Bush's "Party of Ideas"
In addition to the most recent revelations of George W. Bush authorizing leaks of critical intelligence information to silence Iraq war critics, Bush had this to say when responding to the decision by disgraced Republican Congressman Tom DeLay to retire from Congress: “I wish him all the very best and I know he is looking to the future. My own judgment is, our party will continue to succeed because we're the party of ideas.'' The party of ideas? Off the top of my head, here’s the only Republican ideas I’ve seen in the last five years:
- Doctoring evidence used to start a war with a country that did not attack us and posed no threat to America.
- Having responsibility for the deaths of 2,344 American military people and tens of thousands of Iraqis, at least $250 billion in wasted war money and a trashed reputation throughout the world.
- Being fully supportive of holding prisoners without charges, without counsel and in violation of every tenet of American ideals. Oh, yeah, the GOP leadership thinks it’s acceptable to torture people too.
- Consistently lying to the American people about everything from the rationale for war, through Hurricane Katrina response to domestic spying.
- And speaking of Katrina, how many people might have lived had the Republicans not gutted the Federal Emergency Management Agency and exiled it under the Department of Homeland Security? Incompetence kills. Heck of a job, Brownie. And speaking of domestic spying, the Republican party stands for eavesdropping on all of us, without required court orders and in express violation of the law.
- Politicizing to the extreme the heart-wrenching Terri Schiavo situation – including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist making a magical “diagnosis” of her condition from the Senate floor that, as it turns out, was wrong anyway.
- Being the party of Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff and Duke Cunningham – enough said.
- Disclosing the identity of covert CIA agent, Valerie Plame as retaliation for her husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, pointing out that Team Bush was lying in their reasons for attacking Iraq. The GOP: Where treason becomes fashionable.
- Seeding the media with right-wing propaganda disguised as legitimate news, including having former prostitute Jeff Gannon sitting front and center in the White House briefing room to throw softball questions at Scott “The Lyin’ King” McClellan.
- Embarrassing the American people by making a macho vow to get Osama bin Laden – you remember, the guy who actually did attack us on September 11 – letting him roam completely free for almost five years, while allowing al Qaeda to continue operating in at least 60 countries.
- Cutting taxes for other rich Republicans time after time, while running up the biggest budget deficit in U.S. history.
- Making our Statue of Liberty at least temporarily irrelevant by trying to kick 12 million immigrants out of the country, while branding them felons. (I’ve been in Mexico a lot lately and the people I talk to there have the same reaction as most people throughout the world – love most Americans, hate our government.)
- Decimating social programs including Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare while forcing a disastrous drug program on the nation’s elderly.
- Refusing to raise the minimum wage and only funding the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program for a fraction of the approved budget and at the end of the winter.
- Giving the American version of the Taliban – our very own religious extremists – a front-row seat in governing our country.
- Fighting at every turn, attempts by Congressional Democrats to support homeland security – such as providing funds for port protection and first-responders – while rejecting almost every Democratic effort to fund Veterans programs.
- Trying to turn over security of our major ports to a country with known ties to the terrorist attacks of 2001.
- Leading the effort to turn back the clock in our society and outlaw a woman’s right to reproductive choice.
Whew! That took me a whole 10 minutes. Bush may be right and the Republicans may indeed be the “party of ideas.” Too bad those ideas are ruining our country, destroying our world standing and imperiling the next generation. You can reach Bob Geiger at geiger.bob@gmail.com
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I have an idea: Do the opposite.
Here is my idea as a Democrat: Watch what Conservatives do and then do the opposite.
- Don't Invade Iraq.
- Don't give the Historic Surplus away. Spend it on the bottom 90% who do the work and the soldiering.
- Don't borrow more foreign cash then all previous Administrations, give it away to the top 1% and put that debt on the bottom 90% or so.
Want more? Okay:
- ZERO income tax on the first $60,000 made by EVERY American.
- 39% income tax on additional dollars. This is revenue neutral.
(Presently a little more tax would be needed for revenue neutrality but after the economic boom occurs from gaining the bottom 90% ($100,000 a year and less) a descent increase in income, a lower percentage would take effect.)
You will of course, still be expected to work at near monopoly controlled wages, raise kids for 18 years for both the labor force and the military, and pay near monopoly controlled prices in the Energy sector, etc.
Of course if you like we can do something about those problems as well.
Ideas/Plan
Submarine USS Wahoo ss238
Why is it that the media, Republicans and a few others are
saying that the Democrats as a whole do not have any new
ideas or a real agenda or plan.
I am so tired of hearing that lately.
We do have a plan, the right plan for America
Strong Defense without being the planet bully
Energy plan that reduces the amount of oil we consume, along with heavy conservation.
Strong Environmental Policies
Affordable Health Care for every American
Strong Stance on Social Security and the policy to keep it as is.
(It is not broken as the Republicans say it is)
Fiscal responsibility. The Democratic Party believes in balanced budgets and paying down our national debt, while Republicans continue to put huge burdens on future generations by borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars from foreign nations.
Fair trade. Creating jobs at home means opening markets abroad. The Democratic Party supports fair trade agreements that raise standards for workers abroad while making American business more competitive. We will also fight for stronger enforcement of our existing trade agreements.
The Democratic Party is by the people for the people, we are
not the party of the Corporate Whores.
Repugs are using a sound bite that’s all.
I would like to ask everyone: why any “New” ideas are needed?
I mean they’re great if they’re great but generally speaking America works:
-Aristocrats at the top have their Anti Monopoly Laws, Time limited Patent Laws, Generation limited copyright laws, etc in order to redistribute wealth that would pool within Monopolies/Monarchy.
-DEMOCRATS need to reaffirm what we have!!! We have the Progresssive Income Tax, Earned Income Tax Credit, Health Care, Estate Tax, etc. in order to redistribute wealth that would pool within Aristocracy, (The Rich Man’s Socialism of privilege over merit).
I have purposely used that horrible language of Communists: “Redistribution of Wealth” because in correctly railing against Communists we have forgotten that as a Free Enterprise Country we ALL still redistribute wealth. In addition, often the redistribution has to do with paying one's fair share and NOT being simply due to compassion for others. I speak of this elsewhere on the blog.
We simply do NOT do it to the point of causing those in the top tiers to leave their jobs.
Soundbites and Stereotypes
Submarine USS Wahoo ss238
They are also using the same old stereotype that Democrats
'raise' taxes.
I was talking to one of my Repub friends (Yes I have 2Repub friends) and he didnt mind that Bush was wiretapping Americans
illegally, but dont vote a Democrat in, they will raise your
taxes.
Its either paranoia or disinformation.
Democrats have raised taxes as much as Republicans have, they just do it in a stealth way.
If those at the TOP squeeze,
If those at the TOP squeeze, cajole, coerce, play hardball, pit player against player, collude, etc in order to convince you to take a crappy salary in order TO MAKE THEM MONEY
THEN
Your friend need not become a Democrat but he does need to help us raise a little tax from the TOP in order to gain a few perks for the bottom 90% or so.
Wahoo, it is my belief that Democrats can spare themselves a universe of grief by simply passing a ZERO Income Tax on the first $60,000 made by EVERY American.
The number can change of course but we need to get out from under the bullshit “Raising Taxes” stigma.
I do not believe many Blue Collar Republicans will pull that Republican lever when zero tax awaits them under Democratic Leadership. It is a way that Democrats can help the vast majority. We tend to help voters one block at a time but this is universal.
Details are to be ironed out to be sure, but it is a sound bite waiting to happen and it is impossible for Republicans to defend against.
I’ll take my money up front. We need a simple tax plan: zero tax for the vast majority.
OR
if your friend prefers we can tax everyone equally. That is what the Right wants.
New Idea
Of course nowadays it is a new idea to recognize that a hard days work deserves a descent pay
AND
That Economic Booms get stimulated from the BOTTOM 90% not from a bloated, inbred, non hungry, complacent, decadent, overfed top.
I do apologize for the strong language because if taken too far the MOB becomes the problem and not the MONARCH, but since Conservatives have been bashing the working man for so long, foot notes and appendices seem counter productive.
Jim, if you would be so kind
as to explain, what you mean when you say that by the bottom 90% having more cash will stimulate the economy more effectivly than only giving to the top 10%. Why I am asking is because I have heard republicans say and I am paraphrasing here, if tax cuts and extra money are given to the bottom tiers of people that they will only squander the money, but if tax cuts are given to those who are wealthy, they will take that money and invest in companies and stocks, therefore creating more jobs and a stable economy.
Bottoms up.
The long answer is spread throughout the blog but I can give a few quick answers:
The counter argument would be that those at the top rose to the top because they ARE naturally better Economic Powerhouses. This is absolutely SOMETIMES true. It is ALSO true that Aristocrats passing down cash within family lines often reaches a genetic dullard. It is not clear to me for example, that Paris Hilton, with all those resources locked with that family line, will creat more ADDITIONAL wealth than if she had a bit less and the bottom 90% had a bit more. SOME of that capitol reaching an inventive soul at the bottom.
We must get resources to potential economic powerhouses. Resources can come in the form of good wages, less taxation on the bottom 90%, health care as compensation for labor, low energy prices, etc.
When CEOs gain exorbitant wages for accomplishing less than nothing, clearly they are not competing. Further they would, in my opinion, still do the same job for LESS. It is simply true that once you gain a little cash it is easy to gain more. You MAY do so via non inventive means. There is no net gain to the economy with those dollars in that person’s hands.
Bottom line, demand a raise. Fight. If you do it too little you allow decadence and a dead wood Aristocracy at the top. Do it too much and you screw yourself by driving the top tiers away from their jobs –as in Communism/Socialism.
The reason Republicans have tied us on economic matters is two fold: one their rhetoric of division (even economically) and two, weak DLC economics. Democrats should seek to regain the house and Senate for the next few decades with policies that TRANSPERANTLY aid a large block of voters.
Now aren’t you sorry you asked ;)
Jim, that was the "quick"
Jim, that was the "quick" answer?...;-)
How about a couple of sound bites:
1) "Trickle-down" economics has been proven to be all smoke and mirrors, and in reality leads to higher profits, through fewer jobs at lower wages; and,
2) The "trickle-down" theory is a euphemism for the arm-twisting decline of collective bargaining, and Labor's willingness to accept less.
The bottom line is that Democrats, while in office, tend to bring the economy in line through tax-fairness measures, and true job creation. When Republicans inherit a well-running economy (and, as in the case of Dubya, a surplus) they look at it as an excuse to cut taxes on corporations and the wealthy in order to "give the people's money back to them."
It's a cycle that has been repeated many times, but in our current economic cycle, it was started by Reagan, continued by GHWB, reversed by Clinton (it's the economy, stupid), and squandered by Dubya.
Of course that was the quick version....
....for me, not the reader ;)
Spending a lot more time and I could use fewer words!!!
You have some good sound bites there. Some of what I am doing is readying a template for shit head talking heads, Libertarian, academics, etc who can’t quite figure out why it is valid to be a Democrat. Because of that, I keep trying to motivate each step of “taking “THEIR” money.
It is true that nearly nothing is needed to convince a true Democrat. They have it correct in their guts. It is also true that we need sound bites. I still intend however to stick it to the “new agers”. Those who think they have the logic laid out solid. For them I must keep thinking out loud. At first I was just pissed that they were such cold hearted jerks. Now I see them as incorrect OR hypocritica - AND THEY HAVE TO PICK ONE!
After the “Climbing the Ladder” thread I am working on, I want to devise a poster that lays out the Democratic point of view in the simplest possible way. It will involve the notion of America as bracketed between the extremes I have laid out before. I promise that poster will pass the semi sound bite test.
(There will however be a very tiny asterisk in the lower right hand corner that will refer to a massive treatise that must be printed in individual volumes less it throw earth out of her orbit ;)
I am also painfully mindful of the fence we walk:
Of respecting each other’s Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness. Of late Conservatives, via their coldness, have goaded the Left into countering with appeals for empathy.
That can be a direct affront to another humans Liberty to be cold hearted. I do not see Libertarianism as getting one out of that conundrum. I do see American Liberalism as doing so and I am roughing out a path for myself.
Jim, keep on keepin' on. You
Jim, keep on keepin' on. You are putting a lot of time and effort into a much needed presentation shift for Liberalism.
Thankyou Bill.
Thankyou Bill.
I almost wrote "paradigm
I almost wrote "paradigm shift," but then I realized that the basic framework has always been there. Somewhere along the way however, it lost much of its meaning and direction.
You’re right.
My own brain is struggling with what should be apparent, but somehow is not. I think both Liberalisms successes, and decades of trying to extend the fruits of Liberalism to everyone, has hidden some of the internal mechanisms AND gotten us beaten up by those we can never hope to enlighten.
Hopefully this 2006 will be
Hopefully this 2006 will be the truth.