatory programs. They want to eliminate medical care and affordable drug plans, reduce control over safe food and water, remove restrictions on mining and forest explitation (and the resultant environmental damage), maintenance and expansion of the nations infrastructure, hot lunch programs for inner city schools, support for a quality education program for all students, support for poor students who seek to go on college. They are quite happy with large government support of the military, national control over medical procedures that they want to eliminate (abortion and stem cell research), border control, support for increased survalence into the lives of American people, policies that facilitate uncontrolled financial transactions...
Reagan used the phrase that he wanted to “starve the beast” – meaning big government. He put forth the idea of increasing financial pressure on the government’s budget in order to make it easier to cut spending on programs. Rick Santorum, representative from Pennsylvania and spokesperson for the right, said that at first he hated deficits, but has came to like them because they made it harder to pass any new spending bills. He says, “…Deficits make it easier to say no.” With control of the House of Representatives, the Republicans feel that the time is now right to make a move toward reducing the budget that will lead to the reduction in government that they seek. This is how Warren Buffet sees it: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html
It is aso clear who will gain from this plan - a plan that reduces social services, reduces support for education, destroys unions…It will not be the working people of America who benefit … nor those people on a fixed income …nor the sick or marginal of our society… Not even the middle class - because this population group is diminishing. It will be beneficial for the weathly – for those who want a powerless labor force and fewer government controls on what actions are permitted. It would be great for big money financial interests. The effect will be to return us to a two tier society – the wealthy and the poor… it would produce a labor force resigned to accept what is offered without the need of providing for a social safety net… Working families would be left to sink or swin on their own…
It has been an incredible act of social engineering that by using Fox news, conservative radio talk show hosts, and right wing press the very people who would lose the most from the Republican plan are made to think that somehow this plan will benefit them. It is also masterful to meld the whole scheme with a conservative Christian message to give it validity … This very plan, designed by social engineers and paid for by the big money interests who would benefit the most, can turn us into a Second World country such as Brazil or Turkey… with a powerful wealthy elete and a powerless working class...
One of the Republican selling points for small government is that they say that the size of government is inversely proportional to the freedom of the individual. In fact a well planned central government is the most responsible agency for ensuring equal opportunity for everyone in the society.
Read what influence money can buy with the Koch brothers: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/apr/08/koch-brothers-lobbying
We know that the "trickle down economy" concept hasn't worked as Republicans predicted – the weathy hold on to their profits and invest it in still more wealth generating plans. Few profits are translated into new jobs when the wealthy can maximize profits by moving manufacturing overseas. Left to their own devices, those with economic power will maximize their profits at the expense of the economy, the environment, and health and safety standards. With a reduction in national tax income there will be no funding to maintain and expand interstate high way and fast rail systems, national park system, NOAA, air safety standards, water projects. Who will support new research in medicine, wind and solar power...? This recipe is the surest way to lose our competitive edge in the world economic competition. The Republican concept of small government will result in the loss of thousands of jobs that are connected to our national projects.
I support the wisdom of the American form of government with one political arm of the government exploring new ways of dealing with national problems… and another arm seeking to hold to the tried ideas that have worked in the past… If either branch is allowed to completely control the government our system becomes unbalanced and out of kilter… our balance as a nation depends on the dialogue between both voices. Suddenly in this congress we no longer have a dialogue. Instead the Republicans have been unwilling to engage in civil discourse - they have practiced obstructionism. It is said that our two party system negates the need for periodic revolutions or changes in government due to a failed “vote of confidence”. Traditionally, for us Americans, if your party is out of power– it’s only a matter of waiting four years and then mounting an election... then its up to the will of the people...
But one thing that history teaches us - when insurmountable economic disparities is permitted to develop, social instability is the inevitable result...
