I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about “how did we get here” regarding the sorry state of affairs, politically, in America. The answer I keep coming back to is Ronald Reagan. Of course, to those on the political “right” Reagan is revered almost as a god. In my mind, the reality is that the downhill slide for America started the day he was elected President of the United States. Reagan was a bit actor who headed the Screen Actors Guild in the days of the McCarthy attacks on LIBERALS in the 1950’s and he BACK-STABBED several of his fellow union members by accusing them of being “communists” surreptitiously to J Edgar Hoover. These were the days when the “Communist scare” was in full bloom in America, and Reagan showed himself to be one who would do anything to further his own “wagon.” Once elected to the White House Reagan’s character did not change – he led the way for the so-called “trickle down economics” (I’ve always called it “trickle up”) that has been eating away at the fiber of America since Reagan’s first inaugural address. Reagan was clearly a “me” first person and he managed to change this great nation from a “we” nation to a “me” nation.
Some of the notable accomplishments during Reagan’s term in office: America’s debt crisis was put on steroids, the American “war machine” and the people who believe in permanent war managed to gain a stranglehold on the nation’s psyche, the “terrorists” who ultimately attacked the U.S. on 9/11 were armed to the hilt (by the Reagan administration), Saddam Hussein was supplied a plethora of weapons (including chemicals) to support a 10 year war with Iran (while, at the same time, Reagan and his cronies were supplying weapons to Iran in what became the Iran/Contra scandal), the bludgeoning of our nation’s government was begun with the propaganda scheme that “government is the problem,” – this privatization continues to this day (as with several of the other follies), the “white supremacist” movement was encouraged through the coded messages Reagan always managed to include in his speeches (most going over the heads of the bulk of us mortals), Rush Limbaugh and the right wing attack on our airwaves was initiated – including the adoption of Goebbels “big lie theory,” Education in America came under attack as if it was some sort of LIBERAL conspiracy – with the cost of college put on a course where, as of today, most middle to lower middle class students are shut out of the opportunity for higher educations unless they’re willing to take on HUGE debt – this attack on education metastasized during the GW Bush years with the “No Child Left Behind” legislation which traded our traditional form of education for one based on TEST taking – with the tests prepared by people such as Bush’s brother.
It was during the Reagan years that republicans took the “dirty tricks” philosophy of the Nixon era and polished them into a lethal propaganda scheme that has had middle class voters voting against their own self interests ever since. I’m not an expert (in fact I’m operating here on my logical brain) on the “fairness doctrine,” but I do know that it was suspended under Reagan and when Congress attempted to pass it into law Reagan vetoed it. (GW Bush, who – in my mind – was worse than Reagan, but basically following a similar agenda – also prevented the doctrine from being revived with the threat of a veto early in his administration) Some, at the time, suggested the doctrine was a benefit to Reagan, but little did we know what lied (pun intended) in store regarding the proliferation of right wing “talk” radio.
So, how is this playing out in today’s political scene. Let’s start with the deficit. Virtually ALL my republican friends are right there with Fox “news” (and Roger Ailes – one of Nixon’s operatives) in blaming our burgeoning deficit on Barack Obama. Naturally, they did almost EXACTLY the same thing when Bill Clinton was beginning his presidency. Here’s how it works for them: They create MASSIVE deficits and claim that “deficits don’t matter” (in the words of Dick Cheney) – UNTIL, they get voted out of office because they are unable to govern – then, all of a sudden, deficits do MATTER and the deficits are caused by the democrat in the White House. For example, I still remember republicans BLAMING the TRILLION + deficits CREATED by the Bush/Cheney administration (along with an economy teetering on depression) on Barack Obama BEFORE he had even taken the oath of office. Additionally, they blamed Obama for the BAILOUTS of the banks that was instituted by Bush/Cheney. Since Obama took his oath of office, the republicans are so worried about the deficit that they threaten to shut down the government or – worst yet – default on America’s debt about twice a year. What they’ve proved to me is that they HATE Obama and want him to fail (maybe it’s just they hate democrats) more than they want our country to succeed. I just hope America FINALLY sees past the agenda of the republicans (and their “saint” Reagan) sooner rather than later. (I guess when you consider this plague of “trickle down” economics has been here for over 30 years, it’s too late for the sooner part of that “hope”)
How about our military? Well, Reagan put the defense department on steroids in his anti-communist mode, and we’ve never managed to get off the “juice,” as they say it in baseball. I can’t imagine what would happen to our economy if we actually began to pull back on all the (mostly needless) military spending. Take for example the Bush/Cheney fiasco where they lied America into an invasion of Iraq on false pretenses – just take a moment to think about how much safer we are – AND, the rest of the world is. Nearly 5000 Americans died in that fruitless military adventure, countless thousands were injured, some estimates go as high as half a million Iraqi’s died with nearly 50% of their country displaced – and, of course, Iraq is still in disarray – yet the same militaristic group of what I call “chicken hawks” (Dick Cheney, et al – experts in their day at getting deferrals from military service) along with war hawks like John McCain and Lindsey Graham are “championing” another push into Iraq by America’s military. (I’m sad to say that President Obama, with the support of people like McCain and Graham, has supplied the weapons the present insurgents in Iraq are using to destabilize the country – AGAIN – and, now we’re going to have to listen to the war hawks pushing us into fighting the very people we’re arming – we armed them so they could overthrow the regime in Syria and now the follie has come “home to roost.” You can find pictures on the internet of John McCain posing with the very people he says are now a threat to America – as he was urging our President to provide them with weapons.) Reality is not going to sink in to these people, it’s up to America’s voters to put them and their “ilk” “out to pasture.”
Reagan and his administration had virtually TOTAL disregard for our laws AND our Congress (sound familiar, ie Bush/Cheney?). The Iran/Contra “affair” was a great example of how “wrong” America’s government has gone in the past 30 + years since Reagan’s election. To suggest that Reagan “didn’t know” what was going on at the time has ALWAYS been ludicrous to me. His surrogates – with the help of Israel – were selling HUGE amounts of weapons to Iran (our “sworn enemy” – all the while as we were arming Saddam Hussein who was fighting Iran – ugh!) and using the money to arm the Nicaraguan “Contras” a rebel force attempting to overthrow the Sandinista Junta which was a popular uprising that overthrew the dictator (and friend of U.S. corporate interests) Anastasio Somoza Debayle. Reagan and most of his surrogates were guilty of numerous CRIMES, but virtually none of them paid a price for their actions as they were exonerated through political maneuvering (George HW Bush – who was clearly involved in the mess – pardoned anyone who still had legal issues prior to leaving office). Just as Barack Obama failed to enforce our laws regarding the Bush/Cheney regime, so did Bill Clinton regarding daddy Bush and the others – I certainly don’t remember any further investigations after Bush 1 left office. There must be some kind of “unwritten rule” regarding politicians similar to doctors and lawyers – we don’t go after each other.
To me, the end result of Reagan’s indifference to our laws was a repeat performance with the Bush/Cheney administration – only much more intense. Those guys had NO LIMITS. I’ve read enough to know that the CIA has participated in TORTURE in different ways over the years as they’ve been busy either undermining “socialist” regimes around the world or uplifting tyrannical dictators who are favorable to our corporate elite. I’ve just had a really hard time swallowing that we would allow George W Bush and Dick Cheney to PUBLICLY acknowledge authorizing TORTURE on NATIONAL TV – both saying they have NO REGRETS – and our Justice Department just gives them a blind eye. President Obama doesn’t need me “piling on” in criticism of his policies (one would never agree with everything unless a “blind follower”) but I’m not sure I will ever be able to forgive him for “looking forward instead of back” regarding what many refer to as the “Bush Crime family.” In my mind, all of this is a culmination of the culture created by the administration of Ronald Reagan – between him and the two Bush presidents they’ve proved Nixon correct when he said, “if the president does it, it must be legal.” Obama’s “looking the other way,” in my mind, was a blunder of HISTORICAL proportions!
The “privatization” thing is another rub for me. Take health care for example. When I was a young father all health care was not for profit. I had two daughters born via “C Sections” at a time when I had no health insurance. My wife was in the hospital for several days each time. I was able to pay off the hospital and doctor bills in a matter of a couple years each time. I still remember that the specialist brought in for the first surgery charged $175. The hospital bill the first time was $3000. It’s true that I was making around$3.50 per hour at the time, but paying off the bill was manageable. With the advent of “for profit” hospitals and threats of HUGE lawsuits for doctors who screw up – among other factors – going to the hospital for any middle class American requires some form of Health Insurance. Yet, the very people (republicans) who’ve been pushing the privatization agenda are the same people who are blocking national health insurance for all. The number of people in America who end up with serious to fatal illnesses due to their lack of ability to pay for health care is a, in my view, national disgrace. To me the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) is the result of our national submission to corporate interests and a classic example of what happens when the lobbyists control legislation. I look at it as “better than nothing” (I have friends who are going to the doctor now, who wouldn’t otherwise) but the result of a population that’s been brainwashed by the corporate elite in America that national health care is “socialism” and therefore BAD. Reagan was at the forefront of this privatization movement, and MANY Americans continue to pay the ultimate price for this disaster. Most Americans still believe we have the best health care system in the world. The statistics say otherwise – and, decidedly so.
“Conservatives” are still hell bent on privatizing Social Security and Medicare. Reagan predicted that Medicare would be the downfall of America – it would “curtail American freedom.” He claimed that Social Security would “supplant private savings” as part of his attack on government – the same government he spent many years trying to control. I often wonder why voters would vote in politicians who oppose government to run the government. It makes no sense to me – unless you’re one of the people who would be happy if there was NO government. It’s the people who tend to be part of the “Reagan revolution” that I’ve noticed complain loudly about the abusive banking system in America and, at the same time, decry politicians who attempt to regulate the bankers. Many of the “Tea Party” republicans who emerged with the election of Obama voiced strong opposition to national health care all the while as they were defending their Medicare system. Certainly makes me wonder. The forces behind Reagan and his “trickle down” economics have been lambasting Social Security since before he took the oath of office by spreading misinformation as they attempt to help Wall Street ( who they proclaim to despise) get their greedy hands on the Social Security Trust fund.
I read the other day where these people (“conservatives”) have convinced nearly half of Americans under the age of 40 that Social Security will not be there for them. This is despite the FACT that the fund is solid (with no help) for another 20 years or so and 85% solvent indefinitely if America stupidly does nothing to adjust the fund from present policy. It would take nothing more than raising the “cut off” amount a few thousand dollars (that’s the amount of income where someone would no longer pay the FICA tax) to make Social Security solvent for the next (at least) 75 yrs. If America’s middle class decided to “allow” wealthy Americans to pay on their income up to, say, $250,000 the system could be expanded significantly. But, of course, that would “reek” of “socialism.”
I’ve written many times on this site as to how I’ve seen a marked increase in overt racism since the election of Barack Obama. And, I’ve often referred back to Reagan’s initiating his campaign for the presidency at Philadelphia, Mississippi – near the exact spot where 3 civil rights workers were murdered in the 1960’s – with a pledged commitment to “states’ rights” and the so- called “Southern Strategy” of Richard Nixon as evidence that republicans have been courting the white supremacist vote since LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964. It was obvious to me then (beginning with Barry Goldwater) and it’s obvious to me now. Many “conservatives” I know seem to be astonished at the suggestion that republican politicians would use “coded language” to send messages that won’t be recognized by the general public but, in my view, it’s still happening. (actually, I believe democrats do the same thing in the opposite way – America doesn’t seem ready, in my view, despite Obama’s election – to face the FACTS when it comes to race. We like to pretend “all is well.”) Reagan was really good at it – and, the public was very unsuspecting. References to welfare queens, lazy Blacks (or poor people implying they are Black – when, in reality most are White), the aforementioned “state’s rights” (implying support for segregationists at the time), etc. I still vaguely remember the “Willie Horton adds” used by George HW Bush as a way to infer that his opponent (Michael Dukakis) was “weak on crime.” And, the beat goes on.
Actually, with the advent of the “Tea Party” – which I believe has totally morphed out of control based on the original “grassroots” intentions (I’m trying to be generous here – suggesting that when the Kochs, Dick Armey, and Fox “news” got involved, the movement was for all intents and purposes “hijacked”) – the republican party has moved dangerously “right” and, it appears to me, is simply looking at a matter of time until it is extinct as a national political force. Either it will split into two groups or it will become an after thought in American politics. To me, the “Tea Party” represents those republicans who’ve been listening to the likes of Rush Limbaugh since he was introduced (again, during the Reagan era). In my mind, anyone who claims Limbaugh is not a racist hasn’t spent much time listening to him talk. (actually, I don’t listen to him anymore – I have in the past – but, occasionally I’ll check in and, like clockwork, he’ll make some absurd claim that is often based in racism or some other ism and I change the dial shaking my head – wondering how he could have so many “ditto heads” listening to him. Yet, there’s the answer isn’t it – ditto heads – that, in itself lets us in on the intellectual propensity of his loyal audience. (I had to add the word “loyal” there, because I just admitted that I listen once in a while just to reaffirm my view of him. Like it or not, Limbaugh has SIGNIFICANT influence on the republican party, and, therefore, on this nation which I love.)
I recently retired from the privilege of teaching in a low income public school and I will be grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people as long as I can still breathe, but I have to add that Reagan began a covert assault on public education that continues to this day. I NEVER questioned that I could improve as a teacher over the years or that our schools can (and must) improve, but the “Reagan revolution” led to the privatization efforts of the “right wing” that is continually attempting to undermine our public school system and, in my view, (as with so many of their schemes) redirect the money in an effort to create opportunities for PROFIT. One thing that was clear to me for many years is that public schools (despite all the publicity about unions – and, of course, teacher unions are at the forefront of the republican assault on unions) are “sitting ducks” in the face of political attacks. MOST involved in the public schools are TOTALLY focused on helping their students. In school like the one I was so fortunate to be able to spend the last 20 years of my working life, as a teacher, you feel as if you are fighting for the lives of the students. While I understand the importance of students being able to demonstrate their learning via tests – especially at the lower grades where I was teaching (6th grade) – I believe focusing measurements on HIGH STAKES tests that happen once per year makes no sense. In my school, a large majority of the population was “non-white” while ALL the “high stakes” tests were seemingly written by those who would fall into the category referred to as “WASP’s” – White Anglo Saxon Protestants. The schools, almost as a matter of self survival, (even thought most inside the schools would hate to admit this) MUST focus on preparing the students for the tests. Which, of course, leads to a tendency to “teach to the test.” I always tried to tell myself I wouldn’t do that, but when your school relies on student test results for funding, it’s impossible to “look the other way.”
Additionally, when Reagan was originally elected governor of California, colleges in that state offered FREE tuition. Reagan was at the forefront of the “push” to pull funding from higher education (along with many other programs that I will leave the discussion for another day – essentially, a philosophy of “starving” public agencies apparently to make them look bad as a way to promote the privatization strategy) so that today, as mentioned above, higher education – while a necessity for the better paying jobs in America – more-so in the years to come – is becoming too expensive for many talented and deserving young people. Our colleges and universities remain the best in the world, but more and more of the students may be coming from foreign countries if this trend continues. Based on the family situation I grew up in during the 50’s and 60’s – in today’s climate I would be unable to afford college. In the 60’s it was achievable for virtually anyone who wanted to attend. Additionally, today the remnants of the Reagan years refuse to even lower the interest rate on the money most students must borrow if they want to attend college by blocking attempts in Congress by democrats like Elizabeth Warren to reduce the interest payments on the HUGE amount of debt carried by America’s recent college graduates (and students in general).
I’ve been writing for almost 10 years now on the dangers of America’s republican party since GW Bush lied our nation into the Iraq fiasco. I feel bad that it took me so long to figure out how serious the problem really is – because, I still remember feeling as if Reagan was turning us into a nation that encourages selfishness (in the name of “self reliance”) and greed (encouraging the “get rich quick mentality that permeates our business world and financial “sector”). I always believed that Americans would ultimately reject this philosophy and do it resoundingly at the ballot box. And, in a way they have – Barack Obama has soundly won the last two presidential elections. However, I TOTALLY underestimated the covert strategy of the right wing of the republican party and the sophistication of their plan. They have gained control of so many “local” governments, state governments, and governorships – and they were able to pull off a “coup” during 2010 by gerrymandering enough “safe” republican districts that they might be able to continue this OBSTRUCTIONIST policy for several more election cycles. On top of that, GW Bush – despite all his failings – managed to get two CORPORATIST justices, (Roberts and Alito) who are young and will be “haunting” liberals for a generation, into a position of CONTROL on our Supreme Court. Decisions like Citizens United (I’ve been writing about this since the day it was passed) threaten the very fabric of America as “we the people” know it. Combine that with activists who are right out of the John Birch Society (The now infamous Koch brothers) who have UNLIMITED ($100 + Billion in personal wealth) financial capability along with a willingness to spend it in a way that puts our republican form of government at risk, and you have a MAJOR political crisis.
There ARE more of “us” than there are of “them,” but they have the expertise to manipulate (and control) the so-called “liberal media,” they’ve “bought” countless politicians and, anyone who’s paying attention knows that any republican who “strays” from their right wing agenda will face a well funded “primary” opponent AND their funding will dry up. The network of “associates” of the Koch brothers stretches around the globe. I’m just finishing a book titled “The Creature from Jekyll Island” which, among other things, laments America’s headlong descent into a “one world government” (my words). The author is, in my mind, seemingly right out of the libertarian – John Birch Society type – mold. I find it quite ironic that the people who seem to be pushing to make what he fears a reality would be the Kochs – who, it seems to me, come from a similar basic philosophy. (he constantly is referring to his belief in the need for a “free market”) How these people can manage to get so many Americans to vote for their agenda is an act of magicians – I continue to believe that their days are “numbered” – but, at the same time, I realize how powerful they are.
The solution, to me, despite my belief that America needs two HEALTHY political parties to restore this nation back to health, is for a LARGE majority of voters to commit to voting AGAINST republicans until this right wing, corporatist, greedy, corrupt (yah, I get that the corruption is bipartisan) anti-worker group of “sheep” are purged from the party. As a Christian I’ve found it difficult in the present atmosphere to find “conservatives” who I can have a civil discussion of the issues with – for, many years. However, of late, I have a couple of friends (one who asked me to read the Jekyll Island book), who are BOTH solidly republican (well, one tells me he votes against democrats – similarly to me voting against republicans) who I can have dialogues with and HONESTLY express our beliefs to one another without emotional outbreaks, chairs flying, etc. I firmly believe that at the end of each discussion we all grow and, for certain, it is nice (and welcome) to be able to share views of disagreement without ANY disrespect involved. That is what I believe our goal for our national political scene should be. I believe today’s republican party must “go” before we can have a political dialogue that respects the intentions of those who so brilliantly created a system of government which has stood the test of time longer than any other example of self government in the history of the world.
During one of our discussions the other day, one of my friends told me that the reason Rush Limbaugh (and, by inference the republican party) wants President Obama to FAIL is because they don’t believe in his agenda. My response was (is and will be) a significant MAJORITY of Americans voted for Obama – if republicans REALLY believed that his agenda would fail, the sensible solution is to let him pass his agenda (as democrats did with GW Bush) and when it fails, use that failure in the next campaign as they argue for whatever their solutions to our plethora of problems would be. (I didn’t throw in that MOST of the problems are a direct result of Bush/Cheney’s agenda, but I could have :o) By obstructing EVERYTHING Obama attempts to do, the republicans leave (at least with me) the impression that they FEAR Obama’s agenda would WORK, and, should that happen, they would be on the outside looking in for another generation (remember FDR?) What they are betting on is that enough voters will either be turned off by their antics and refuse to vote or, worse yet, through media manipulation they can fool people (again) into thinking they actually have good ideas and “plan” for our nation. One thing that is painfully clear to me and is why I keep encouraging anyone who will listen to me to vote AGAINST republicans is that today’s republican leaders would rather see President Obama FAIL (and, therefore, the country as well) than to see America SUCCEED! And, it all started in 1980 when America was tricked into voting for Ronald Reagan. If you’ve read this far (bless you :o) – please encourage at least one other person to vote against ALL republicans until the right wing fringe has been purged from the leadership of the party.
