Republicanism in Tatters: Break Their Backs

H/T to kos for the framing

The Economy, War, and Social Conservatism.

These are the three cornerstones of Republicanism. These are the three things that they have pushed and traditionally won elections on. These are the three things that are now LOSING them the election. As I and others (most notably Greenwald) have pointed out, Republicanism had its once in a lifetime chance, and blew it. They have been exposed.

For the last decade they have essentially controlled American politics and the American government using these three cornerstones to appeal to voters. Once they achieved the power that they were willing to lie, cheat and steal elections for and were able to walk the talk….they just plain didn’t.

The Economy: Republicans got nearly everything they wanted from the government in regards to the economy. Deregulation, tax cuts on the wealthy and corporations, and the acceptance of highly questionable practices as normal. Under their leadership and policies….well just look around. The Republicans got everything they wanted and this IS the result of Republicans running their unfettered economy.

Next up, the myth of Republicans as “Fiscal Conservatives” and “Small Government:”

From Meteor Blades

National Debt When Jimmy Carter

…arrived at the White House:

$660 billion.

Added during Carter’s four years: $337 billion.

Added during Ronald Reagan’s eight years: $1.6 trillion.

Added during George H. W. Bush’s four years: $1.6 trillion.

Added during Bill Clinton’s eight years: $1.5 trillion.

Added during George W. Bush’s seven years, nine months: $4.5 trillion.

Portion of the $9.5 trillion added to the national debt during the past 31 years and seven months that came during Republican presidencies: $7.7 trillion.

Percentage of that $7.7 trillion added during George W. Bush’s two terms: 58%.

Could somebody explain again what “fiscal conservative” means?

Given nearly unlimited power, The Republicans spend MORE than Democrats. But instead of giving the money back to The People in the form of social programs and infrastructure etc, they give it to their cronies. The Republicans used their power …to bankrupt America. Republicanism = Greed. The Republican economic theories have failed.

And they bankrupted it not only through their fiscal stupidity and greed, but by indulging yet another of the cornerstones of Republicanism: War. EVERY Republican since Nixon has started a war. It is a right of passage for them. Both to prove that they are Real Men and Real Americans….and to enrich their most powerful constituency, The Military Industrial Complex. America spends more money on “defense” than the rest of the world combined and where has it gotten us? Hated by the world, attacked by terrorists and again…bankrupt.

Not to mention the lives lost and the fact that they have never won a war unless (Iraq 1) they have had the whole world on their side. And in light of the current fallout of Iraq 1, can that be called a victory? Republicanism = War. And worse, STUPID war.

They have fought for years and killed and tortured untold numbers of Iraqis and well over 4000 Americans and broken our military to achieve an unstable, temporary, draw just in time for the election. And none of them to this day can give you a good answer as to….why. The are LOSING in Afghanistan, due to stupidity and incompetence and the hubris of pulling out to fight a nonexistent (until they got there) enemy in Iraq.

The Republican theory of war and an American empire has failed.

Social Conservatism, by its nature a much less cut and dried obvious failure of Republicanism, but still a failure. Allegedly a movement to preserve “American Values” it has turned out that, again with unlimited support from those in power, (see below) to be at its heart nothing more than fear and hatred. Fear and hatred of immigrants, fear and hatred of gays and most obvious right now, fear and hatred of minorities, especially blacks….like Barack Obama.

The one exception of the full support of Republican political power has been abortion. In retrospect, the Republicans could have done MUCH more to limit or outlaw abortion than they have done. Why? Because it is a SURE political loser now that American women have had the right to control their own bodies since Roe. They are NOT going to give that up. Lip service (thank god) is all the Republicans have given to their bases fervid concern for the “unborn.”

On all other social fronts, the Republicans have failed miserably. NONE of their leaders is stupid enough to alienate the Republican business base by denying them the cheap labor their greed craves by taking the draconian measures against migrant workers that their fear and hate filled base desires.

When put to the test on the Terri Schiavo case, Republicans violated their own basic tenet: Government should stay out of the business of families. When push came to shove, the Republicans turned their entire political apparatus (including diagnoses from the Senate floor and Bush actually cutting short one of his record setting vacations) to interfere in the private life of an American family.

There is now legal gay marriage in three states. A big fat fail for the Republicans.

And finally, proving that the Universe is composed of equal parts hydrogen and irony, the Republicans are being “punished” by having a Black Man about to defeat them. Even though they have done their very best (though many are still urging them to go over the top and do more) to fan and stoke both our historical domestic racial tensions AND paint Obama as the biggest fear and hate fueled boogeyman they have, a Muslim Terrorist.

It is NOT working.

And in the process of pandering to their hate and fear filled base, they have destroyed not just America, but their own party. As one ex-republican put it in an excellent diary from Daily Kos:

“The Republican party is the party of the bowling alley.  It’s the party of the poker game.  It’s the party of pseudo patriotism and talking points masquerading as a platform.  It’s the party of shrillness and fear and I couldn’t in good conscience be a part of that smoke and mirrors any longer.”

All they have left is the hate and fear filled base, filled with hate and fear that they have carefully cultivated in order to gain power. They have infected America with hate and fear JUST to gain political power.

Primed by carefully sewn and cultivated (Thanks Karl, may you rot and fester) hate and fear after a blowjob and a terrorist attack, the American people bought into Republicanism.

They gave them power, they gave them their belief, (more accurately, a suspension of disbelief) they gave them their chance.

And they blew their golden chance as big as you can blow anything.

Proving once and for all and beyond a shadow of a doubt that Republicanism is a failed philosophy. Proving once and for all that they are not Serious People who know what they are doing. Proving that they have nothing to offer America BUT fear and hate, and that they cannot even channel those primal emotions competently for very long.

Proving that they are NOT the party of a successful economy. Proving that they are NOT the party of strong national defense or even aggressive war. Proving that American Values are NOT for the most part fear and hate. Proving instead that they are no more than greedy, bloody, torturing, hate and fear-mongering political opportunists.

Republicanism has failed. Across the board and in spectacular fashion.

It is time to break them, their spirit, their organizations, their political treasury, their failed and hurtful policies….their power and their pride. America is punishing them in this election, and though they may rise again, it is our duty as American citizens to make sure that anything even resembling the tragedy and horror of the last eight years is stuffed as far back into its hole as we can stuff it. For as long as we can.

Remember, America.

Remember the lies that led us into Iraq.

Remember Abu Ghraib.

Remember Guantanamo.

Remember Katrina.

Remember the outting of a CIA agent for personal revenge.

Remember Terri Schiavo.

Remember the cries of treason directed at their political enemies

Remember that we lost eight years of fighting Climate Crisis.

Remember the bigotry, hatred, and homophobia.

Remember abandoning Afghanistan to the Taliban.

Remember the millions of lost jobs.

Remember the loss of America’s reputation and predominance in the world.

Remember this worldwide financial crisis.

And remember NEVER to buy the Republican line of bullshit ever again.

After eight years of spectacular failure, it is time for a new America. An America not based on the Republican philosophies of greed, fear and hatred, but on the democratic principles of Equality, Justice and Freedom for all The People.