“The definition of insanity is to do the same
thing over and over and expect a different result” Rita Mae Brown, "Sudden Death", 1983
This quote has been
floating around in my head for some time lately, so I figured I had better
think about why that was so.
It took me about five minutes.
The Republican Party, beginning with Ronald Reagan, then later via
Karl Rove, et al, led a majority of the American people down a garden path of
absolutely stupid economic theory that it was possible to grow the economy by
cutting taxes on the very wealthy, cutting spending on vital services for the
rest of us, and that would then cause the wealthy to put that money into their
businesses, the rest of us to get a job, and the economy would equal out with
the great increase in tax revenue from the grown businesses. That economic theory started the downward
spiral of the American economy because even Bill Clinton sort of bought into
it. He signed the repeal of the
Glass-Steagall Act which had been in effect since the 1930’s, and which had
kept the banks and mortgage business separate and regulated, authorized NAFTA,
and encouraged the off-shoring of business.
Since the businesses were off-shoring, they weren’t paying as much in
taxes, which in the long term negated the supposed growth in tax revenues. Coupled with that during Bush 43’s occupancy
of the White House and two un-paid for wars, of course we are in a
Depression. Call it a Great Recession,
but a Depression by any other name is a Depression.
Because the Federal government now has massive economic problems,
it is not possible for the Feds to send very much money on to the States, and
most of the States have cut taxes as well, so they are being hit with a double
whammy – less money from the Feds combined with less money from state revenues. The only thing the States can figure out to
do is cut spending on cities and counties, who then have to cut personnel and
those services that the citizens need and have relied on for nearly 60
years. Teachers, law enforcement, fire
fighters, good roads, and other public employees to assist them when they need
help. In our county this also includes
an excellent Elections Office which sees to it that there is no voter fraud in
our county.
In 2008 we elected a President who understood these problems, although
he was not given accurate information as to the depth to which our national
economy had plummeted. And, he also
faced a Congress where the Republicans were determined that he would get as
little done as they could manage. This
is not a conspiracy theory. John
Boehner, Speaker of the House, and Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader,
have both stated publically that their aim is to see to it that Barack Obama is
a one term President. But he still has managed
to accomplish some really good things for the country.
Now, we have Der Mitt to deal with. He is going around the country saying what we
need to do is cut taxes on the wealthy, have poor people pay their fair share
of taxes, cut spending on the services people need. Der Mitt made the comment at a televised
campaign rally, and I paraphrase, “Didn’t Obama learn anything from
Wisconsin. The American people don’t
want spending on teachers, police and firefighters. We need to listen to the American people”. Apparently he doesn’t believe that teachers,
police and firefighters, and other public employees are Americans!
Which brings me to my next rant.
Just who does he define as Americans?
He talks about people wanting “free stuff” from the government. He talks about how teachers, police and
firefighters are ruining the economy for the American people. He talks about how he will see to it that
Americans will not become poor. He seems
to ignore that 99% of Americans who are already poor or worry about the poor from
these crack-pot economic ideas. Just who
are these Americans he talks so much about?
Just the 1% with all of the money?
Does this make one an American? What
are the rest of us if not Americans?
Der Mitt wants to go back to the economic policies of George W.
Bush, who famously said at a banquet, “It has been said that I represent the “haves”
and not the “have nots. That isn’t true. I don’t represent the “haves”. I represent the “have mores”. So if we “have nots” go back to the failed
policies of George W. Bush and expect a different result for us, does that make
us insane? You betcha!!
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