The Republican Party Today

[Faye]

1. In Texas, governor Perry will soon sign a law that severely limits funding to planned parenthood, and the vast majority of abortion clinics in the state will be closed (42 of 47 iirc). It will also be illegal to receive an abortion after 20 weeks. See: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-governor-set-sign-restrictive-abortion-law-052256420.html

As a result, it is going to become incredibly difficult if not impossible to have an abortion in Texas, and their goal is definitely to make it completely illegal, and many other states are headed in this direction as well.


2. The House Republicans have passed a farm bill that will eliminate the food stamp program while continuing to subsidize large agribusiness. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/15/opinion/krugman-hunger-games-usa.html

It is one of the most disturbing moves I have seen recently. They claim that food stamps hold people back and keep them dependent on government (whereas it is apparently okay for big business to be dependent on government). It does not matter that poverty in this country has grown significantly since the recession, which is why so many more people have signed up for food stamps in recent years.

3. Third, the state of North Carolina is faring even worse. The Republican Party controls the government of the state, and they have been cutting social programs left and right including federal unemployment benefits because of the same poor blaming mentality: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/opinion/the-decline-of-north-carolina.html


Also: http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/the-decline-of-north-carolina-continued/

In this second article, it discusses how they are attempting to undermine judicial independence in their state.


4. Immigration policy. If everyone in states like Texas who lives here was allowed to vote, the state would not be so red. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/opinion/sunday/douthat-the-houses-immigration-dilemma.html

And slate magazine has a map:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_...ap_illegal_immigrant_population_by_state.html

The Republican Party has been trying to prevent a path to citizenship for people who live here and whose families are here. They know that, if everyone is given a fair chance to actually participate in our democracy, then they wont stay in power. In general, I get the sense that a lot of older americans are opposed to the browning of the country (i.e. they're racist).


So that is all the Republican Party bashing that I want to do for now. I knew about immigration and abortion, but the elimination of food stamps and federal unemployment benefits? While continuing expensive business subsidization? It is outrageous.

Thoughts?

 

[Lerxst]

... is a joke. Really, how can anyone take these ass-clown seriously anymore?

 

[Stu]

it is folly to think of them as clowns

 

[SealHammer]

it is folly to think of them as clowns

Yeah, this. They may seem cartoonishly villainous to people like us, but these are real politicians who actually make decisions which seriously, often negatively affect millions of people. What's more is that these same people who get fucked continue to vote in the people who are fucking them because they either don't know any better or are being actively misled by the people who they vote in.

To pretend that they are less impressive than they are is dangerous.

 

[muir]

The republican party AND the democratic party are just two branches of the same BUSINESS party

The politicians have their little moment in the limelight then they move on but the money men behind the system are always there pulling the strings behind the scenes regardless of which party is in power

 

[just me]

I see a lot of things I disagree with, but will leave the Dems alone and hope they are on their way out soon.

 

[Rcs6r]

Old white people afraid of society changing from what it was like in the 1950s? Whoddathunk!

 

[Kgal]

I live here in TX and I work with the disenfranchised - the working poor.

They did not vote to expand medicaid under the new affordable health care act which results is millions still being unable to have medical insurance. People will get sick and die. Parents will fight and the kids will suffer. Right now I have a mom who is being denied food stamps with the result being her 4 yr old autistic/adhd boy will not get his meds this month.

It's not the Poor who will suffer. It's the working class.

TX don't care about you. If you can't work - then leave - or get rid of everything and be really damn poor. THEN...you get services.

And [MENTION=1871]muir[/MENTION] is right - it doesn't matter who is in office.

This state is down right scary....

 

[Colt]

I'm so sick of both of these parties. Both of them want to try and dictate what we do in one way or another. Imo they just need to leave us the hell alone.

 

[muir]

I'm so sick of both of these parties. Both of them want to try and dictate what we do in one way or another. Imo they just need to leave us the hell alone.

The thing is by voting for them people give them power so in reality WE (the people) need to leave them the hell alone

People need to stop voting for these people. Due to the nature of the system it then becomes a numbers game

If enough people vote for an anti-corporate, anti-fascist party then the fascist corporations will receive a blow like they have for example in Venezuala. If however people keep voting for these two parties which are both funded by the corporate fascists then their system and their ways of doing things will continue

Whats more they will say to us (the people) that they represent us because we voted for them

WE HAVE TO STOP VOTING FOR THESE PEOPLE

So if its a numbers game then it becomes a game of one side trying to convince people not to vote for these bankster funded crooks whilst the corporatocracy will try to convince people to vote for the parties they sponsor

There are a number of problems in this tug of war over the hearts and minds of the public:

1. the corporatocracy owns the mainstream media and can therefore tell a lot of people how to think and feel about things
2. the public have been missled for so long by the corporatocracy and their lying corporate media that now many people don't really understand what is going on and keep changing their vote between the two parties because they buy into all the media created theatre that tells them that this time round the party will behave differently

To solve number 1 people need to stop listening to the corporate media and start listening to the alternative media which is growing across the internet so that they can get to the truth behind the lies of the corporate media as it tries to spin a different version of reality in front of the eyes of the public

To solve number 2 requires a growth in awareness of the public so that they can look beyond their usual behaviour patterns to seek new solutions

Speading awareness and exposing the lies of the corporatocracy is the way to tip the balance in the game of numbers

 

[alphawolf]

Forget big brother, what we all need is big mother. Stores have to hide cigarettes invisible behind metal boxes, alcohol marked up 75%, mandatory driving school that cost 5000 dollars in order to get a license, bank info tied to the tax office so there is no need to fill out your own tax return, etc.

You like socialism? It might be for you. If the thought of it burns your mind, then don't complain about capitalism. No, there is no middle ground - give a capitalist an inch and he'll take a mile.

 

[the]

WE HAVE TO STOP VOTING FOR THESE PEOPLE

As if voting wasn't just a charade.

 

[just me]

Old white people....really, Horatio? Our schools have indoctrinated people to become more liberal over the years, so guess what the end result is?

 

[Lerxst]

Old white people....really, Horatio? Our schools have indoctrinated people to become more liberal over the years, so guess what the end result is?

Indoctrinated? Really? Don't you think it's more likely that gaining an education leads to Liberalism, the lack of said education would lead to Conservatism? The very definition of conservative is to not change; with no education, that's quite easy. Once you start learning about things, you end up changing.

For instance, ATVing in this state is a huge deal. It's also a very Conservative pass-time as you'll very rarely see Liberals out riding their ATV's over sand dunes for the hell of it. The reason? As you learn about the carbon footprint of an internal combustion engine, the increasing greenhouse gases and the complete lack of need for an ATV, as well as the destruction the tire tracks, constant human interaction and erosion caused by the 4 wheel drive vehicles, it gets hard to justify taking the vehicle out just "for the hell of it".

Lack of that education, would allow you to continue as you were without regard for anything, nothing changes... conservative. Gaining that education would cause your behavior to change or progress... liberal.

Math, Science, history, Literature, these subjects don't lie and they don't have a political bias. Napoleon really did try to conquer Europe twice, Shakespeare really did write those sonnets, 1 + 1 really is 2 and the Earth really does revolve around the Sun. How can you say any of that is "Liberal"?

 

[just me]

I don't have the energy.

 

[Tin Man]

While I think that those who look for power aren't to be trusted with it, what's the alternative? Democracy? People are idiots (I include myself in that statement) and I wouldn't trust the masses to make good decisions.

 

[the]

While I think that those who look for power aren't to be trusted with it, what's the alternative? Democracy? People are idiots (I include myself in that statement) and I wouldn't trust the masses to make good decisions.

You wouldnt trust yourself to make a decision?

 

[Gul Dukat]

Indoctrinated? Really? Don't you think it's more likely that gaining an education leads to Liberalism, the lack of said education would lead to Conservatism? The very definition of conservative is to not change; with no education, that's quite easy. Once you start learning about things, you end up changing.

Anything can be indoctrination if you're just blindly accepting things without questioning them.... it doesn't mean that either is right or wrong, just that there are people who come to their political beliefs through intelligence and people who come to their political beliefs through groupthink and conformity.

 

[Lerxst]

Anything can be indoctrination if you're just blindly accepting things without questioning them.... it doesn't mean that either is right or wrong, just that there are people who come to their political beliefs through intelligence and people who come to their political beliefs through groupthink and conformity.

I've yet to witness, or hear of that type of person. Not saying they don't have intelligence, just saying they don't use it when it comes to Conservative politics. Now, I'll agree that the Liberals might come to their beliefs through education, while Conservatives come to it via groupthink and conformity

 

[just me]

In other words, you do not see the other side leaning toward a more Socialist approach?