Wherein I Get Schooled By the Radical Republicans [Hyperbolic Tendencies]
Apr19

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Wherein I Get Schooled By the Radical Republicans [Hyperbolic Tendencies]

Once upon a time, there was a group working tirelessly to ensure equal opportunity and justice for all through landmark legislation like the 14th and 15th Amendments and Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1875. This radical group of idealists called themselves Republicans.

Battling against the Republican’s holistic (nee, federal) approach was another group fighting just as fiercely to guarantee each state would determine its own destiny. The Democrats.

Back in the 19th century, Republicans understood a really basic concept: Behavior is dictated by the “system” in which someone exists. To use a simplistic example, a child growing up in an overly strict home is more likely to rebel than one who is allowed to develop their own sense of choice and responsibility. After the Civil War, they basically called shenanigans on the whole socio-political machine that wanted to keep the system rigged. Sadly, their efforts didn’t work and here we are today, still inching toward equality.

Nevertheless, those radical Republicans have inspired me.

After the last month of nonsensical ravings from lunatic minds about budgets and taxes, their lies (budget cuts will create jobs!) and garbage excuses (why are we not cutting the defense budget by 15%?), someone needs to call bullshit.

So in that spirit, let’s call bullshit on some important stuff:


BASIC BULLSHIT

  • If any citizen is denied a right afforded to another, it is unconstitutional.
  • Just because something is widely believed doesn’t make it right.
  • There is no longer a single independent, major news outlet in the U.S.
  • How we deal with our least fortunate reveals our true character.


RELIGIOUS BULLSHIT

  • You don’t need to believe in a god to care about other people or behave well.
  • Stop insisting separation of church and state doesn’t exist by claiming the country was was founded as a Christian nation. It was not. It was founded so people could practice religion without persecution and the government is designed to ensure it would itself not be aligned with a religion. (see: church of England)
  • The definition of terrorism isn’t relative: Bombing an abortion clinic is no different than flying a jet into a skyscraper. Different god. Same bullshit.


RACIAL BULLSHIT

  • A lot of white people are terrified at the prospect of becoming the minority.
  • If you’re white and scared of brown people “taking over,” don’t parrot jingoist, fear-mongering rhetoric. Hell, we’re all scared of something. Admit it. Face it. Evolve.


GOVERNMENTAL BULLSHIT

  • Good government is about people, something big businesses aren’t concerned with. So all you big business leaders, find another playground. People who care, step up.
  • The government doesn’t owe us anything except ensuring our rights and the Constitution is upheld. It’s time again to start working FOR a better country instead of working to separate it into smaller pieces.
  • Too much of our taxes go to defense; too much of our defense is actually offense.
  • The tax system needs to be simplified; every person, every company, and every church needs to pay their fair share.


POLITICAL BULLSHIT

  • We need to stop looking just to Democrats and Republicans for answers. They’ve proven haplessness. There are lots of smart people with good ideas out there.
  • Don’t believe that anyone who calls her/himself “pro-business” gives even the slightest shit about you as a person. It’s all about tax shelters and increasing shareholder value. They’d sell their dog for a higher earnings call.
  • The President was born here. Shut the hell up and move on.
  • If your primary reason for existence is to make money, then stop pretending you support job creation because you want to make America better and just say you want to make more money.
  • “Privatizing” health care hasn’t kept costs down thus far. Stop claiming it does. “Obamacare” can’t possibly do any worse. (see last entry under “basic bullshit”)


FINANCIAL BULLSHIT

  • Over 90% of the wealth in our country is held by less than .1% (one tenth of one percent) of the people. This is the cause of our continuing recession. Not the bailout.
  • The U.S. doesn’t have a “free market.” (see: tax loopholes, incentives, and lobbyists)
  • Until there are laws that prevent companies from distorting their financial earnings we will continue to have major financial crises.


SUPREME COURT BULLSHIT

  • Corporations contributing to political campaigns effectively eliminate citizens from the election process.


Perhaps I’ll learn some more about those radical Republicans. They were onto something. I invite you to join me.

All images courtesy of wikiCommons