I do not know why (some) people are shocked at the republican party’s open betrayal of the constitution, ignorant support of white militias, obnoxious pettiness about all things progressive. I do not understand why anyone gives credence to the likes of McCain and Graham (who basically are all talk when it comes to patriotism and country first). Yea, yea, I get it. McCain was a a POW. And yet, he gave a pass to a man who insulted not just him but ALL POWs. I happen to have an uncle who was one (he is deceased now) in WWII. I cannot even fathom the disgust he would feel for the republican party and how angry he would be that so many let orange menace’s comment slide. As well, I do not get the kudos for the likes of Rubin, Gergen, Frum and especially Bill Kristol. I do not get the concern for the WWC, many of whom were union members and betrayed unions going back to Reagan and continuing with first Scott Walker (the recall) and Trump. To be clear I am an older (71) white woman, feeling betrayed by a huge percentage of my ilk, and someone who grew up in a white working class, mostly union IMMIGRANT family in the generation above me. I did get to go to college because there were grants and bills and governance that helped men like my dad, a WWII veteran. My mother toiled in non-union textile mills from her childhood and my father went to a CCC camp in the FDR years. I was lucky to become an educator and have done well. Still I had been on strike twice to retain the right to collectively bargain. With luck, I was able to retire before the stupidity of NCLB and charter schools took over education. But I never stopped caring about PUBLIC education. I believe in the “commons”. I am distraught as I watch this republican party try to destroy the commons through privatization of everything. The silence of the media, of the so called “good republicans” is UNACCEPTABLE.
Here’s the thing. These are the same people (from the betraying union workers to elected officials to media) who had no problem supporting Reagan even AFTER he had PATCO members fired. They supported him even AFTER Iran Contra and to this day. His administration betrayed the county, stole the election, destroyed unions, killed the Fairness Doctrine, stopped enforcing the Sherman Anti trust laws and still…….he is Saint Ronnie Reagan.
These are the same people who went insane over Bill Clinton, calling him a draft dodger every chance they got. But they were totally OK with W going AWOL, Cheney’s five deferrals, the outing of a CIA operative, and now the Orange Menaces disrespect for everything and his draft dodging. These are the people in the republican party who mocked the Purple Heart of John Kerry…..LOUD AND PUBLICLY at the republican convention.
These people, from Rubin to Kristol to Gergen to Frum, were silent when on the night of the Inauguration of the First African American president, when their republican leaders gathered to plan and put into action, a party over country strategy.
This republican party has been on this road since at least LBJ’s time, when he declared we would lose the south for a generation…he was not quite accurate for he miscalculated how many northern white males would turn on their unions, on their party because of their need to protect white male privilege. Before Reagan much of it was masked. So perhaps that is why it might be a surprise to some. But I give no pass to those in power or in the media. It was their job to know better, to speak truth to power, to put the constitution (the people) before party. AND THEY DID NOT. Not then. Not now. Sure Trump has made some of them uncomfortable. But that’s it. Graham and McCain’s words are hollow for they still support party first. When I hear Rubin, Frum, Gergen publicly declare they will leave the republican party…maybe they get a little credence.
But the same republican party that wanted to crucify Bill Clinton for his infidelity has given a pass not only to Trump, a serial adulterer, but to Newt, to every republican from Hastert to the Appalachian Trail guy. THIS is when their “Christian’ forgiveness comes out. Read The Family:The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power. Itis a 2008 book by American journalist Jeff Sharlet. THIS is the party that when I was a teaching in the 80s was insisting that “not hating the commie, soviet block” was unpatriotic. But now ??????
Perhaps some need to hear these cowardly right wingers squeak out an occasional criticism to keep their own hope and optimism alive. I get how hard it is these days to believe that we can change the course of the nation. But I get no hope from the charlatans in the republican party, or from the media types who were so quiet for so many years, decades when they KNEW the right was skewing toward the oligarchs. Where were these people when Citizen’s United, a complete and utter betrayal of “the common good”(as in promote the general welfare) began? Where were they when we were lied into war after war just for the sake in some cases of propping the notion that bombing small countries like (Grenada) made one a great leader?
I do NOT expect perfection from ANY leader from ANY party. I have voted democratic since my first vote in 1968. I have worked for better Dems, hoping they would move left even as the power and money went into pulling the country to the right. From Carter to Clinton to Obama I have had my issues with those for whom I voted. I would have had issues, I am sure with either Hillary or Bernie had either won. But I have NO PATIENCE for those still supporting the Rs. They KNOW the truth. They KNOW the Rs have cheated, lied and stolen more than a few elections. They KNOW that they now have in office a lying, shallow POS who is bent on destroying the notion that the country is of, for, by the people. These people in the press, in the republican party want to destroy the commons, privatize everything, take away from THE people the whole notion of the preamble:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
I am as distraught as any. But I will not give kudos to those on the right who “suddenly” find themselves concerned about the country, the people. Trump did not happen by accident. From the Powell Memo to Reagan to W’s war for oil, the right has been racing to replace our democratic governance with an oligarchy. Perhaps they thought they could do it without making it autocratic but that was stupidity or willful ignorance. One cannot have oligarchy without severe autocracy, cruelty and killing the notion of a republic of, for, by the people.
As Justice Brandeis said: “We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both.”
We know WHO republicans support…it is not the people.
END OF RANT