The thought “What will people think of America in the early 21st Century?” seems to be continually crossing my mind these days.  And, the answer to what comes to mind as a question is not “pretty.”  This thinking parallels my thoughts as to how people around the world are viewing America these days – the once shining (at least in the eyes of all of us idealistic liberal fools) “leader of the free world.”  The more I read about what is/has (been) really going on since the days of Ronald Reagan the more disgusted I get.  As I learn as much as I can find that would resemble something approaching the “truth” as to what our nation’s “leaders” have been up to over the past 35+ years the more I believe that history is going to look back at this part of America’s legacy with disdainful eyes.  The list of abusive practices seems endless, but the hope for solutions seems illusive at best, and most of the time seems impossible.  Certainly, should America’s right wing republican party succeed in controlling the “White House” (along with their control of the Congress, the courts, and the media) “we the people” could be going from “bad to worse.”

As I’ve said many times on this site, I find it unfortunate that I MUST rely on the (spineless – in my mind) democratic party to “turn the tide” against the right wing “tide” that got out of control with the election of George W Bush/Dick Cheney in 2000.  As stated above, to me, it all started going “south” when Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980.  But, Bush/Cheney managed to REALLY topple the “apple cart” in their 8 years of creating an unstable world militarily, financially, socially, and morally.  They created a record that I certainly hope will NEVER be matched.  (However, as I predicted around 5 years ago – there’s another Bush on the horizon – and, incredibly, his foreign policy adviser is his brother GW! Now that takes a set!)  Despite what Bush/Cheney left as a “legacy” the American “voters” put republicans in charge of the House of Representatives only two years after republican policies nearly bankrupted the entire nation (and much of the world).  Since then, it has continually gotten worse -right wing republicans have gained control of the Senate, an increasing stranglehold on our “liberal media,” and suffocating and disastrous control of the court system.  All of this has happened with not much more than a “whimper” from leading democrats – although, recently I’ve seen signs that some dems are realizing what people like me have been saying since the “heyday” of Bush/Cheney – this is a WAR for the heart and soul of America.

Like I said above, the examples of how republicans are destroying America from the inside out seem endless.  Just yesterday, there was a tragic accident on an AMTRAK train on what I heard characterized as the busiest public transit route in America where 5 people were killed and dozens of others injured – some critically.  And, what happened today?  The republican House passed a budget with an 18% cut to funding for AMTRAK – transportation used by MILLIONS of Americans.  Kind of how they (republicans) view anything that relates to the infrastructure of this great (my thoughts) nation.  We use it until it falls apart and then apparently we discard it.  Reminds me of the business philosophy of the last republican candidate for president – Mitt Romney.  I believe members of his own party referred to him as a “vulture capitalist.”  He got filthy rich by creating an investment group (Bain Capital) that would purchase active businesses, suck every dime of equity out of the business possible, and then abandon the business in a heap of noncollectable debt and devastated workers who were the necessary “collateral damage.”  We’ve seen this philosophy with highways, bridges, schools, and many other parts of the infrastructure which many refer to as the “commons” with the pending “bill” to bring things up to “code” (or rebuild the nation with a “green” philosophy) now skyrocketing into the multiple TRILLIONS!

Our republican “leaders” seem perfectly “fine” with complaining about the debt they themselves have been instrumental in creating while, at the same time, leaving the cost of the “solution” to our children and grandchildren.  You read that right – they don’t want to “inconvenient” the wealthy among us (those benefiting the MOST from America’s natural “riches”) by actually PAYING for all their “must haves” (like, for example, a war machine that costs over $600 BILLION per year – more than the rest of the world COMBINED spends on the military! – plus, Bush/Cheney put two WARS on “charge cards”) but they seem perfectly fine leaving the cost to those who would follow us.  (Republicans would also tell you the financial problem is because of things like Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, unemployment insurance, early childhood education, Medicaid, and other social services without a reference to the military budget which is “keeping us safe” – seriously, and as an aside, just think about how much safer we get the more we spend on the military – arming ourselves to the teeth along with selling our outdated weapons to virtually every other country around the world)

We have an unlimited budget for bombs (and troops) around the globe, but we can’t afford to make our public transportation safer – like the businesses that Bain Capital left in ruins, apparently we will now do the same with AMTRAK and who knows what is next.  (If you haven’t noticed, republicans have blocked (or attempted to block) EVERY initiative put forth by President Obama except spending in the military – there seems to be no limit to the size of the military’s “piggy bank.”  (There is one caveat to that last statement – evidently the Trans Pacific Partnership – often times referred to as the “TPP” – seems to have almost universal republican approval.  That doesn’t seem to make President Obama nervous although it does me, especially when the “agreement” is negotiated COMPLETELY in secret- I’m sure I’ll have more to say on that topic at another time.)

So, getting back to my original thought: How will America be looked at 30 years from now? (And, I’m talking about in history books that actually report factual history – not, for example, the “history book” students will likely be reading in places like Texas in these upcoming 30 years.  Republicans are already well into their attempt to “re-write” history regarding the invasion of Iraq, the fiasco that is Afghanistan, the financial crisis of 2008, the costs of the deregulations that began with the aforementioned President Reagan, the real cause of the massive deficits, the “attacks” on women, workers, and the elderly – and, I could go on and on.  Real historians will “tell it like it is” and the reality is that the 35 years following the Reagan election and, who knows how many more, will fit right in with the “blackest of times” in the evolution of America.  Just recently I read a letter (to an editor) by a Canadian Citizen listing all the accomplishments of Barack Obama and his administration (despite all the republican obstruction) and wondering why the American public would vote republicans into control of Congress despite these successes. (of course, most of the successes are a direct result of Obama’s first two years in office when democrats controlled Congress)  The writer of the letter asked, “When Obama is out of office, could you send him to Canada?”

And, the reality is that under Obama (whom I have my share of disagreements) America’s standing in the world has been somewhat reclaimed.  People in other countries are not so stupid as to miss the reality of America’s Republican party.  They are confused (as am I) how the American voter can continue to vote these people into office.  I believe the answer to that confusion is that our “liberal media” ISN’T “liberal,” President Obama is too close to Wall Street for many “liberals,” (along with the Democratic party) and the result is an embarrassingly low voter turnout (especially, in mid-term elections) in a country where there is no serious threat to those who go to the polls.  (Yes, republicans are busy creating voter suppression laws around the country in an attempt to keep what they consider “low life” away from the voting booth – but I believe the democrats failure to fight for their own values is just as significant.  For example, in the last election – 2014 – based on the emails that flooded my inbox I felt I was being asked to vote AGAINST the “Koch brothers” more than FOR democratic successes.)  And, by the way, I’d vote “republican” if I could find one who is genuinely for “we the people” and not beholden to the corporatocracy.

I’ll conclude by saying that this vote to defund AMTRAK just one day after the terrible accident (which, granted, we still don’t know the real cause) is a clear symptom of the real problem in America.  Our “leaders” (mainly in the Congress) have been corrupted to the “core” by the influence of the “moneyed interests” of this nation.  The result has been, since – again – the election of Ronald Reagan, a dismantling of the fundamental institutions which created the greatest middle class in the history of the world – which continues to be the republican agenda to this day, leading to a rising gap between the “haves” and “have nots” that threatens to turn America into “third world” status.  Today it’s AMTRAK, tomorrow maybe the Postal system, we’ve already seen a huge push to “privatize” the prison system (I really don’t understand how “we the people” can not see past that one), we’ve got private “militias” feeding off of government contracts, and the “military industrial complex” (as Eisenhower named it) sucking the nation’s economy dry, and republican leaders who evidently see America as Mitt Romney sees takeover targets in business.  Do republicans really intend to “suck” the wealth out of America and leave the “rubble” as collateral damage to us peons? (remember, many of the wealthy “leaders” have stashed untold BILLIONS in foreign tax havens – evidently for the day when it’s time to “get out of town.” (Ironically, they’ll probably relocate in some “socialist” European country!)

I don’t use AMTRAK (at least at this point) but I’m totally happy with my tax dollars going to support public transportation.  Please read Naomi Klein’s “This Changes Everything – Capitalism vs Climate Change” and you’ll understand why I believe we should be investing more in mass transit instead of less.  If we end up with a republican in the White House after the 2016 election, I believe the results will be so catastrophic that even my republican friends will understand the disastrous results in their lifetime.