What we’re all watching in America is the pathetic demise of one of the two parties in our two party system of government. The republican party, as many more than just myself have observed over the past few years, is geared up to win elections AT ALL COST, but has put itself in a position where it can’t govern. And, of course, having Donald Trump at the “head of the class” just makes everything worse. He’s got no idea of how to govern and lead – his expertise is in bloviating and blaming others for his own shortcomings.
We saw this in the so-called “repeal and replace” of the Affordable Care Act. Instead of doing the sensible thing that would have given republicans “standing” with the American people and “fixing” the Affordable Care Act they were unable to do anything (their “Trumpcare” was nothing more than a tax cut for the wealthy disguised as “healthcare”) except watch Trump do everything he could to undermine the existing law – despite the damage that does to “we the people.” Evidently, the reasoning behind their unwillingness to fix “Obamacare” is because of the moniker they, themselves, put on the law 7 years ago. If President Obama has anything to do with it, they are against it. At some point republicans will figure out that’s a losing strategy as far as “governing” is concerned.
And, they’re doing it again with their “tax reform” – which is just another in their “trickle down” (trickle up) tax scam they’ve been putting on “we the people” since the days of Reagan. Everyone knows it’s going to balloon the deficit and enrich the top 1%, but, “here we go again.” Here’s what’s really interesting about their “tax reform.” They claim the purpose is to “create jobs and get our economy moving again.” There’s an obvious problem with that “boast” that I’m not hearing a single “pundit” point out.
The problem is that the economy is booming. Unemployment is at its lowest level in decades. Corporations are SWIMMING in profits and CASH. The idea that giving them a tax break will lead to more jobs is LUDICROUS – but, that’s the argument. Of course, the problem – which NO ONE apparently wants to talk about is that the real issue is income inequality. You don’t get that? Let me be more specific – there’s too few people making the bulk of the money. The people who are about to get a HUGE tax cut, are already FILTHY rich. Then there’s us working stiffs (well, I’m now retired, but I WAS a “working stiff”) who have had stagnant wages for – well, pretty much since the days Reagan first enacted what George HW Bush rightly referred to as “Voodoo Economics” – the first “trickle down” tax cuts.
Since those days – as I just said, workers wages have been near stagnant when adjusted for inflation, while corporate profits have gone “through the roof.” And, the “top 1%” – well, they now control an inordinate amount of America’s wealth but, you guessed it, they want even more. They’ve been buying off the republican Congress for years and they want an even greater return than the windfall that’s come their way as part of America’s wealthy elite. Wall Street is soaring, yet the corporate interests are complaining that their taxes are too high. Many pay NO taxes and many are stashing BILLIONS in places like the Cayman Islands because they just don’t want to pay taxes to their own country. Think about that – and, then they accuse NFL players as being “unpatriotic” for kneeling during the national anthem. This is hypocrisy 101.
And, it’s republicans and their benefactors – that is, those who are doing amazingly well – who are at the head of the line when there’s a democratic president COMPLAINING about the DEFICIT. Yet, sure enough, give us a republican in the “White House” and “here we go again.” These republicans have concluded that “we the people” are so STUPID they can get away with this scam seemingly FOREVER. Here’s the rub on that thought.
Last night, in many places around the country, there were signs that the so-called “resistance” has awoken the “masses” in America. Trust me, many of those who voted for Trump are beginning to realize what a loser he really is. And, Steve Bannon, – well, what’s that saying? “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Trump and Bannon are like “blood brothers.” Both of them can LIE with a totally straight face because it’s “what they do.” The election in Virginia gave us a glaring example of how arrogant their LYING really is. If you go back and listen to each of their remarks regarding the governors’ election in Virginia – first a couple days before their guy got gob smacked – and, then one day after – you realize they’re just making it up as they go. It really is pathetic and more and more Americans are coming to their senses. Ed Gillespie was going to win because he embraced Trump (that’s before the election). Ed Gillespie LOST because he DIDN’T embrace Trump – that’s a day AFTER the election. And, republicans fall for all this.
Well, actually, there’s always been plenty of Americans who can’t stand Trump and his “ilk” but the question has always been “will they show up and vote?” Yesterday, they did – and, they sent a resounding message to the country – and, maybe to the republican party – although I doubt it. Because, keep in mind, the republicans are not “connected” to the voters – they’re “connected” to the fat cats they’re now trying to repay for the MILLIONS in campaign donations. It’s actually pretty ugly, but, as they say, “it is what it is.”
Essentially, democrats can’t stop this robbery of the treasury by our richest neighbors because republicans control the Congress – but, maybe in the Senate there will be at least three members who actually oppose DEFICITS even when a republican (if you can call Trump a republican) occupies the “White House” – or three who are as offended as many of us out in the heartland that the only way republicans can sneak this through without democratic support is by plundering Medicare and Medicaid to the tune of nearly $2 TRILLION! That’s correct, it’s TRILLION with a “T.” Clearly, these republicans have no SHAME.
I’ve said since day one of Trump’s “administration” that he will survive until the jobs of the republicans in Congress are in jeopardy because of his ineptitude – and we’re nearing that point. Additionally, I pointed out that the damage Trump could do in the meantime could be catastrophic. And, we’re getting there as well. Trump approved the two pipelines which will threaten America’s greatest aquifer soon after taking office. He pulled America out of the Paris Climate Accords in an act of stupidity (although, that move may be fixable if he’s out of office sooner rather than later). We’re finding out that pulling America out of the TPP trade agreement has had the effect President Obama warned about – and, that is emboldening China economically in the Asian marketplace – and, potentially shutting America out of HUGE amounts of trade in that region.
Trump wants to open the Arctic Wildlife Refuge to mining and oil exploration while he denies “climate change” – as we all watch the ice melting in the polar regions. I suppose when the level of the ocean invades Mar a Lago he’ll find a way to blame President Obama. As I pointed out above, Trump has been busily trying to undermine “Obamacare” apparently so he can say “I told you so” while MILLIONS of lower income Americans are back in the “I have no health insurance” category – and, return to using the emergency room (which they can’t pay for) to get their “health care.” Trump and republicans are even letting the CHIP program expire – putting the health care of 9 MILLION American children at risk. And, I could go on – but, I hope you get the drift. It appears a significant MAJORITY of last night’s votes do “get the drift.”
Obviously, the writing SHOULD be “on the wall” for republicans – but, I seriously doubt it. And, of course, democrats of late have a tendency to celebrate before the “fat lady sings.” Democrats need an agenda that’s more than just anti-Trump. Trump and his republican cohorts won’t even give a hint that they’re in “trouble.” As I mentioned above regarding the before and after of Trump AND Bannon regarding the Virginia governors race – after Ed Gillespie lost it was because he didn’t support Trump enough. (Of course, when it looked like he might win, right before the election, they were saying it was because he had adopted a “Trumpian” campaign – and, of course, they were BOTH right there campaigning for him) They will find a way to spin everything – just as they’re doing with the “Russia thing” – which I’m forcing myself to leave out of this rant.
Prediction: Trump and the republicans will almost immediately, after seeing the results of last night’s election, DOUBLE down on their efforts to SUPPRESS the upcoming mid term election voter rolls. This effort has been under way since the Supreme Court GUTTED section five of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – that so many African Americans shed their blood to get passed – and, now people of color, elderly people, and young people – essentially, any group that tends to vote for democrats – are going to be targeted in some kind of way to make it harder for them to cast a vote in 2018. All the republican “dirty tricks” will be in full force as Trump and company try to hold onto power. So, democrats had better stop the victory dance immediately, and kick their “plan” for 2018 into high gear.
America is in the process of rejecting Trump AND the right wing republicans in the Congress. It appears to me that the environment in D.C. is so toxic that the only republicans “we the people” would consider voting for are all “retiring.” Trump and Bannon have accomplished one thing – and, that is turn the republican party into an almost totally racist, homophobic, climate denying, environmental denying, regulation denying, and white nationalist accepting party. In essence, they’ve made a “pact with the devil” and it’s going to be their undoing. My main hope is that there’s enough good Americans in the republican party to stop this tax ripoff that could have major lasting damage to this nation. I’ll end this by saying, Dick Cheney was wrong when he said, “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter.” And, I guarantee you, the increased deficit from the present republican “tax reform” will be at least double what they predict (and probably closer to triple). I keep wondering it they’ll still be able to blame the deficit on President Obama?????