I feel like I should apologize at the outset for the tone this missive is going to take. It certainly won’t be like most things that originate from this desk. I have finally reached my maximum tolerance level with the national political state of affairs, and it’s time to unload.
Over the past few days I’ve read several stories in the media about how there will almost certainly be yet another government shutdown next month. Or is it the debt ceiling? Or both? I honestly can’t keep track anymore. For the umpteenth time, the Republican Party is becoming the hostage-taker. “Do what we say and nobody gets hurt.” This time, if what I’m reading is correct, the proverbial loaded gun they’ll be holding to the head of the democratic process is Social Security and Medicare. Essentially the game plan seems to be, either the Democrats agree to whatever cuts to Social Security and Medicare the GOP demand or we go through yet another round of shutdown and fiscal cliff and whatever else goes on in the circus. Now, in doing this, the Grand Old Party is messing with not only my livelihood, but also my wife’s livelihood and the livelihood of millions and millions of others who depend on these checks each month to do certain things like, oh, I don’t know, keep alive? To play political games with benefits so many people depend on is not just cynical, it’s downright cruel.
Actually whatever the instrument used in this dance is irrelevant. It’s hard for me to imagine how any sane, rational, reasonable lawmaker could possibly see this as responsible governing. The American system has always worked based on the notions of consensus and compromise. These maneuvers are nothing more than overgrown adolescents holding their breath until they get their way. How many of you would let your kids get away with that? I know I wouldn’t.
But, as a whole, the Republican Party, at least at the national level, have long shown they don’t have the slightest interest in actually governing. They’re perfectly content to lurch from crisis to crisis, doing pretty much nothing in the interim. What is truly mystifying to me is how many people are not only okay with this, but actually cheer it! This lack of leadership, this playing with people’s livelihoods, should by all rights prompt national outrage, at the very least. But not enough people even care. Either they see the political process as something that doesn’t affect them, or they’re distracted by all the shiny things out there, or maybe some actually do see this as some sort of noble principled stand. If you happen to consider yourself in the latter group, I have only three words for you…Shame on you!
Growing up, I had respect for the GOP. My dad was a Goldwater Republican. My 12-year-old self respected Gerald Ford, as much as I thought about him at all. But all that was long ago and far away. Today’s Republican Party resembles the Know-Nothing party of the 1850’s much more than the Party of Lincoln. If the current state of affairs continues to hold sway, I could never see a scenario where I’d ever vote Republican ever again, even for local office. I just couldn’t in good conscience. Cooler heads need to assert themselves in the party mucho pronto. Right now all I hear from them is cut, slash, burn, hate, etc. etc. And yet they are, and will probably continue to be, the majority party, at least in the legislative branch. I’m left to shake my head and wonder why. I know the party doesn’t give a hoot about me and mine, and while the Democrats are by no means perfect I at least feel like they have the best interest of those like me at heart. All I know at this point is I’m so done. That god awful movie is going to run again next month, and not enough people care enough to stop it. And oh yes, I haven’t even mentioned the potential 20 percent cut in SSDI benefits next year. What’s terrifying to me is I don’t hear anyone in Washington mentioning it either. I wish I co8uld plead with all of them, particularly those in the GOP, to focus on things like that and stop this infuriating gamesmanship.
- Our Weekend Getaway - January 22, 2024
- So Long, Mom, And Thanks For All The Spaghetti - November 10, 2023
- Thoughts On The Chogaffirm Petition - June 3, 2023
- Rhonda - June 3, 2023
- Beyond Words Day 23 - April 4, 2023
- Beyond Words Day 21 - April 1, 2023
- State Of The Household - January 9, 2023
- Book Review and Miscellany Thoughts - November 18, 2022
- Initial Thoughts On My Writing - September 13, 2022
- Beyond Words Day 19 - September 11, 2022
