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Time to Take This Seriously
Author: BobR    Date: 07/29/2013 12:34:29

When people go to the polls, they are voting for the person they believe will best represent them in government, whether it be local, state, or federal. Not every person will be happy with the results, but majority rule is the best and fairest method we have. One has to wonder, however, who the current crop of legislators in Congress are representing. Do the majority of Americans really understand the causes and likely cures for America's ills, or do they just look upon politics as another form of Championship Wrestling, cheering on their guy as they go through the motions of pretending to legislate?

Despite chants of "USA! USA!" and lip service to us being "the best country in the world", we do face some serious problems that demand serious and realistic approaches. New data suggests that 4 in 5 people in America face near-poverty conditions:
Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream.

Survey data exclusive to The Associated Press points to an increasingly globalized U.S. economy, the widening gap between rich and poor, and the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs as reasons for the trend.

Does this sound familiar? We faced similar problems in the early part of the 20th century, with industrial barons living impossibly gilded lives, while workers toiled in dangerous conditions. Add to that an economic bubble that burst, and suddenly we were in the midst of the Great Depression. The core of the problem was a lack of spending. What cured that was the New Deal and government works programs that put spending money back in people's pockets.

After the crash of 2008 (and the recession that followed), President Obama tried to fix the problem with stimulus spending. It seems to have stemmed the tide and created a slow turnaround, but as the AP figures show, there is still a problem with a lack of spending money for those that need it. America needs to start spending money again, and it needs money to be able to spend it.

Republicans have other ideas. If one looks at Detroit as the canary in the coal mine, there's a need to understand how to prevent this from getting worse elsewhere in the country, and how to fix it. What Detroit needs is jobs, and since private industry has abandoned them, the government needs to step in a provide those jobs. Such is the cure in other parts of the country.

Those who should know better place blame elsewhere. Conservative columnist George Will declares that Detroit's ills are because of unwed mothers (no, really!). How the rest of the country has survived the scourge of unwed mothers over the decades wasn't asked nor explained.

Other Republicans think so little of government's ability to solve problems, they would rather just shut it down if they can't get their way. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) wants to do just that, much to the chagrin of other more realistically-minded colleagues. When our country needs government to help solve the unemployment problem, Republicans like Mike Lee would rather see it go down in flames rather than compromise their black & white ideology.

The House isn't much better as they plan to vote to repeal Obamacare FOR THE FORTIETH TIME:
Both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) issued statements Friday afternoon blasting Republicans for the anticipated vote.

"It is only fitting that Republicans would waste the last week at work this summer voting for the 40th time to repeal the Affordable Care Act and continue their record of no jobs bills, no budget agreement, and no solutions for the middle class," said Pelosi.

"Every day wasted on yet another repeal bill that will never be taken up by the Senate, much less survive a presidential veto, is another day that could have been spent advancing legislation to create jobs for the middle class, negotiating a balanced and bipartisan approach to deficits that can end the painful budget sequester, or debating a path forward on immigration reform," added Hoyer.

It certainly brings to mind a certain definition of insanity. Fortunately, there are some more forward-thinking Republicans in the wings, ready to move the party into the 21st century. A recent Young Republicans meeting showed there may be some hope of getting them to actually work with Democrats towards solutions:
"It's very easy to just say no, and there are times where it's appropriate to say no," said Jason Weingartner of New York, the newly elected chairman of the Young Republican National Federation. "But there are times where you need to lead and present ideas on the issues of the day."

Weingartner and other under-40 activists at a recent national young Republican gathering in Mobile said their party must follow an all-of-the-above approach. Their assessment goes beyond the more general prescriptions that many party leaders, including Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman, have offered since November, when Republicans lost the popular vote for the fifth time in the past six presidential elections.
[...]
Chris Reid, a Birmingham, Ala., lawyer, said the GOP has to become more inclusive. "I get really sick listening to people say it's all or nothing in order to be a good Republican," he said.

To be honest, I can't see myself voting for a Republican any time soon, especially considering their track record. However, I will always give support and credit for those that are willing to meet Democrats halfway, and actually try to find common ground. For now, that seems like the rare politician indeed.
 

44 comments (Latest Comment: 07/29/2013 20:57:12 by Raine)
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