I finally figured out why the Republicans are trying to roll back banking regulations to the way the regulations were right before the banking collapse; why they are trying to make it easier for corporations to ship jobs overseas, to pollute, to cut salaries, to cut corners; why they are making it harder for unions to bargain; why they favor health insurance company profits over patient care; why keeping taxes low for millionaires is more important than creating jobs for the unemployed. I've finally figured out why Republicans are blatantly working to increase the wealth of America's wealthy and improve the unbridled power of America's corporations at the expense of America's middle class on down.
The Republicans expect — as do I — that in the very near future, the world economy is going to collapse and the planet will enter a global depression of an unknowable-but-probably-catastrophic degree. Like it or not, what they are doing is putting as much wealth and power in the hands of as few Americans as possible before this disaster hits.
Why is this? Two simple reasons:
(1) With government spending cut as low as it can get... and taxes as low as they can get... and corporate and millionaires' income as high as it can get, and their investment coffers as full as they can get at the onset of this disaster, less American wealth will be frittered away on saving poor Americans from utter ruin, or be depleted by the massive swath of middle-class unemployed Americans using their life savings on day-to-day expenses.
Instead, that wealth can be used for the aggressive purchases of depressed foreign assets. The wealth can be used for the propping up of wealth-generating American assets that might otherwise flounder. The wealth can be used to give American business the financial ammunition (along with the free rein from legislative burdens) to fight against China and other countries' governments over resource allocation (food, fuel, and factors of production) and market share. The wealth will give corporate America what it needs to survive, and to emerge after the worst of the global economic collapse has passed in a stronger position than its competitors. The ability of America's largest corporations to survive in as free a market model as the Republicans can create will keep many more Americans employed than any government program could (although the collapse of small business in America will be a collateral result). America's corporate and personal wealth, in other words, will not have to be used to save "ordinary" Americans, but instead be used to preserve American corporations and American world economic dominance.
(2) The second reason is that when the American people start screaming, "Save me! Save me!", the American government (i.e. the Democrats, who will obviously be voted into power to enact some kind of modern New Deal) will (a) be too late to enact legislation/taxes to undo the massive "fortress of wealth" the Republicans have created, or (b) those same Democrats will see the logic in what the Republicans have done and might even join them in leaving the American middle class on down to weather the storm on their own while the "1%" keeps on accumulating and prospering.
In other words, Republicans are working hard to set up an economic/political system that will allow American economic hegemony to emerge victorious in the upcoming world financial/economic collapse at the expense of the American people.
So yes, like it or not, the Republicans are not worried about you, the "99%" — as the Occupy Wall Street people have come to call you. They do not care whether you have a job or not, or really if you even survive at all. They are only focused on America's long-term economic and geopolitical survival. I can't say, if — given the facts as the Republicans see them — I would disagree with the Republican plan, which I must say is a strong change of mindset from where I was before this realization. But I do think that America should be more concerned about its people's welfare than the Republicans are... or ever will be.
But, as I see it: There is my realization — stark in its truth and depressing in its consequences. Feel free to disagree if you want, but I personally do not see any other way to explain the otherwise-crazy shit that the Republicans are trying to accomplish and politically suicidal stands that they are trying to make... at least without just concluding that they are simply evil bastards, which I'm moderately inclined to think is probably wrong.
The Republicans are building a Noah's Ark for America... and you're not invited.
Do you any facts to back up your statements?
ReplyDeleteFacts to back up which statements? The fact that Republicans are trying to roll back banking regulations? The fact that Republicans are trying to relax regulations against businesses? The fact that Republicans want to relax environmental regulations? The fact that Republicans are anti-union? The fact that Republicans are against universal health insurance, against coverage for pre-existing conditions, against cutting into pharmaceutical profits? The fact that Republicans are against higher taxes for millionaires even if it means paying for a jobs program? The fact that Republicans are against anything that would improve the economy?
ReplyDeleteOr are you asking for facts as to whether or not the world economy is going to collapse? Do you want facts about whether the renminbi is drastically undervalued, and the Chinese economy is on the brink of collapse, taking our largest creditor with it? Do you want facts about whether the European Union is about to be dragged down by Greek default?
Or perhaps you are asking about facts as to whether or not the Republicans really are setting up a Noah's Ark of Wealthy Americans? Perhaps just adding paragraphs 1 and 2 above is not simple enough math for you? Perhaps you want facts that Republicans are willing to have America default on its debt and collapse the world economy? Perhaps you want facts that the Republicans are trying to roll back the banking regulations to re-create all of the factors that led up to the last collapse of the housing market and almost collapsed the world economy? Perhaps you want facts that Republicans would not hesitate to attack Iran if given the chance, and through the world oil markets into further turmoil and collapse the world economy?
Perhaps you are looking for facts that the wealthiest Americans are getting wealthier? Perhaps you are looking for facts that oil companies and insurance companies and banks are making more money than ever before? Perhaps you are looking for facts that mutual funds and hedge funds and other investment vehicles are making more money this year than ever before? Perhaps you are looking for evidence that the distribution of wealth in America is more skewed now, with more wealth in the hands of fewer people now, than it has been since the Gilded Age?
If you can't add up 1, 2, and 3 and come up with your own similar conclusions as to what all those facts mean, it just goes to show that you have had all of your reasoning wiped away by the neo-religious, blindly ignorant, brand of "conservatism" that those suckers on radio and TV peddle... and to be honest, that does not surprise me. That's what they were supposed to do: Make you a willing and eager participant in the dismantling of all of America's social and economic security so that they could, when worse came to worst, fuck you.
(Heheh. It sure is fun talking like one of those right-wing, anti-government, its-all-part-of-the-plan-to-screw-us, I-can-see-it-too-bad-you-can't weirdos. I'm beginning to see it's appeal, Tomm!)
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