Smoke and Mirrors of the Modern GOP

I wrote recently about Jim Wallis and his efforts to get conservatives and liberals to work together for the common good or otherwise progressive agenda. He lifts upccc the strengths of both conservatives and liberals, but he is primarily using historical and ideological concepts of some time ago. I applaud and affirm what he is doing and hope fervently that this will take place, and left to regular citizens, I think it could take place.

With that said I will state again that today’s GOP has little to do with the historical or ideological stances of conservatism and has warped into a very limited, short term vehicle for the very rich. Worse, they have convinced a lot of folk that they are working for the welfare when they are not. Smoke and mirrors.

Robert Reich states it well when he describes the modern GOP as “an unlikely coalition of wealthy business executives, small business owners, and struggling whites.” And he points out that they gain the support of the latter two by convincing them that the government has been taking their money and giving it to the poor, especially blacks and Latinos. Or, they are selling racism in a new package.

You can see the at work in the GOP Supreme Court, which besides the boneheaded “Citizens United” decision to give more power to the ultra wealthy recently they voted on the “Voting Rights Act” allowing Jim Crow activity to reign again with all its racist and now ageist overtones. But I digress, as usual.

The real reason struggling whites and small business don’t do well is because of the stupidity of trickle down economics and tax policies that have shifted the wealth of the country up to a very few. The modern GOP with its toadies have pretty well besmirched unions (historically the middle class does well when we have strong unions); hide their wealth abroad avoiding taxes, while their tax bills go down, down, down; big banks flourish and have becoming betting parlors for the rich with other peoples money only to be bailed out by tax payers with their bets lose; and of course deregulation of Wall Street etc. continues.

Smoke and mirrors work to our detriment. Again, as Reich points out if the median household income had kept pace with the economic growth since the 70’s it would be nearly $92,000 instead of $50,000.

But they keep pushing the same old propaganda and it continues to work. Our governor Scott gets his points by lowering taxes, which will be a pittance to those who spend it, the middle class and poor, and it won’t do much for small business either. I heard a fella on NPR defending it the other day saying small business will get over a $1,000 they can use to hire new employees. Are you kidding; a thousand bucks will get you an employee?

But the modern GOP continues to bribe congress and controls the Supreme Court and pretty much has its way. Here we have two branches of government in the pocket of the ultra wealthy and the third with its hands tied by intractable opponents. Frankly I feel sorry for both Obama and Boehner who I think could and would get more done for the common good without this blockage of the radical right.

I also mentioned recently my delight in that Oregon became the 16^th state to call for an amendment to overturn “Citizens United.” That I believe contains our hope to overturn the government by the wealthy few. Local organizations, state overtures and governors are a more likely vehicle to bring congress and the Supreme Court under control. But it will take knowledge and dedicated activism for common good causes to bring this about.

I just checked with Lamont, my cat guru of deep thought, and he agrees, or at least purred while biting my big toe (I think that is cat speak for affirmation.)