No Friggen Way

There comes a time when constantly shifting to the right to try to reach an agreement with the Republicans ceases to be a compromise. We reached that point a long time ago. It is now time to say “no friggen way!” Social Security is an earned benefits program rather than “an entitlement” program. Changing the way CPI is calculated means reducing the benefits people have been paying for throughout their working lives. The only people who would favor screwing seniors in this manner are the investment firms who will sell their products by rightly pointing out that the benefits from Social Security will not even keep up with inflation.

Make no mistake about it this proposed change is a flat out hose job. Saying that this hose job will help to balance the budget is a lie! Payroll taxes fund Social Security benefits, and neither those taxes nor the benefits paid out have anything to do with the Federal budget. Furthermore, there is no reason why Social Security should run out of money. Why should people pay payroll taxes only on the first one hundred and fourteen thousand dollars of income when inflation and other factors have doubled or even tripled the earnings and wages of so many people in the highest tax bracket? Raising the cap on the payroll tax is a very reasonable way to keep up with inflation and pay for the baby boomers.

That President Obama should give in to the Republicans on this issue is outrageous unless he thinks the Republicans will be so intransigent that they will turn down his offer. That, however, is a dangerous game to play. No Democrat should even consider decreasing the benefits of Social Security or Medicare. Decreasing those benefits is cruel and politically stupid. The Republicans are already doing a splendid job of demonstrating that they are ready and willing to screw everyone who does not pony up very large campaign contributions. The Democrats should use every opportunity to point out that the Republicans’ emphasis on the deficit is a disingenuous effort to destroy earned benefits programs and to protect the low tax rates paid by the fat cats who are financing the Republican Party.

It is about Jobs Stupid! Employment and wages are what the voters care about. In this respect, they appear to be a lot brighter than the politicians are. If more people are able to find gainful employment and wages rise, the deficit will take care of itself. The Democratic Party must represent its base. It must be the party of jobs. It must defend what the workers gained during the twentieth century. It must represent the middle class and the people who work so hard to become part of the middle class. It must stress the need for job creating infrastructure projects constantly.

The Democrats should draw a very clear picture of the people they represent and the people the Republicans represent. The Republicans will greatly aid the Democrats in this effort by accusing them of class warfare. That is really to the advantage of the Democrats, but the Republicans are far too tone deaf to realize it. The Republicans are not just alienating ethnic and/or racial minorities, they are also alienating white, middle class women and young white males. Because of their absurd economic and social policies, the Republicans are already relegating themselves to the role of a regional party. Even that regional influence will decrease if the democrats press the issues and the Republicans do not become reasonable.

Embarrassed Texans Are Not Alone

There is a reason why we should avoid stereotypes. There is also a terrible temptation to use them. I am sure there are too many rational people in Waco Texas to justify renaming the place Wacko Texas, but more than a few events there have made such a renaming tempting. Similarly, although Texas has delighted us in the past by electing reasonable moderates such as Senator Lloyd Benson, paranoid idiots such as General Walker also had a large enough following in Texas to give that state a very unfavorable political reputation. More recently, the election of such anti-intellectual ignoramuses as Senator Ted Cruz, Congressman Louie Gohmert, and Governor Rick Perry have greatly added to the unsavory political reputation of Texas. Indeed, to those of us who are more rational it seems as though Texans have such a low opinion of all government that they consider political offices to be good, out of the way, places to deposit their lunatics and dumb asses.

What is with Louie Gohmert and his comments about bestiality? What the hell is he doing to the cows in his district? Is he treating them like his constituents? Meanwhile, Ted Cruz swallows and regurgitates illogical NRA dreck like a vulture. According to the NRA and Cruz, if you cannot stop all gun related homicides you should not try to stop any of them, and since the Nazi’s restricted gun ownership restricting gun ownership must be undemocratic. Never mind the fact that the Nazi’s came to power at a time when they and other paramilitary organizations were able to buy military style weapons and that they used such weapons in their efforts to overthrow a legitimate government. Pointing out such facts or trying to reason with people like Cruz and Gohmert is like talking to a stone. What good are facts or logic when pitted against paranoia and irrational beliefs. If Governor Rick Perry is not careful, someone might accuse him of trying to pass himself off as an intellectual by finally, grudgingly, admitting that the issue of secession was decided in the eighteen sixties when Texas and other southern states lost a very bloody war.

All I can say to the people of Texas who are reasonable enough to be embarrassed by the political reputation their state is gaining is that they are not alone. Even here, in blue state California, my Congressman is a right wing imbecile elected by people who seem rational enough if you do not try to discuss politics or government with them. I really wish I could say that I do not know how the reasonable people of Texas feel about the election of such misrepresentatives of their legitimate interests.