There is so much I would like to write about, but the Bush administration and the republican party just won’t quit their thievery, so I have to write about them. They’re going to stay in the limelight right up to the last day, and they are perfectly willing to take the rest of us down with them. Remember, these guys HAVE ALL THE MONEY!!! A depression probably looks to them like an innocent mouse looks to the cat while the mouse is trying to steal some of the cat food. These guys are licking their chops at all the things they will be able to buy once they have totally destroyed our economy as it exists today. And I’m not talking about buying a cheap computer like maybe I would be thinking. They’re planning to buy up all the businesses that can’t withstand the economic calamity these republicans have created and are STILL WORKING ON!

At first, I honestly couldn’t understand their reluctance to “bailout” GM and the American auto industry. This is the industry that these republicans encouraged to build gas hog over-priced vehicles since the heyday of the Reaganomic era. Remember, Jimmy Carter had initiated fuel consumption standards that, had Reagan not rebuked them, would have virtually eliminated the present crisis. The average fuel economy coming out of Detroit, had Carter’s standards been left in place, would be something in the neighborhood of 35 MPG today. That’s the average. GM wouldn’t have scrapped their electric car technology. Hummers would have never been the “in” SUV for the elite “yuppie” crowd. Detroit would have been forced to compete with Toyota, Honda, etc. Now the republicans want to allow these American stalwarts to go into bankruptcy – according to Bush and others – because they have created their own problem and it is the result of poor management. This is kind of like when Reagan made promises to the Air Traffic Controllers and then broke those promises and did the opposite of what he promised as he destroyed their union on national television in an incredible demonstration to American business of how to bust unions. I have not doubt that is what they’re trying to accomplish in the last days of republican “rule.”

Clearly the people have spoken and rejected this mean-spirited greedy approach to government. WE’VE HAD ENOUGH! The probem as I see it, is the the democratic party constantly gets outwitted by these republicans. They’re (the republicans) like the 6th grade students in my class who believe there is never going to be a consequence (negative to them) for their actions. And the democrats keep letting them get away with it. The democrats latest folly is the 700 Billion dollar “bailout” of Wall Street – the funds that have gone to Henry Paulsen’s favorite banks – including the one in which he has over a half a Billion dollars in stock – these funds going with an incredible lack of oversight capability from Congress (do you remember the angst when Paulsen proposed a bailout with no strings attached, the democrats said “No way!” and then passed a bill with virtually no strings attached – this is par for the democratic course). From the republican perspective it is OK to bail out their financial buddies on Wall Street (the media continues to ignore the conflict of interest every one of the proponents of this bailout has for the nations banks to stay “above water”) – but if they bail out “large American corporations like GM” where will the bailouts stop. Evidently, AIG is not a large corporation. Neither, evidently, is Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bear Stearns, etc. Now the democrats have no leverage to help save GM because the republicans are going to continue their obstructionist tactics.

Many people are saying that waiting for Obama to take office is going to be too long for GM. The more they say that, the more likely it is true. Because GM, like the banks, relies on the confidence of consumers to a large extent to sell their products. So people in the market for cars are probably going to look elsewhere if they think there is the slightest chance that GM will be going down in the next couple of months. Obviously, Bush has little concern for his legacy, as stated in my last post to this site. I’ve spent a bit of time thinking about this and I keep coming up with only one logical answer. THE REPUBLICANS HATE UNIONS! They have managed to destroy most of the unions in this country in the last 30 years, but the American auto industry has managed to avoid the onslaught. Well, their final “goodbye,” I guess, will be an attempt to take down the biggest union of them all. I’m not sure if they fully realize the impact of GM going into bankruptcy, because they were clueless about Iraq, they have initiated one folly after another, but I tend to think they do understand and they are doing this is on purpose.

What if they are trying to destroy this government ON PURPOSE? Did you or anyone ever think about that? – I know I didn’t until recently. There is ample evidence that 9/11 could and should have been averted. Was Iraq just a way to pilfer the economy by a bunch of war profiteers, leading our nation into bankruptcy? (remember, GW Bush’s grandfather was a war profiteer in WW II – selling materials necessary for the buildup of the war “machine” of Adolph Hitler – it’s been a family trait for generations, including George HW Bush) These people can’t get enough money, and I’m just not sure what the ultimate motivation is. I know as a teacher that they have been trying to destroy the public schools since I’ve been teaching which is approaching 20 years. I’m convinced the reason why is that teachers in public schools are unionized. Again, REPUBLICANS HATE THIS! So, now that the average working class person in this country has been feeling a downward push on their real wages for 30 years, it appears that it is time for the ultimate collapse – and I believe that if GM goes down, that is what will happen. The economy simply can’t absorb the shock that would create.

For the republicans, it creates opportunity. I say it again, THEY HAVE ALL THE MONEY! What is ironic, we the taxpayers – including the millions of taxpayers who will lose their jobs if GM goes down – just gave these thugs 700 BILLION MORE DOLLARS! This makes me even more adamant. There must be a consequence for their behavior, or this will happen again, whether in 4 years, 8 years, or 50 years. Bush, Cheney, Rove, Addington, Gonzales, probably Paulsen, and more – they all need to be prosecuted. They are destroying the very fabric of our nation – and once they’re out of office if we don’t fight back, the fleecing will just get worse. My biggest frustration is that any working class person could even think of supporting these thugs. This will be the topic of another day, but I am predicting that the republicans inciting their “base” with racist rhetoric during the recent election is how they are going to “trick” working class people to fall for their garbage again. I’m sure they are already figuring out how to “blame” Obama for the economic demise. These guys are unbelievable thieves and liars. I say it again, the only fair way for Bush and company to leave office is in a paddy wagon!