Saving a Dying Party

One of my professors used to always say that "economic prosperity breeds idealism." Well, there is a flip side to that as well. There is a reason that the French, Germans, Russians, Chinese, Italians, Japanese, and Americans have all turned nationalistic, xenophobic, and militaristic during times of economic recession or hardship. So, if "economic prosperity breeds idealism" then I would feel safe in saying that "economic hardships breed fear, hatred, and divisive political rhetoric."

That brings me to my point today. The GOP should not be thriving whatsoever right now, and is only doing so because it is the medium through which middle class Americans are venting their frustrations. I had hope for America when the GOP was run out of the White House and both houses of congress, unfortunately the economic recession bred a new anger which the GOP has been completely effective in harnessing. People aren't (or atleast shouldn't be) voting for Republicans because economic policies of the GOP have been proven to be more effective, neither has the GOP been successful at stopping the last 50 years of social progress. So, why then is the GOP still around in its current form? Why has the party not moved towards a more libertarian platform? Once again I would posit that it is because of American anger - anger which should be directed at the GOP. Republicans, backed by wealthy corporate interests, have gotten out and given populist stump speeches - presenting a rather reactionary anti-government message. In other words they have given the people an institution at which to direct their anger.

The success of Republicans in the past two years has come from their attempts to block any kind of progress by inventing crises as well as stoking the flames of fear. To prove this point one only needs to think about the way in which the President of the United States has been painted as a Muslim, anti-colonialist, Kenyan or simply remember the claims of death panels in legislation.  The only tool the GOP had to maintain the status quo was fear mongering and procedural rules. For example, the use of the filibuster (or extended debate) spiked when Democrats gained control of the Senate and has continued to be excessively used ever since.

Since the elections of 2008, the Republicans have been running scared. They were beginning to be hated by their base for having run the country into the ground, thus the rise of the tea party. The Tea Party takeover of the Republican party seems to have breathed some life into the GOP by making it seem that the party had reformed itself, but we know that it really hasn't. It has simply been pulled to the right by primary contests and threatened contests. Some might say that I am contradicting myself and that the tea party take over is a libertarian take over of the Republican party -  to that I say hahahaha - good joke. The first bills that were voted on in the house included the wording "repeal the job-killing health care bill," legislation which was rated by the CBO to be a deficit reducer, it has also been said that it will probably create jobs in the medical field because of increased demand for health services. Defunding planned parenthood has been on the Republican agenda all year. Unions and the right of women to choose has been under assault all year long in state legislatures. Essentially, Republican voters have elected the same ideological group into power which ran this country into the ground - the same tax cutting, deficit creating party which has been the Republican party for the past 30 years.

There is much more to this, such as the prominent role that Faux News plays as the mouthpiece of American reactionary politicians as well as the inflammatory rhetoric which they call news, and if anyone wants to learn more about their role I would direct you to mediamatters.org, factcheck.org, dropfox.com, outfoxed.org, and politifact.org to see how they have served the Republican party so loyally.  

I would like to be clear in saying that I do not desire a single-party system. I enjoy the fact that each party is restrained by the other, but I do wish the Republican party was being run by intelligent and objective people who were either willing to, or capable of, compromise. It will be a good day when the Republicans can use something other than fear mongering and procedure to gain support for their cause -  because that will be the day that we can begin to move forward in this country.