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Cynical, Self-serving Politicians

The easiest way for the Republicans to win in 2012
is to make sure the economy does not get better.

Already, they have blocked the extension of unemployment benefits.
At the same time, they want to give tax breaks to the wealthiest,
increasing the disparity between the wealthy and most other citizens,
adding to crankiness, fear, and a desire to vote out whomever is in.

Under the guise of opposing anything governmental,
they will try to cut back on funding programs they do not like,
at the same time increasing unemployment.  If you lose your job
when Obama is President, why not blame him, even if he opposes
the very reason for losing your job in the first place.  There are
programs that ought to be cut back, or eliminated, but there are
a whole lot more that need to be invested in.

During a recession, a government should invest in the economy,
not starve it, but the Republicans argue that during a downturn
public expenditures should be cut back, making the downturn worse.

If we cut back on military spending, which we surely need to do,
without at the same time investing in trains, roads, new energy
sources, an entirely upgraded educational system, and so on,
all we will have done is eliminate jobs, both in the military
and in the support industries, and made everything worse.

Taxes are evil, so cut everybody's taxes, even on the very rich
who are getting richer and richer.  The result will be a disaster
for government income, which will result in more cutbacks,
and unemployment, and anxiety, and angry voters.

This isn't a fantasy nightmare.  It is what Congressional leaders
are freely admitting to each other:  a bad economy will destroy
Obama, so delay everything for two more years.  It certainly
worked earlier this month!  Just two more years, just as we are!
Try to kill health care!  Don't build high-speed rail, and light rail!
Trim everybody's budget!  Let the rich keep even more!

Wow!  You can see the landslide coming, right now,
maybe even from Sarah Palin's porch!

Want to save money?  Institute a single-payer health care plan!
Want to make jobs?  Build new energy sources, bridges, power grids
and sewers.  Want to put people to work?  Overhaul our school
systems, and prepare a generation able to compete in a world market!
Simplify the tax code!  Not a flat tax!  A simpler, sensible one.  A fairer
one, in which people who make lots of money pay lots of tax.
Even Warren Buffett says he ought to be paying a lot more tax.
Of course he should!  A whole, long list of millionaires agree.

But, please, don't con us by pretending austerity in order to create
more pain and misery, just to win the next election!  We should
let some of the pot smokers out of jail to make room for cynical
politicians like that.

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