BY Guest blogger John Dudley, member of the Miami Beach Democratic Club
2009 is the year of change. We are truly living in a time of monumental history. There is no doubt that we are heading for the Second Great Depression in U.S. history. In relation to the 1929 downturn, historians emphasize structural factors like massive bank failures, the stock market crash, malfeasance by bankers and industrialists, and government inaction.
What has eight years of Republican rule and George Bush earned us? Republicans have given Americans loss retirements, bankruptcies, foreclosures, unemployment, falling wages, falling production, declining home values, a crashing stock market, bank closures, torture, U.S. citizen spying, growing poverty, disease and two wars. So why are we asking Republicans for more failed strategies? Is it for bipartisanship? There is no such thing.
Republicans see recession and depression as unavoidable under free-market capitalism as there are no restrictions on accumulations of capital other than the market itself. The Republican answer to greed is more deregulation, less government intervention and more tax cuts for the rich.
Americans have finally gotten past the Republican lies of weapons of mass destruction, fiscal conservatism, patriotism, epidemic corruption and sex scandals only to receive a daily onslaught of news regarding how their hard-earned tax dollars are being used to give multi-million-dollar bonuses to bankers and Wall Street executives. Let us emphasize that these are not your traditional ordinary bonuses. These are bonuses paid by tax-payers.
Who’s to blame? We can’t just blame Republicans. When Republican Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and President Bush got together and requested the bailout from Congress, once again, Democrats capitulated. A Democratic majority Congress approved the Republican bailout without preconditions, which was once a Republican catchphrase. The results have been disastrous. The economy is worse.
Americans even went further and voted more Democrats into office. Yet, Democrats are still begging incompetent disingenuous Republicans for permission to enact a recovery plan. Why? What is wrong with Democrats? Is it fear? What Democrat or Independent has the courage to stand up and challenge these outrageous assaults to our Democracy? Are these Democratic cowards in a hurry to lose their seats to Republicans over the next two years and leave President Obama with change and not hope. Let’s ask former President Bill Clinton. It’s déjà vu all over again.
It’s a sobering fact to wake up today and know that the Republicans have lied to us every step of the way. We have been lied to over the war, the economy, education and jobs. So again, Americans hire a new person to fix the problem, President Barack Obama. Is President Obama so naïve to believe that Republicans will support his policies? Nonsense! President Obama has even commented that he wanted to work with Republicans because they have some good ideas. What? Republicans have good ideas?
The real leaders of the Republican Party, Fascist Rush Limbaugh and Fox News Totalitarian Shaun Hannity have stated their position. They hope President Obama fail. Is this free speech? Is this hatred? Is this treason?
This is the Republican Party that proudly plays ‘Barack the Magic Negro’ on Limbaugh’s radio program. This is the racist Republican Party. If President Obama is the Magic Negro, then what is the new head of the Republican Party, African American Michael Steele? Republican Klu Klux Klan member David Duke says that Mr. Steele is a racist. Now, why would President Obama seek good ideas from these people? Why?
When have we forgotten that racism is hatred and hatred leads to violence and violence leads to death? Do we wait for Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin to proclaim that she favors real American cities and cities that are pro-America? Are we waiting for the many Republican gun owners that have threatened to assassinate President Obama to commit a crime before we challenge this divisive language?
Let us face the facts. We are not heading for a Depression. We are in one.
