I’m presently reading “The Man who saved the Union, Ulysses Grant in War and Peace” by HW Brands.  It’s a very interesting read and I’m about through his early life up to the end of the Civil War.  As I’m reading this book and thinking about the “tea party” faction in the republican party I can’t help but draw some parallels.  It’s becoming more and more apparent to me that the issues that divided America in 1860 are still “hanging on” today.  It took Barrack Obama’s election to bring this out in the “open.”  William Sherman was one of Grant’s “lieutenants” during the war and he vented a frustration similar to one many on the left are having in present day America when he loathed the (what I will call the “liberal”) press.  Here’s an interesting quote from Sherman as he’s lamenting the destruction “from within” that was tearing America apart: “The press was the enemy as much as the rebels were” Sherman said.  “War cannot cease as long as any flippant fool of an editor may stir up the passions of the multitudes, arraign with impunity the motives of the most honorable, and howl on their gang of bloody hounds to hunt down any man who despises their order.  We can deal with armies who have a visible and tangible existence, but it will require tact and skill and courage to clip the wings of this public enemy.”  Kind of a present day reference to the likes of Fox “news,” Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Lars Larsen, Bill O’Reilly, and the rest of the minions of the right wing money machine that “hunts down any man who despises their order.”  And, of course, if you don’t get my sarcasm about our “liberal” media – the media I’m talking about is not liberal at all!

I’ve been writing about the propaganda campaign that’s been going full tilt since the days of Ronald Reagan since I started this blog (if that’s what it is???  :o).  Sherman referred to the press that was attacking Lincoln and the generals who ultimately defeated the secessionists in the South when he complained about “any flippant fool of an editor (who) may stir up the passions of the multitudes, (and) arraign with impunity the motives of the most honorable.”  Now, I will be the first to admit that it’s becoming harder and harder to recognize “the most honorable” when talking about our leaders in Washington D.C. – but, it’s quite apparent to me that the corporate interests behind the “tea party,” Fox “news,” politicians like Sarah Palin (“he pals around with terrorists”)  and the aforementioned political pundits (hacks) act like a “gang of bloody hounds to hunt down any man who despises their order.”  My fervent wish as I”m writing this is that this type of behavior gets expunged from our acceptable political practice “sooner rather than later” and we can somehow avoid evolving into a society in which a vicious cycle of accusatory politics is the norm.  As Lincoln himself said, “United we stand, divided we fall” when he committed to defend the constitution and prevent the southern states from leaving the “Union.”  It seems to me that our present day press, which – if you haven’t been paying attention – is controlled almost entirely by a select few “conservative” corporations, is thriving on the philosophy of dividing the public in America in order to allow their benefactors to continue the great plundering of America’s unsuspecting taxpayers.

The press should be trying to educate the American public with factual information regarding our leaders in Washington D.C. all the way down to our local governments.  The reality is that the right wing forces being “pushed” by the likes of the Koch brothers and other wealthy and powerful sources in America (and, unfortunately, abroad) realize that by dividing Americans and turning the focus of our (we the people’s) attention onto divisive issues, they are able to stealthily gain a stranglehold on our system of government in a way that will ultimately (if we don’t stop them) be difficult to overcome.  They make up their own “facts.”  The more I read about American history and the more I pay attention to what’s “happening” in today’s “world,” the more alarm I feel. (And, consequently, the more I seem to write)  If you just take a short moment to examine the recent history since the so-called “Reagan Revolution” I think you’ll maybe understand what I’m trying to get across here.

I was talking to the man who fixes my cars today and we reminisced about the differences before Reagan and after.  And, he’s basically a pretty conservative person – a mechanic, a farmer, and a person who’s spent his entire life in a rural setting.  Additionally, he’s the classic “small business” person.  The first thing that changed when Reagan won the “White House” was the beginning of the “trickle down” economic theory which essentially was a smoke screen to facilitate the greed of America’s wealthy class.  The tax rate on the upper 1 or 2 percent of Americans was around 70% for their top income (in today’s dollars, I believe income in excess of $1 MILLION) and that was cut more than in half (I’m working from the top of my head here, so keep in mind that I’m not using exact numbers – feel free to check them out and clarify).  Additionally, the attack on unions was put into full force (and organized – an organized ATTACK on organized labor) and, maybe worst of all, the so-called PRIVATIZATION movement was initiated.  The first real EVIDENCE as to the folly of Reagan’s “revolution” was the QUADRUPLING of the budget deficit within a year or two of the first tax cut.  Reagan actually cut taxes for the wealthy while raising taxes on working class people – and got away with it because our “liberal media” allowed him to do so.  Reagan’s personality resonated with many Americans and the republicans first initiated  Goebbels “Big Lie Theory” during Reagan’s presidency.  And, the media bought into it “hook line and sinker.”

Just think if Barrack Obama had the same results as Reagan.  Since Obama took office the yearly budget deficit has dropped almost in half.  After Reagan’s first five years it was AT LEAST five times the deficit he inherited.  Obama managed to finish the job of getting Osama bin Laden while during Reagan’s years we lost HUNDREDS of troops in a terrorist attack on an American barracks in Lebanon (I believe it was something in the neighborhood of 300 American and French troops) and, within four months, despite claims to the contrary, Reagan withdrew all American troops from Lebanon.  Think of the republican response to Benghazi and just imagine if Obama had done what Reagan ACTUALLY did!  Reagan and his cabinet carried on an illegal war (Iran Contra) at the clear defiance of Congress and then one by one lied through their teeth about it (this action included “Bush 41”) to Congress and the courts.  Those who were ultimately convicted of serious law violations were all PARDONED and the theory that “if the president does it, it must be legal” was reborn (after being debunked during Nixon’s reign).  Honestly, think about the republican reaction if Obama should do such a thing!  And, what would Grover Norquist say about “tax increases?”  President Obama is trying to get the upper tax rates to the level of the Clinton administration – which is heresy to the republicans.  Well, Reagan did reduce taxes – mainly on the wealthiest Americans – but, at the same time his eliminating of deductions (really, that’s a euphemism for raising taxes) affected the Americans with the lowest incomes.  On that one, I suppose if Obama did that, the present day republicans (might not) complain.  (Actually, they wouldn’t agree to ANYTHING Obama was “for”)  When Reagan took office we were the largest “creditor” nation in the world.  By the time he left, we were the largest debtor nation.  I’ve yet to hear the “tea party” refer to that phenomenon!

As I study American history I find multiple circumstances where there’s  great disagreement between politicians and political parties.  However, I’ve yet to find an example of one party FOCUSING their efforts (ie – “our first priority”) on a president’s FAILURE – save for the Civil War and Lincoln’s avowed plan to save the union.  Technically, however, at that time the southern states had seceded from the union so I don’t consider it a comparable situation to today’s republican party (nationally) committed to making sure a president FAILS.  I’ve been saying this since the first day I heard Mitch McConnell, Rush Limbaugh, and Jim DeMint throw out the “talking points” that their (the republican party’s) first and foremost objective was to make sure President Obama FAILS – the only explanation for that plan is that Obama is a person of color and they (the republicans) want to make sure “we the people” don’t make this “mistake” again.  The FACT that their actions are crippling our government’s ability to intervene in the most desperate places (like our urban areas) is irrelevant to them. We’ve seen multiple evidence of legislation with overwhelming public support (the public option in healthcare reform and registering guns just to name a couple examples) being “torpedoed” simply because it’s more important to them that Obama FAILS, than if America succeeds.  They are entrenched in their “top down” philosophy of propping up the “rich” and the only welfare they believe in is “corporate” welfare.

Republicans are responding to the changing demographic in America in a very strange way.  Although, when I try to look at their “strategy” from someone who’s seeing things from a racist perspective, they have a difficult challenge.  They want to keep their “place” as the “white” ruling class in a country that is evolving to where whites will soon be a “minority.”  Instead of changing their philosophy to attract minority voters, it appears to me they are ramping up their efforts to gain their “permanent republican majority” through the stealth methods I briefly referred to above.  (Thanks to our right wing Supreme Court, republicans have the Citizens United decision to allow them to continue buying politicians and elections along with the gutting of the Voting Rights act to facilitate their strategy to suppress the minority vote in America)  And, the media I’ve been referring to has a huge part to play in this, by making sure that the American public has NO IDEA what’s REALLY happening in our government.  Yes, the republicans are very subtle (usually) in their “race baiting” – but, they find ways to assure their right wing base that they’re “all in” on the white supremacy “thing.”  From Ronald Reagan’s initiating his original campaign in a hotbed of racists (Philadelphia Mississippi, click here if you don’t understand my point) to John McCain’s reference in a presidential debate to Barrack Obama as “That one” I’ve been witnessing this crap (republicans subtly spewing out their “code”) my entire adult life.  Honestly, I really did think Obama’s election was a great step forward, but it really clarified the reality of the BATTLE for civil rights that is still paramount (and raging) in America today.

Obviously, the WAR for the heart and soul of America continues.  In essence it’s been ongoing for over 200 years and the “force” behind today’s republican agenda is grounded in maintaining the power with the white “ruling” class.  On many occasions on this site I’ve referenced the book “The Family” by Jeff Sharlett and you really need to read that to better understand the magnitude of what the progressives in America are up against.  However, this really is a WAR and the so-called (self described) “liberal media” continues to act in a way consistent with the complaints of General Sherman during the Civil War.  Right wing editors are stirring “up the passions of the multitudes, arraign(ing) with impunity the motives of the most honorable, and howl(ing) on their gang of bloody hounds (Limbaugh, Hannity, Larsen, Boehner, McConnell, etc.) to hunt down any man who despises their order.  In the case of our president, no matter what he proposes, they will attack him.  Therefore, it seems as if nothing is getting done.  Yet, I feel that if the left will mobilize and help the general public to sift through the BS it is possible to vote these present day republicans out en masse.  Just as in the days of the Civil War it was a HUGE challenge to overcome the attack dog press; however, it can be done, “but,” as said by General Sherman, “it will require tact and skill and courage to clip the wings of this public enemy.”

America has always overcome these right wing challenges to the foundation of our nation through strong leadership.  Lincoln came along at just the right time.  Grant reluctantly took his important place in the history of this nation at just the right time.  FDR came along at just the right time.  JFK was snuffed out by the forces behind today’s right wing movement, but he came at the right time.  I’m confident someone will emerge in the next few years to continue America’s push to prove that people CAN govern themselves in a way that is designed to benefit the masses (and not the few).  I was naive to think that President Obama was that leader.  His rhetoric was enticing, but I’m just not convinced he understood the challenge he was facing.  He’s got three years left, but he’s enabled the republicans to control the agenda and until I see him call them out – that is, draw a clear line on their overt obstruction, I don’t see him as the leader who “turns the tide.”  When FDR referred to the wealthiest class of Americans by saying “They are unanimous in their hate for me, and I welcome their hate,” he made it clear that he understood the challenge of progressivism.  The next American “FDR” who “welcomes the hate” from the right will find a large portion of America’s electorate vigorously supporting him or her!  Can you imagine how the Koch Brothers and Fox “news” will respond if America’s next president is a woman????