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On Doing Something Nearly Impossible to Ourselves

It is obvious that the Republican Party has decided
that it is in their short-term interest to make Democrats
look very bad, for the purposes of electing Republicans
in the November elections.  To do that, they have systematically
opposed almost everything the Democrats have proposed,
creating the impression that Barack Obama simply won't
cooperate with them.  What is the alternative?
Elect Republicans!  Or maybe even Tea Baggers.

A sensible person can recognize that turning the economy
into a shambles simply cannot be a good long-term strategy,
even if, as might be the case, a long, slow, painful rebuilding
of the nation eventually results.  There will have been too
many deaths in war, too much money spent on them,
too many unemployed people, lost homes, deteriorating roads,
aimless educational goals, with a crumbling middle class.
The top 2% are gettiung filthy rich, and the rest are scared.

However, if it is precisely the intention of the Republican
Party to shape a society with extremely powerful economic
interests, who are largely turned loose to make as much money
as it is possible to amass, it might not just be a short-term strategy.
People with gobs of money do not usually voluntarily suggest
a more equitable distribution of the nation's wealth.
They want more.  And more.

By any measurement, by any honest assessment of what
the Republicans are doing, it is almost a crime.  Just destroy
the Democrats, thwart their legislative programs, deny
even the things they themselves have proposed in the past,
in order to make a shambles of almost everything,
in order to get put back into office, when they propose
to do just what they did to get us into this mess.

And what do people do?  People agree.

It is the damnedest form of self-mutilation one can imagine.

It is not that the Democrats are without enormous blame.
They hold the Presidency, and majorities in both houses.
It is quite likely that if they held 75% majorities, they would
find a way to muck around and plead with the Republicans
to join them in doing something, instead of simply doing
what Republicans show they are willing to do, with less
than commanding majorities.  They say to hell with the
Democrats, and do what they think they have a right to do.

The real buffoonery is not simply among the elected officials.
After all, we voters elected almost every one of the people
in office, with the notable exception of a recent President, or two.

We are doing this to ourselves.  It is very difficult
to do to ourselves what we keep suggesting , but
Democrats have demonstrated themselves to be agile.

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