Sixteen years ago Newt Gingrich lead the charge of the Right Wing to overtake the Congress, to defeat health care for the needy, and to bring the government to a halt. The happy days of prosperity that the Clintons were ushering in ceased as Republicans ground the gears of government to a nasty stop. Then they orchestrated an outrageous impeachment of the president for his sexual misconduct, despite the ever growing sexual scandals Republicans themselves were engaging in. Republicans threw tantrums, ranted against socialism, and did everything in their power eventually to capture the White House, even if it meant fudging the vote in Florida and using the Supreme Court to put Florida in the Bush column in spite of the voters of Florida, in spite of Gore winning the popular vote by half a million votes nationwide. The Republicans spent two decades in power bringing this country to its knees with unfounded wars, enormous deficits, corrupt tax breaks for corporations and billionaires, and irresponsible pollution of the environment. They have done this in great part by pretending to be Christians, instead of selfish, greedy, godless plutocrats.
Since selfish, greedy, powerful plutocrats own the media, Democrats are lost in the rush to replay every word and gesture of the tea party scoundrels-- Palin, Beck, Brewer, Bachmann, the list goes on. Gaffs become laughs, and the anti-intellectual fervor knows no bounds. Intellectuals must be Muslim Marxists (never mind the oxymoron). In the eyes of the media, the revolt against the devastation of Republican rule that took place in 2008 was a misguided fluke.
Are we headed back (back back back) to 1994? Will we face another Republican congress ready to shut down the country, rather than compromise. Will the Supreme Court step in again to rescue a losing Republican for President in 2012? Will congress impeach Obama for being un-American, declaring him unborn in the U.S.A.?
None of this seems far-fetched to me. When the majority of a democracy refuse to vote, much less be informed about their candidates, disaster is always possible, perhaps likely. Ours is a country where ignorance and naivete are rampant. Our Oligarchy is really controlled by those powerful CEOs making billions and laughing at the rest of us. It will take their enlightenment, their seeing pollution seeping into their favorite vacation spots, the world disintegrating into war and filth, before we truly achieve genuine reform. How can we get the fat cats on the path to enlightenment?
Jack
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