Same Old, Same Old

According to a story in ABC News, "Conservatives Plot Comeback With Renewed Energy". The interesting thing, as they get more and more free coverage, and attract more and more stand-out weirdos and clowns and people-from-whom-it's-hard-to-tear-your-eyes when they're on TV, is that they haven't gotten it yet.


The Republicans weren't swept out of power by the American electorate because they didn't display enough energy! They were swept from power because of a 20+ year history of failed policies-- foreign, domestic, ecological, industrial, social, economic, national, local-- you name it and they screwed it up! What many mark as the beginning of the "Republican Renaissance" during the Reagan years started with the Savings and Loan Crisis (when speculators and shysters brought down the S&L Industry and became fabulously rich in the process and required a 500 billion dollar bailout from the American taxpayer), and it ended in 2007 with the collapse of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, the trillion dollar Paulsen bailout and the worst recession in 80 years (and all the same behaviors as previously, though this time the bailout cost more). And in between there was the most lopsided ever move of capital and money from the poorest to the richest. A two trillion tax cut to the wealthiest Americans, hundreds of billions to the automobile companies. Even the Clinton era added this migration of money toward the richest-- millions of AFDC parents dropped from the welfare rolls, a huge increase in the penalties for defaulting on student loans, don't ask, don't tell. The Obama-era even has some high points-- The new credit card law that instigated new abuses and rate increases before it even came into effect? How about the double digit increases in the price of private health insurance? Or the complete lack of any effective new banking regulation? And the supreme Court ruling abolishing political spending limits on corporations?

The Republican Party has learned nothing from losing so badly in the last three elections, and they think they just have to be more "energetic." But the American people know it's the same old GOP. Even American conservatives know it. The Tea Partiers can trot out Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman while Rush and Glenn Beck croon and high-kick in the background, but no one is buying the Republican show, even when it's got all new signage and slogans and Mitt Romney all dressed up as the new carnival barker. The Tea Party seems genuinely interested in positive change, but they keep getting co-opted by the GOP, who pretend to be the only safe refuge for true conservatism.

Here's a thought... What if the "battle line" that's now being described, based on rank-and-file conservative anger, is being misrepresented? What if the American conservative is being told he's angry because of the Democrats, but he's really angry because of the fat cats? How about if there's no battle between Liberal and Conservative, Democrat or Republican, Red versus Blue? What if the real battle is between the rich and everyone else? Corporations vs. Individuals? How about if working class and middle class conservatives are right (America is being stolen from them, and the rest of us are going to the dogs), but they're angry at the wrong people? Who are advising them? Rush? FoxNews? The L. A. Times? The Wall Street Journal? These are the Official thought Organs of the Fat Cat Party!

Think about it. Do you, dear reader, have ANYTHING in common with someone who makes 10 million bucks a year? One million? We're all (the non-fat cats among us) more alike than not. And the USA belongs to all of us, and the average conservative reveres it just as much as the average liberal. Think about it. We need to figure out who the real enemy is.

Peace to all!