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| Our country was sinking under the Bush/Cheney administration |
More than once I have been startled by something on the ground thinking---"it's a snake or an enormous spider!" only to discover, no silly, it's just a piece of yarn. I react and then laugh at my own foolishness. This seems hauntingly familiar as the voting season rolls around.
It would be amusing if it were not so disturbing that there are ads trying to convince you that it's not a piece of yarn you see but a boa constrictor!. There are political ads suggesting that Mexico is sending people to this country who have Ebola. Seriously, who is dumb enough to believe that when there is no outbreak of Ebola in Mexico. Another suggestion in some political ads [in the south and southwest] is "Isis is working with the Mexican drug cartels". Doesn't this smack a bit of racism? Where is the droplet of proof for this ridiculous suggestion? These are probably the same dunderheads who were screaming at the immigrant children crossing the border, who were already frightened and alone. Children. Adults screaming and spewing their hatred. This is abusive for sure, adolescent at best.
Speaking of adolescent, why do many people deny that climate change is happening? Is it because with climate change occurring they might have to change their ways? Change is difficult for most people and especially when it means giving up luxuries or cutting back on your behavior. Yet, fact: 97% of all scientists verify climate change and the 3 % doubters are suspected tools of the oil and gas companies. Sad to say, through peer pressure or plain ignorance, about 90% of the Republican party are climate change doubters.
So, what is the scariest thing to the Republican party: our country is doing well financially. Remember back to 2008 and the disastrous regime of the Bush administration: our country was an embarrassment to the world; we foolishly believed the WMD bit and Bush and Cheney started a costly war that had nothing to do with 9/11; Cheney egregiously profited from that war and nothing was done about his conflict of interest; our economy was just about toilet bound; banks were folding; jobs were lost at an alarming rate and people were losing their homes. Also remember that Osman bin Laden was "hiding" in Pakistan.
This is what our President inherited when he came into office and all of this changed for the better during the Obama administration. Bin Laden is dead; the administration helped people secure home loans; job growth has been impressive; the banks were bailed out; the economy has rebounded; we are out of Iraq and soon Afghanistan and we have earned respect in the world.
Republicans claim they can do a better job and want you to vote for them. What has been their most memorable, brilliant strategy to help us out of financial difficulties? Well, they decided to shut down the government in October of 2013. According to Steven Perlberg of Bloomberg "the shut down took $24 Billion dollars out of the US economy." I ask you, what good did that do us? I was in Philadelphia at the time and unable to see any of the historic sights. Millions of people in that tourist destination were laid off from their jobs, without pay because of this stupidity. This is just an example in one big city in our country, it happened in cities all over the United States. Do the math... This sounds like they took notes from Dick Cheney, doesn't it? Why would anyone even consider voting for a party that makes these kinds of financially obtuse decisions? Is that good fiscal management?
Many of my readers would be surprised to read that I am a conservative---a fiscal conservative. Consider, our budget could be improved enormously by stopping corporate welfare ASAP. Social Security could be overhauled and made even more secure if it was used as it was designed: to help the less fortunate survive in old age. This would exclude giving money to the people like Warren Buffet, the Walmart Waltons; Oprah; Bill Gates; most entertainers and sports stars---you get my drift. People fortunate to make over a million a year would be required to pay in and receive no benefits. It should be considered a privilege to contribute to the security of older folks and the disabled rather that accept government money that any of the millionaires and billionaires clearly do not need. Next to further decrease the deficit we need to eliminate all the tax loop holes that allow the billionaires to go virtually tax free by putting their money in lands and businesses off shore.
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| The greatest gift in this life is lending a hand to the needy |
What do I find startling? I am repulsed that Dick Cheney has gone free and not been charged with profiteering, sent to prison and required to pay back the billions he collected from the war in Iraq. Hey, they sent Martha Stewart to prison for profiting from insider trading but after all, she's only a woman. EEEEEK!
susansmagicfeather copyright 2014 Susan R. Grout all rights reserved
