Selfish Bastards

I like articulate knowledgeable Republicans such as George Will, who while I think he is wrong, makes a good case for smaller government that is historically informed and a clear thinker despite the fact that he forgot how to smile in his teen years. On the other hand I find a number of the more extreme Republicans just plain selfish bastards.

You all know the type. They complain about government in all ways, “Anything the government touches it messes up,” is a line I hear. Government is too big, spends too much, is entirely composed of those who love to spend others money; democrats that is.

And there they sit, educated by government programs by teachers educated by public colleges who received public loans to get their education, driving on American tax created highways, in the cars many bailed out of going out of existence by government bails outs, using credit cards to buy things they can’t afford at usury interest rates by big banks again bailed out by the government. They can have jobs created by and upheld government subsidies. There are also many who are disabled relying on government support in order to have a place to live and food on the table. Many want lower taxes while they fall into the category that pays no taxes. These are the folk who have bought into an ideology that has nothing to do with their real lives.

They complain about the debt they blame on Democrats that was created by Republican administrations. They are often supportive, in the short run, of wars which were not approved by congress and are funded by loans rather than the sacrifices citizens made as in WWI and WWII. They want guns and drive motorcycles without helmets, but if they get injured by those items they want the government to pay their medical expenses because they can’t do it themselves.

They get up in arms about the misdeeds of public personages including and especially politicians while their own lives would make Lady Chatterley blush. They complain about government regulations while the cheerfully like to get paid in cash under the table and cheat their fellow taxpaying Americans. And they do this while telling stories about folks they know who cheat of welfare programs, but won’t report them.

I’m clearly not talking about the upper 1% or even the upper middle class; I’m talking about struggling citizens that have been sold a bill of goods by the power elite. I’m talking about folk who have a disconnect in their political thinking in contrast to the life they lead. I don’t even think they are intentionally selfish bastards but the pawns of selfish bastards; said at the risk of my own desire to make this a place of civil discourse. But then there are just plain selfish bastards who adhere to the Republican mantra, “I’ve got mine, screw you.”

It’s Sunday so I will turn the other cheek and forgive them their foolishness; but it is still foolishness.