The Soiled 'Shining City on the HIll'

I seem to be experiencing an increasing level of anger and anxiety about just about everything recently.  Aside from the Corona virus and the resulting isolation (which has ramped my anxiety up more than I expected), the past four years have served to simply bust my psyche with the realizations that we are not all that we think we are in terms of 'that shining city on the hill' or the 'beacon of democracy' that we have been brainwashed into believing.  You can smile and tell me I am an alarmist, but I have news for you--you're deluding yourself  Let me depress you by noting the results of our recent history and our ranking in the global universe.  Consider the following..we are:

 

-the country with the most Corona virus cases in the world

-the country with the most Corona virus deaths in the world

            Have you ever asked yourself why or who's to blame for that?

-the US ranks 15th in providing health care among industrialized nations and ranks #1 with the   highest cost per capita for healthcare.  Who do you think profits from that situation?

-on the '2020 Freedom in the World' report  the US ranks 53rd among 84 countries sandwiched between Slovakia and Belize.

-on the '2020 Index of Economic Freedom' the US ranks 17th behind Lithuania

 

Let's consider our 'representative democracy':

 

We have a government that is run by Republican minority rule.  Do you think the founders of our country

intended that to be the case?   The Biden administration is trying to pass a Corona virus relief bill and not one single Republican is going to support it.  Not one single Republican is going to support an increased minimum wage initiative that would improve the lives of over 27 million Americans.  Is that what one would call national empathy?  The vast majority of current Republicans are still promoting the Big Lie about the election and are still kneeling for Donald Trump.  Why do you think that is?

 

The United States has a political party whose sole raison d'etre is to do as little as possible to improve the lot of the majority of citizens.  They spend all their time introducing bills in the state legislatures to impede voting, re-draw district lines to disenfranchise voters who do not agree with them, (primarily people of color), and promote disinformation that supports lying about important things like 'who won a national election', or who caused 15 million Texans to be without power and water for a week, or accusing Antifa of the Jan 6th attacks.

 

Somehow these people have a death grip on the ability of our country to honor the wishes of the citizens.  The Biden rescue plan has the approval of over 75% of the country in national polling and overwhelming support for the increase in the minimum wage.  And yet all these Republicans stand against these measures.  Ever ask yourself why?   The only way Democrats (who are actually the majority) can even attempt to get something done to help our citizens is to use a 'reconciliation' device in the legislative process to make it happen.  How sad.  Does it disturb you that all Republicans don't want to help our citizens?  

 

A part of our government that is the least representative of our people--The Senate--has a rule that requires a majority vote of 60% to pass anything.   70% of our population is electing only 30 of the 100 senators.  Somehow that doesn't seem right, does it?  Is that what majority rule means?  The supposed 'body of great deliberation' has not been deliberating anything for the past 4 years, and the guy who is now the minority leader still has control of everything because he has the Filibuster Rule to put his thumb on the scale.   This filibuster rule effectively gives his party the ability to stop everything the majority wants to do.  The founders did not create that rule, the Republicans did.

 

Every effort made to advance positive social or economic change is stymied by this party.  People in the Republican party have only one motive:  stay in power and cater to those who give them money.  They have no interest in supporting anything that would make American's lives easier or better.  They only have interest in lining their pockets, accumulating power and maintaining their ability to keep control.

 

Are you depressed yet? 

 

I am describing the people who stand up for overturning fair elections, rejecting the will of the people

and installing a man who clearly lost.  These are people for whom democracy is an empty shell and something to be ignored.  Democratic ideals and principles are ignored by them.  The rule of law is only good if it benefits them.  For example, consider their effort to prevent a Democratic president from appointing a Supreme Court justice 9 months before the election while they jam through a Republican nominee within 2 weeks of a national election.  How is that for hypocrisy?  Their infrastructure is cemented by a network of media outlets that they have cultivated and control, that spews their falsehoods incessantly and thrives on delivering lies and misinformation.  Why is that OK with them?

 

I can't listen to the news anymore because all these people who have no interest in making our lives better seem to fill the airways with false representations, accusations and specious reasons why the Democrats are responsible for everything because they are so 'radical'.  What is so radical about trying to put some cash relief in the hands of desperate citizens crushed by the virus?  What is so radical about trying to raise the standard of living by increasing the minimum wage so more money can be put into circulation to help the economy and most importantly feed their children?  What is so radical about trying to make sure everyone has the right to vote or have health care that is affordable?

 

So, don't let anyone, especially Republicans, lull you into believing in American excellence.  We are in tough shape.  With insurrectionists and domestic terrorists seeming to get a 'pass' from supporters of Trump and the Republican party, our republic is still in grave danger.  When the election of 2022 rolls around and these liars have monkeyed with the electoral system some more and possibly regain power, I fear we will continue our slide toward autocracy and fascism.  Make no mistake, the Republican party is the progenitor of autocracy and fascism.

 

How is your level of depression and anxiety now?  Hemlock anyone?