Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Tyranny of the Right
Democracy in the United States is in peril.  The peril comes from the Right Wing Republican Party. For a party that espouses less government, less intrusive government, less expensive government so that people can have more freedom, all as the panacea for the ills within our nation, their actions actually create more intrusion, more poverty, and more division between the rich and most vulnerable, and less freedom.  Tyranny on the Right means fewer people have more power to take more for themselves at the expense of the other 98%.  Concern for the common good is not even on the table.

Let me count the ways. 

1.  It is the Republicans who have unanimously pushed unfair Voter ID laws which will disenfranchise millions of voters who have honestly voted in the past.  ALL the Voter ID laws have been created by Republican leadership without Democrat in-put.  A multitude of studies have consistently proven that voter impersonation, voter fraud is a canard, a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, where the purpose is to suppress Democrat votes.  Remember the Pennsylvania legislator who was caught on camera boasting that because of their new Voter ID Law, Romney would now win Pennsylvania. Now that's what I call real democracy!  Tyranny of the Right.

2.  The Republican tax plan calls for less taxes for the top 2% and increased taxes for the rest of us.  This is the Ryan budget which Romney says is the plan he believes is right for America.  Why?  So the "job creators" can create more jobs!  Well, tell me, how are those Bush tax cits working for you?  Aren't the "job creators" doing a great job for you by creating jobs overseas?  And how about middle class wages shrinking or staying level while the wages of the top 2% soaring to the moon?  How is that working for you?  How about the RWR wanting to eliminate even more regulations on banks and Wall Street?  How has that worked for us since the elimination of Glas-Steagall in 1999?  Forget about any conversation about opposition to "banks too big to fail."   How do you like American democracy becoming an oligarchy and plutocracy?  Who has the political power?  Tyranny of the Right.

3.  The Citizens United decision ceded the power of the government to the highest bidder.  The wealthy are the connected.  Power now belongs to the corporate boardroom, the big banks, the wealthy lobbyists.  Money controls the media and the message so the wealthy and powerful can shape a protective and deceptive message of "liberty and justice for all" while they pull the levers of greed and relegate the 98% to being pawns or puppets.  Tyranny of the Right.

4.  Romney chose as his running mate the person who: voted against equal pay for equal work, wants to slash food stamps, eliminate access to abortion care, speaks against birth control, wants to defund Planned Parenthood, cut Medicaid spending by $700 billion over ten years, increase defense spending, turn the highly successful Medicare program into a voucher system which will mean less quality health care, is against OSHA, spoke against the "Bring Jobs Home Act", is anti-union, wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act which will cover tens of millions more people, wants to ban in-vitro fertilization, wants to privatize Social Security (2008) and sponsored Privatization of SS Bill in 1995, wants to cut or make deep cuts in Pell grants so fewer students can get low interest loans from the government and must instead go to private institutions and banks who will charge a higher interest rate.  Tyranny of the Right.

5. The Right Wing Republicans kowtow to big oil, big gas, big coal, all which increase our carbon footprint and stimulate global warming, for the sake of profit, yet putting the majority of Americans and people of the world at greater risk.  Tyranny of the Right.

6.  The Right Wing Republicans have taken pride in being the party of "No", preventing progressive ideas that would be more friendly to the middle and lower classes from becoming law.  Their purpose over the past four years has been to oppose Obama and put the nation at risk.  How's that for patriotism for a party that likes to wave the flag while in reality they spit on it behind your back.  They are not patriots, but tyrants, dressed in red, white, and blue.  Tyranny on the Right.

7.  The rights for women are seriously imperiled.  They want to overturn Roe v. Wade, cut funding for Planned Parenthood, cut funding for birth control, less health care for women and children.  Tyranny of the Right. 

8.  The Right Wing Republicans love of Jesus is belied by it disregard for the most vulnerable and neglect of the common good.  Even the Roman Catholic leadership derides Ryan's budget as being contrary to the ethic of Christ.  Meanwhile, John Hagee the Bigot of Texas, praises Republican principles.

9.  "Progressives are a cancer."  Paul Ryan.  Aren't there two parties in the United States?  Do you mean to say that progressives do not count for any good?  Only Republican ideology is valid?  Only one party?  Tyranny of the Right.

There is no talk of justice in the Right Wing Republican vocabulary.  I never hear the word in their speeches.  Only empty promises that are geared to protect the powerful and deceive the people.  Democracy in America is in peril.  Resist this tyranny!  Speak and act for justice!  Time is short.  

Peace with Justice!

Ron