Labor Day Rant: Republicans Are The Axis Of Evil

Paul Krugman
John Grisham
Ahmed Rashid

"Here’s the situation: The U.S. economy has been crippled by a financial crisis. The president’s policies have limited the damage, but they were too cautious, and unemployment remains disastrously high. More action is clearly needed. Yet the public has soured on government activism, and seems poised to deal Democrats a severe defeat in the midterm elections... The president in question is Franklin Delano Roosevelt; the year is 1938." - Paul Krugman

"President Obama said that too many Americans are struggling to find jobs. You know what these Americans are going to be called? Democrats." – Jay Leno

"President Obama said he can't walk around with his birth certificate plastered on his forehead. Apparently he was reacting to new polls that show 1 in 5 Kenyans now believe he was born in Hawaii." – Jay Leno

If you were to go back six months and read the news headlines, they would look similar to what is being reported today. Maybe we are all part of a computer program, or matrix, The information we get cannot all be processed at one time, so it has to be fed to us in loops that repeat themselves at different intervals. History does repeat itself, like a badly written column by Charles Krauthammer or George Will... The International Atomic Energy Association made another pronouncement that it mistrusts Iran's intentions, that it seems intent on making those atomic warheads for its long range missiles that it bought from Russia. Iran responds by warning Israel of much retribution should they attack. Israel responds by saying they will continue to build in the West Bank once the moratorium wears off...

Not a day goes by without some bomb going off in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, or all three countries simultaneously. Even though we now have the means to end the starvation of babies and infants under two years old, the most crucial time in their development, children are still dying at an alarming rate. Instead of sharing the formula that will stop the malnutrition, so that each country can make their own versions, it it being kept by a family in France, and blatantly overcharged when sold to food agencies trying to distribute it to Africa and Haiti... Russia and China are the silent players in the regions, keeping quiet in regards to political statements, preferring to let their business deals do the talking. Russia will soon have more influence in the Middle East than the US does. As the US tries to pull back its troops, their will be a lessening of business interests no longer backed by the security of our military. Russia perceives this as a gap that they are willing to rush in and fill, and just signed a military cooperation pact with Israel. Russia would like to equip Israeli-made drones with its own laser technology and basing a support station for its Glonass global navigation system in Israel.

We have overlooked the rising influence of Chinese business interests in South America for years, and now we also seem to be looking the other way as Russia, too, tries to follow in their footsteps. Is this because we have done such a good job at alienating the governments and businesses in South America, that they no longer want anything to do with us, other than Cuba? We seem to be making another fine mess of things in Asia and the Middle East. If America is so full of idealistic souls, and we keep trying to help foster democracy in other countries, why do we screw it up so badly every time that they end up hating us?

Of course, it could stem from the Republican Party. We elect Republicans into Congress and the White House, they turn around and promote a culture of corruption here and abroad, wrap it up in the American flag and call it democracy. When the situation becomes too rotten, or screwed up beyond all recognition, the whole mess gets turned over to some Democrat to fix. Bill Clinton took the deficit from George HW Bush, turned it into a surplus so that George junior could spend it all in an orgy of blood, bombs, and death. When we were on the brink of collapse, and going to drag most of Western Europe down with us, the tarbaby was handed over to Barack Obama, while the former Bush administration then blamed it all on him, refused to cooperate in forming any solutions, and now is trying to claw their way back into power. Stupidly, we are going to vote that way, or let our apathy lean in that direction...

"I had hoped that we would do better this time. But it turns out that politicians and economists alike have spent decades unlearning the lessons of the 1930s, and are determined to repeat all the old mistakes. And it’s slightly sickening to realize that the big winners in the midterm elections are likely to be the very people who first got us into this mess, then did everything in their power to block action to get us out." - Paul Krugman

If the lords and masters of the GOP were smart, they would sit out thie next couple of elections. Take their time, rebuild the party under that big tent they were originally talking about, groom some smart, young candidates who are idealistic and have some morals. Let the Mits and Rudis, Newts, and Haley Barbours die off or wander to the elephant graveyard.

Instead, let the tea party have its way, elect their candidates, if they are able. Let the public see how they act in the halls of power, what kinds of legislation they propose. In short, let the inmates run the asylum until the lazy-ass parents sit up and take notice. Then, once we've had that cathartic moment, we can get on with the business of finding real, honest solutions to our problems and not be distracted by the dark dreams of anger and frustration.