Well, I was just reflecting about what it feels like to vote Republican . How would I feel if I knew my vote for Romney was in agreement with members of the KKK and white supremacist groups as well as the following:
-Corporate managers who are sitting on millions of dollars in cash rather than using that money to create jobs for people who need them
-Christian religious bullies and bigots
-People who are racially prejudiced
-Criminal bullies who have not been caught
-Business bullies who mismanage other people's funds, do hostile takeovers, fix prices, engage in insider trading, cause the deterioration of environmental quality in the name of Profit
-Those who discriminate against minorities
-Members of the majority who believe minorities are persecuting them
-Those who believe the almighty dollar is the most valued be-all end-all ultimate meaning of life. That would include most of the 1% of the American population that control 90% of the country's wealth.
Tell me. How will it feel for you?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
What is a Republican? Pt 2
Wow! Do I ever feel naive! I have been trying to figure out why anyone who is not financially wealthy would vote Republican. It seems so obvious all of a sudden. Despite Sarah Palen's Bridge to Nowhere; the party's lack of objections to giving big oil companies billions in federal subsidies, more subsidies to timber companies, paying agri-business not to grow crops; Republican congress people's willingness to spend federal dollars to create projects in their own districts, some people still believe that Republicans manage taxpayers' money better than Democrats. In other words, they think they will have to pay lower taxes with Repulicans in charge than they do when Democrats are in power. I wonder who they think is responsible for paying the national debt.
I admit that there is a lot of waste in government that benefits the few and is a burden to taxpayers in general. But is the best solution to that problem to pay as few taxes as possible?
I don't know how one determines what a fair share of taxes is. It does seem to me that people earning more than $250,000 annually should not be obligated to pay a lower percentage of taxes than anyone earning less than that. It does not seem fair that some businesses end up the year owing $0 in taxes. The rest of us tax payers are paying for the roads, water and sewage system maintenance on which these non-tax payers rely.
Of course, that's how many people feel about entitlement programs for the least financially blessed in this country. Why don't they just get jobs so I could pay fewer taxes? Ironically, many people with that attitude are also Bible thumpers. How they justify their unwillingness to care for the less fortunate I don't understand, since the Bible advocates it and they like to think of America as a "Christian" country.
Materialism is not a Christian value. Tithing is a practice approved by the Bible. Selfishness, hoarding, greed are not Biblical values. It does seem that these are alive and well in our "Christian" society.
Republicans say they want to take government out of the equation. Why? It has nothing to do with freedom and the founding fathers. Wanting to reduce the size of government is all about money. If consumers pay less in taxes they will have more to spend on the goods and services that make the rich even richer. And again, if you reduce taxes, who pays for the national debt?
You Republilcans can identify with the "Christian" right until the end of time. But it is Mammon you actually value more than anything else.
I admit that there is a lot of waste in government that benefits the few and is a burden to taxpayers in general. But is the best solution to that problem to pay as few taxes as possible?
I don't know how one determines what a fair share of taxes is. It does seem to me that people earning more than $250,000 annually should not be obligated to pay a lower percentage of taxes than anyone earning less than that. It does not seem fair that some businesses end up the year owing $0 in taxes. The rest of us tax payers are paying for the roads, water and sewage system maintenance on which these non-tax payers rely.
Of course, that's how many people feel about entitlement programs for the least financially blessed in this country. Why don't they just get jobs so I could pay fewer taxes? Ironically, many people with that attitude are also Bible thumpers. How they justify their unwillingness to care for the less fortunate I don't understand, since the Bible advocates it and they like to think of America as a "Christian" country.
Materialism is not a Christian value. Tithing is a practice approved by the Bible. Selfishness, hoarding, greed are not Biblical values. It does seem that these are alive and well in our "Christian" society.
Republicans say they want to take government out of the equation. Why? It has nothing to do with freedom and the founding fathers. Wanting to reduce the size of government is all about money. If consumers pay less in taxes they will have more to spend on the goods and services that make the rich even richer. And again, if you reduce taxes, who pays for the national debt?
You Republilcans can identify with the "Christian" right until the end of time. But it is Mammon you actually value more than anything else.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Where have the Republicans gone?
I admit my confusion. I don't understand why certain people would choose to register/vote Republican. Please explain.
I am not referring to people in the upper income brackets-those making more than $200,000. I know why they are Republicans. No matter how much wealth they have, they want more and they don't care that they are ultimately profiting from the less fortunate. For them, tax breaks for the rich is a good thing. They favor fewer and less strict safety, health and environmental regulations. They are in favor of gifts from the government such as tax breaks for oil companies that continue to register record-breaking profits but not gifts to the poor such as welfare. Why give away money to the less fortunate? They are obviously not part of the few, the blessed, the chosen. Besides, there's no financial gain in giving to the poor.
The rich want the masses to work harder. The more vigorous the lower class labor, the richer the rich become. It's perfectly logical that rich Republicans would prefer a business man in the White House; someone who would reform the welfare system, cut taxes for the rich, privatize social security, and "reform" Medicare; This idea that cutting taxes for the richest Americans will result in job creation is a concept that history has shown to be invalid. We can see by looking back that cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans results in the richest getting richer and the people in lower income brackets getting poorer.
So if you are not one of the privileged rich and are not related to someone rich, what is your reasoning? Are you a dreamer who is waiting for his/her big break which will result in making you filthy rich?
If you're retired perhaps you will hit the lottery big time any day now. If you're retired and dependent on social security and you don't win the lottery, do you really think privatization of social security is in your best interest? How about more Medicare cuts and/or vouchers? Those things may have to happen anyway. If the Republicans get enough power, those things will happen and happen sooner. Perhaps you are just set in your ways and you could care less that rich Republicans think that people who don't work are not important enough to be a concern.
If you are a woman who is not rich and not in relationship with someone rich, please enlighten me. Unless you are a gold digger in search of a sugar daddy. Most of the people who make their fortunes in business as well as most of those who make the laws in this country are men. The guys who are Republican are generally not in favor of protecting women's rights. In fact many of them are trying to deprive you of the financial support you may need to exercise your reproductive rights. They would also like to deprive you of your legally-protected right to choose. Do you realize that the Republican presidential nominee has wealthy backers who would take the country back to a state where women were in a less powerful social/political position? What makes you want to identify with a party like that?
If you are a Republican member and a member of a minority racial or ethnic group and not rich, I would really like to understand you. Maybe you buy the trickle down theory which failed to deliver when used by President Bush. It would fail under Romney as well. Even if they believe in their hearts that this plan will succeed, Presidents don't have the power to force a rich person to risk the money he gains from tax breaks to create a job for you. Living in hope, i.e. denial, may be more comfortable for you than facing reality.
If you are a blue collar worker and a Republican, you probably always have been, as was your father and his father before him. If that's the case you are honoring a family tradition. I can understand that. But it seems to me that the values of the present day Republican party are not the same as those held by the Republican party your ancestors believed in.
If you are a white supremacist, you need not reply. You will vote Republican because there is a black man in the white house and the anger and frustration of your bullying nature would not permit you to do otherwise.
I remember my parents telling me they voted Republican because it was always Democrats that got the nation into wars. In their lifetime that may have been true. I wonder what they would have thought of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, both initiated by a Republican President.
Maybe you are a "Christian". You feel that God has a political agenda for the United States to which you and/or your religious leaders are privy. Your love of the Lord dictates that you should vote Republican because more Republicans talk the talk than Democrats. All you care about is doing the bidding of the Lord, conveniently ignoring the fact that the second greatest commandment is to love thy neighbor as thyself. If God' s agenda is for corporations to control our lives; women, minorities, people with disabilities and the retired to to be treated like second-class citizens, I would question the source of what you believe is God's will.
Some of us defend being Republican by pointing out that it is the Republicans who care about the preservation of individual rights and liberty. Whose individual rights and liberties are being preserved by privatizing social security; turning Medicare into a voucher system; taking away women's right to choose; by removing government regulation of businesses which will result in unsafe working conditions and more unnecessary pollution of earth, air, and water? Some Republicans are calling for the abolishment of the EPA which has steadfastly worked to protect our right to clean air and water. Republicans are clearly concerned only with the rights and liberties of the rich and the would be rich.
I really would like to understand-if you aren't rich, what do you think you gain from supporting the Republicans? Please comment.
I am not referring to people in the upper income brackets-those making more than $200,000. I know why they are Republicans. No matter how much wealth they have, they want more and they don't care that they are ultimately profiting from the less fortunate. For them, tax breaks for the rich is a good thing. They favor fewer and less strict safety, health and environmental regulations. They are in favor of gifts from the government such as tax breaks for oil companies that continue to register record-breaking profits but not gifts to the poor such as welfare. Why give away money to the less fortunate? They are obviously not part of the few, the blessed, the chosen. Besides, there's no financial gain in giving to the poor.
The rich want the masses to work harder. The more vigorous the lower class labor, the richer the rich become. It's perfectly logical that rich Republicans would prefer a business man in the White House; someone who would reform the welfare system, cut taxes for the rich, privatize social security, and "reform" Medicare; This idea that cutting taxes for the richest Americans will result in job creation is a concept that history has shown to be invalid. We can see by looking back that cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans results in the richest getting richer and the people in lower income brackets getting poorer.
So if you are not one of the privileged rich and are not related to someone rich, what is your reasoning? Are you a dreamer who is waiting for his/her big break which will result in making you filthy rich?
If you're retired perhaps you will hit the lottery big time any day now. If you're retired and dependent on social security and you don't win the lottery, do you really think privatization of social security is in your best interest? How about more Medicare cuts and/or vouchers? Those things may have to happen anyway. If the Republicans get enough power, those things will happen and happen sooner. Perhaps you are just set in your ways and you could care less that rich Republicans think that people who don't work are not important enough to be a concern.
If you are a woman who is not rich and not in relationship with someone rich, please enlighten me. Unless you are a gold digger in search of a sugar daddy. Most of the people who make their fortunes in business as well as most of those who make the laws in this country are men. The guys who are Republican are generally not in favor of protecting women's rights. In fact many of them are trying to deprive you of the financial support you may need to exercise your reproductive rights. They would also like to deprive you of your legally-protected right to choose. Do you realize that the Republican presidential nominee has wealthy backers who would take the country back to a state where women were in a less powerful social/political position? What makes you want to identify with a party like that?
If you are a Republican member and a member of a minority racial or ethnic group and not rich, I would really like to understand you. Maybe you buy the trickle down theory which failed to deliver when used by President Bush. It would fail under Romney as well. Even if they believe in their hearts that this plan will succeed, Presidents don't have the power to force a rich person to risk the money he gains from tax breaks to create a job for you. Living in hope, i.e. denial, may be more comfortable for you than facing reality.
If you are a blue collar worker and a Republican, you probably always have been, as was your father and his father before him. If that's the case you are honoring a family tradition. I can understand that. But it seems to me that the values of the present day Republican party are not the same as those held by the Republican party your ancestors believed in.
If you are a white supremacist, you need not reply. You will vote Republican because there is a black man in the white house and the anger and frustration of your bullying nature would not permit you to do otherwise.
I remember my parents telling me they voted Republican because it was always Democrats that got the nation into wars. In their lifetime that may have been true. I wonder what they would have thought of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, both initiated by a Republican President.
Maybe you are a "Christian". You feel that God has a political agenda for the United States to which you and/or your religious leaders are privy. Your love of the Lord dictates that you should vote Republican because more Republicans talk the talk than Democrats. All you care about is doing the bidding of the Lord, conveniently ignoring the fact that the second greatest commandment is to love thy neighbor as thyself. If God' s agenda is for corporations to control our lives; women, minorities, people with disabilities and the retired to to be treated like second-class citizens, I would question the source of what you believe is God's will.
Some of us defend being Republican by pointing out that it is the Republicans who care about the preservation of individual rights and liberty. Whose individual rights and liberties are being preserved by privatizing social security; turning Medicare into a voucher system; taking away women's right to choose; by removing government regulation of businesses which will result in unsafe working conditions and more unnecessary pollution of earth, air, and water? Some Republicans are calling for the abolishment of the EPA which has steadfastly worked to protect our right to clean air and water. Republicans are clearly concerned only with the rights and liberties of the rich and the would be rich.
I really would like to understand-if you aren't rich, what do you think you gain from supporting the Republicans? Please comment.
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