[img]583|left|||no_popup[/img]Indulging in conspiracy theories has been a tradition in American politics. Fortunately, most theories, such as the exposed birther notion, are the wishful thinking of overzealous and diehard special-interest groups. There has been a consequence to our repeated tendency to cry wolf. When credible evidence of a legitimate conspiracy comes to the fore, we yawn and ignore.
That is happening with the GOP conspiracy to enslave America. Our refusal to acknowledge it is a direct threat to American democracy.
The concerted effort of Republican governors in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Maine, Florid, and other states, along with the attempt by the Republican Congress to institute social policies severely detrimental to the poor and middle class under the guise of a “fiscal emergency,” is unequivocal evidence the GOP is engaged in a conspiracy against the people.
As further evidence, the GOP is obviously not working with the people. Rather, behind our backs. They didn’t mention their intent to push through even one of their radical initiatives during their campaigns. The voters were caught by complete surprise after the last election. All of their campaigns were designed to deceive the people.
The GOP is involved in a classic example of bait- and-switch. Voters know it, which is why several recall petitions were circulated against Republican legislators in Wisconsin. Two Republicans, state Sens. Dan Kapanke of La Crosse and Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac, were removed from office before the end of their terms. In addition, Gov. Scott Walker is virtually certain to be recalled.
The GOP will claim that my contention is just another conspiracy theory. Does anyone else find it curious that the Republican Party in Congress — the party that held unemployed workers and the middle class hostage to force the extension of the $3.5 trillion dollar Bush tax cut for the top 1 percent of the population — would vote against extending a modest payroll tax cut for poor and middle class workers? You may find it less curious when you take a closer look at their agenda.
Crawling Inside GOP Minds
To see it clearly, we need to observe a rule of thumb: Whenever you want to know what is going on in the collective GOP mind, understand that whatever assault on the people they accuse the Democratic opposition of, that is the assault they are perpetrating or soon will.
The GOP accused the Democrats of planning to tax-and-spend the people into a hole. Look at the past thirty years of the Republican Party. Beginning with the Reagan administration, they have been the most prolific tax- and-spenders in the history of this country. When they say they are against tax-and-spend, they are against taxing the rich to pay their fair share. They have no objection to taxing the poor and middle class to subsidize the rich. For evidence, see their recent vote opposing a two-month extension to the payroll tax cut for poor and middle class workers.
They Were Forced to Accept
The only reason the GOP agreed to a temporary extension was because they could not justify their gross assault on the people to their constituents during the holiday break. Even then, they tried to insert a benefit to the oil companies as a quid pro quo. No longer is there a reason to debate the issue. The GOP is in an all- out war on the middle class. Isn’t it curious how that’s what they are accusing the Democrats of waging, a class war?
The GOP also charged Democrats with planning a government takeover. Now, though, Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan, a Republican, has appointed “emergency managers” to turn the state into the closest thing to a dictatorship we have seen in this country. The unelected managers have the power to fire duly elected officials, abolish labor agreements, without accountability to the people. He has turned the state into Michighanistan.
Republican governors are pursuing these policies all over the country. It is as though they’re having secret meetings, isn’t it?
GOP governors and legislators are creating both policies and an infrastructure to permanently maintain the reins of power. First, the Republican-controlled U.S. Supreme Court ruled in their Citizens United decision that corporations have the same rights as citizens, meaning they can flood our political system with unlimited amounts of campaign funds. Justice Clarence Thomas refused to recuse himself from the case even though his wife is making a fortune as a Tea Party activist. These are the people who accused liberal judges of being too activist. They are supposed to be “strict constructionists.”
Republican legislators and governors are passing voter-suppression laws across the country, designed to prevent the young, the old, students and minorities from voting. At last count, this was going on in over 40 locations.
The desire to disenfranchise the poor and middle class is not new for many conservatives. Remember, Alexander Hamilton, one of their Founding Fathers, believed that only those who owned property should even be allowed to vote.
He said: All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and well-born, the other the mass of the people…. The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right. Give therefore to the first class a distinct, permanent share in government. They will check the unsteadiness of the second. As they cannot receive any advantage by a change, they therefore will ever maintain good government.— Debates of the Federalist Convention, May 14-Sept. 17, 1787.
Eric L. Wattree is a writer, poet and musician, born in Los Angeles. A columnist for the Los Angeles Sentinel, the Black Star News, a staff writer for Veterans Today, he is a contributing writer to Your Black World, the Huffington Post, ePluribus Media and other online sites and publications. He also is the author of “A Message From the Hood.”
Mr. Wattree may be contacted at wattree.blogspot.com or Ewattree@Gmail.com
