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Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 6. Oktober 2010 / Time Line October 6, 2010
Version 3.55. Oktober 2010, 7. Oktober 2010
10/06/2010
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10/06/2010
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10/06/2010
Republicans at War with America
By Don Monkerud
Under the Republican Party's new blueprint for America, BP will no
longer be required to clean up the massive oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico, the F.D.A. will not restrict the new diabetes drug Avandia
just because it's unsafe, and donors will be required to keep their
contributions to political campaigns secret.
These positions, based on recent votes in Congress, foretell how
the Republicans will govern if they win in the upcoming November
elections.
Republicans would prevent the unemployed from receiving Medicaid;
prevent treatment, screening or compensation for Americans who
assisted during the 9/11 attacks on the WTC; eliminate extensions
of unemployment insurance; allow the oil industry to write their
own rules for oil exploration and clean up; open all off shore
areas to oil wells; and stop funding state governments to stimulate
the economy.
Senate and House Republicans recently voted to prevent bills from
reaching the floor, or took positions, that would: bar homosexuals
from the nation's military; allow the ash from burning 136 million
tons of coal to be dumped into the nation's waterways; ignore
greenhouse gases and the build up of CO2 in the atmosphere, fire
tens of thousands of government employee; and drastically cut
welfare, food stamps, health care for children and other government
programs to aid the poor.
Long-term goals of the GOP include eliminating unemployment
insurance, minimum wage laws, Social Security and Medicare, most
government regulations, consumer protection laws, and federal aid
to education, along with many other government programs they
consider detrimental to corporate-business control of the country.
Republicans that are even more radical want to make Christianity
the state religion, declare war on Islam, assign the death sentence
for performing an abortion, and bomb and invade Iran.
Small government, lower taxes and no regulation, mantras of the
Republican Party since the Reagan era, are enshrined in new
promises to "take America back". The party's so-called road
map-Pledge to America-attempts to win new votes for the party and
put them in control of Congress, even after their policies led to
the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression.
At every turn, Republicans hamstring the Democrats to create a
totally dysfunctional governmental process. For example, Speaker
Nancy Pelosi's office lists over 300 bills passed by House
Democrats that cannot make it to the Senate floor due to Republican
opposition. Democrats overcame major Republican opposition to pass
bills, often with the aid of only one or two Republicans who
switched positions to vote with the Democrats.
While there are no estimates of how many of the 300 bills are
progressive, a number of them involve significant changes in the
areas of most concern to voters: economic recovery and job
creation, consumer protection, assistance to homeowners, affordable
health care, clean energy jobs, fiscal responsibility, and national
security.
In the Senate, the Democrats again convinced one or two Republicans
to join in passing major bills signed into law by President Barack Obama. These
laws include: a $30 billion lending program and $12 billion in tax
cuts for small businesses; stimulus funds to save 3.5 million
American jobs; a new manufacturing enhancement act; extension of
unemployment benefits; estate tax relief that protects inheritance
for 99.8 percent of citizens; Wall Street reforms; a credit
cardholder bill of rights; health care extension for 11 million
children; and the creation of 1.7 million jobs in clean energy.
Republican opposition was almost unanimous.
"It's hard to compromise with people who are against government
solutions," said Congressman Sam Farr of California, a leader of
the Congressional Progressive Caucus. "Republicans pushed for the
election of ultra-conservative ideologues who don't want to
cooperate because they don't think the government should be doing
education, fire protection or jails; they want to contract out
government jobs to the private sector."
The principle of democratic government-majority rule-is being
turned on its head. Minority rule is especially troublesome in the
Senate, where the GOP holds up bills passed by the House and
threatens to filibuster every Democratic proposal. They also refuse
to confirm over 240 Obama appointees, in an effort to paralyze
government.
Historians haven't seen such minority obstructionism since 1917. In
the 1960s, 8 percent of major Senate bills were subject to
filibusters: Today Republicans filibuster 70 percent of major
Senate business. Senators with few constituents are behind many of
the filibusters, which point to systemic problems. For example, a
California senator represents 18 million voters, while one from
Wyoming represents 260,000 voters.
The country is in a deep depression, trying to recover from four
large items that President Bush put on our national credit card-tax
cuts for couples making over $250,000 a year, two wars, and a
prescription drug program-in addition to the collapse of the
housing bubble. Republicans hope their negative stance will drive
voters away from the polls and allow conservative ideologues to put
them in office.
Whether Americans fall for the Republican refusenik stance that's
full of contradictions, negativity and faulty logic remains to be
seen. The new Republican roadmap to prosperity doesn't add up.
Republicans are not only at war with logic, but they are also at
war with America.
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