No, I Really Mean Lunatics!

Recently some Republican friends (amazingly I do still have some friends who are Republicans) have challenged my description of right wing extremists as lunatics. I stand by my description! I know that mental health care professionals are critical of terms like insanity and lunatic, but I am not going to argue the semantics. Those terms, though often misused, are a short hand way of saying something is not right in the head, and we judge whether that is true by the symptoms the lunatics or insane people present. Some of those symptoms are: irrational and obsessive fear, an inability to accept reality, and (the Republicans favorite) doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

In regard to irrational and obsessive fear let me toss out a few names: Joseph McCarthy, The John Birch Society, The Tea Party, Cliven Bundy, and Governor Gregg Abbott of Texas. Why Gregg Abbott? Because Abbott did something no rational governor would do; he ordered the Texas National Guard to keep an eye on federal troops because he was afraid the federal government was going to take over Texas by declaring martial law! See my posts: “Paranoid Style of American Politics” and “Paranoia Texas Style.”

In regard to the inability to accept reality and doing the same things over and over while expecting different results the evidence is overwhelming. The latest example of the inability of the lunatic right wing of the Republican Party to accept reality can be seen in the forced resignation of John Boehner as Speaker of the House.

DailyKos' in an article entitled “The Dark Truth Of John Boehner's Resignation,” discussed the contempt the right wing has for John Boehner because of his inability to do the impossible.

DailyKos said that: “when forced to explain this supposed 'contempt' [for Speaker Boener], numerous Republicans (even presidential candidates) list not only Boehner's (non-existent) failure to stop Obamacare, but also his supposed enabling of Obamacare.  As Mike Huckabee explained, 'When people sent [Republicans] here, they didn't send them to give the president more power on Obamacare[.]' Think about that: after total legislative obstruction, a government shut-down, more than 50 votes to repeal Obamacare, an ensuing presidential election, two Supreme Court lawsuits, and other pending litigation - - Republicans are livid with the belief that John Boehner has worked with the President to strengthen Obamacare.

No sane political observer could think that.  So, what gives?  As Jonathan Chait explains, we are witnessing a sort of collective Republican denial where they cannot accept that they are not the ruling party, not the 'deciders' (to use a former president's phrase)[.]”

The inability of the extreme right wing to accept reality, its inability to work within the limitations of its political power, and its inability and/or unwillingness to recognize the best interests of this country and to put those interests ahead of its own interests are causing the Republican Party to repeatedly commit acts that are actually harmful not just to our present government but to the very form of our government. Our democracy, like every other democracy, depends on a balance achieved through compromise.

DailyKos demonstrated how unyielding and harmful the Republican Party has become by presenting Steve Benen's “useful summary of the growing history of the Republican's hostage governing:"

"* April 2011: House Republicans threaten a government shutdown unless Democrats accept GOP demands on spending cuts.

* July 2011: Republicans create the first-ever debt-ceiling crisis, threatening to default on the nation’s debts unless Democrats accept GOP demands on spending cuts.

* September 2011: Republicans threaten another shutdown.

* April 2012: Republicans threaten another shutdown.

* December 2012: Republicans spend months refusing to negotiate in the lead up to the so-called “fiscal cliff.”

* January 2013: Republicans raise the specter of another debt-ceiling crisis.

* September 2013: Republicans threaten another shutdown.

* October 2013: Republicans actually shut down the government.

* February 2014: Republicans raise the specter of another debt-ceiling crisis.

* December 2014: Republicans threaten another shutdown.

* February 2015: Republicans threaten a Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

* September 2015: Republicans threaten another shutdown [over Planned Parenthood]."

Talk about doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.  My only argument with DailyKos is that I would not describe these demented acts as “hostage governing.” Instead I would characterize them as shameful acts of extortionist politics. As I have said in other posts, the Republicans seem to think their actions will not set dangerous precedents that can come back to bite them! I guess they believe Armageddon is just around the corner and there will be no tomorrow. That kind of thinking also seems like insanity to me.