Republicans during this next election cycle are returning to promotion of “Voodoo Economics”, which is the notion that tax cuts, especially for the wealthy, equal economic growth as well as the tax cuts even being a non-impact on the deficit. This while historically having been debunked with TWO (count ‘em) in the past 30 years, both with Ronald Reagan’s track record and George W. Bush’s record economically, in Reagan’s case in debate against George H. W. Bush, and in Bush’s case by his own economic advisors. Amazing that they would run on on this platform. Be aware that Supply-Side Economics (or Reaganomics, or Voodoo Economics…pick a name) does not work, as economic growth under such policies does NOT out-pace loss in revenue from taxation, which leads to bigger deficits…just like out-of-control spending does.
In a past article I know that I’ve referred to and reposted a survey posted by the Daily Kos from a group called “Research 2000″. The Daily Kos has called the the polls from Research 2000 into question based on additional statistical research and comparison to other polling data. Research 2000 had enjoyed a good reputation in political circles for polling data, but Markos Moulitsas points out that Research 2000 even when given the opportunity to validate their polling data has refused to do so, and therefore he doesn’t believe he can trust any of their data.
I know that I’ve posted Research 2000′s poll concerning Republican voter. I will, in light of this, retract my trust in that polling data.
Republicans are still talking out of both sides of their mouths. On one side they are decrying the actions of Goldman Sachs, and on the other side voting ‘no’ when it comes to reforming how those systems work. They have’t even gotten to a vote for actual reform yet, either. Republicans are currently just all voting ‘no’ to even have discussion about reform.
It just isn’t good for people to mix nationalism and faith. It ends up with an incorrect view of history…and ultimately a misplacement of faith itself into politics like this…as exemplified in this video.
Fox News is the largest news network in the United States, but they can’t report anything accurately. Someone needs to coax them to remove the term “news” from their name.
Courtesy of my friend Tracey, who enjoys the fine Canadian health system and wonders about all the lies told to Americans:
Democrats: “We need health care reform”
Republicans: “Liberal fascists! Give us a majority and we’ll do it better”
Democrats: “Done, you have majority of both houses”
12 years later, health care is irrefutably worse in every respect for every single person in the United States
Democrats: “We need health care reform”
Republicans: “Liberal fascists! Americans are tired of partisan politics!”
Democrats: “OK, let’s compromise”
Republicans: “OK, get rid of half your ideas”
Democrats: “Done”
Republicans: “Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas”
Democrats: “Done”
Republicans: “Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas”
Democrats: “Done”
Republicans: “Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas”
Democrats: “Done”
Republicans: “Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas”
Democrats: “Done. Time to end debate”
Republicans: “Too liberal, we need more debate, we will filibuster to prevent you from voting”
Democrats: “OK, we’ll vote–sorry guys, debate is ended. It’s time to vote on the bill”
Republicans: “Too liberal, we vote no”
Democrats: “OK, it passed anyway–sorry guys.”
One month later
Republicans: “Wait–wait, OK, we have less of a minority now so we can filibuster forever.”
Democrats: “Sorry, the bill already passed, we need it to pass the House now”
Republicans: “But we have enough to filibuster”
Democrats: “Sorry, the bill already passed, we need it to pass the House now”
Republicans: “Liberal fascists! You haven’t listened to our ideas! You’ve shut us out of this whole process!”
Democrats: “Sorry, show us your proposal”
Republicans: “Smaller government”
Democrats: “That’s not very specific”
Republicans: “OK, here’s our detailed proposal–It’s our common-sense ideas we spent 12 years not enacting”
Democrats: “OK, we’ll add a bunch more of your ideas”
Republicans: “Liberal fascists! You included all these back-room deals”
Democrats: “OK, we’ll get rid of the back-room deals”
Republicans: “Liberal fascists! You’re using obscure procedural tricks to eliminate the back-room deals!”
Democrats: “No, we’re using reconciliation, which both parties have used dozens of times for much larger bills”
Republicans: “Liberal fascists! You’re pressuring Congressmen to vote for your bill! Scandal!”
Democrats: “It’s called ‘whipping’, it’s been done since 1789″
Republicans: “Liberal fascists! Can’t you see the American people don’t want this?”
Democrats: “This bill is mildly unpopular (40-50%), doing nothing (your proposal) is extraordinarily unpopular (4-6%)”
Republicans: “We need to start over! We need to start over!”
Democrats: “We should really consider voting–”
Republicans: “Liberal fascists! Start over! Clean slate! Common-sense! America!”
It really does blow my mind that Republicans think what they do. Especially things like believing he is a Muslim, though he has publicly always stated that he was a Christian. I think that it would be a ‘faux pas’ with Islam to claim Christ was God, wouldn’t it? Additionally, wouldn’t it be an irony to claim to be a Christ follower, when you are actually against him? The whole thing is crazy.
What is essentially domestic terrorism has been occurring in various locations where Democratic Congresspersons have been threatened and had their property damaged over this vote about health care reform. Notes left and verbal threats have pointed to this directly.
Domestic terrorism being defined as, “[involving] groups or individuals whose terrorist activities are directed at our government or people in US without foreign direction. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.” In this case coercion to repeal the new health care legislation via acts of violence and threats.
Some of the people who have opposed this health care legislation have used a quote from Thomas Jefferson to justify their actions: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants.” They often follow that quote with a statement like, “She’s looking very thirsty lately!” However, this type of ‘revolutionary’ sort of statement isn’t what Thomas Jefferson was saying. Let us break this down by year to demonstrate:
1766 Sons of Liberty formed, meeting under a tree when they met…e.g. liberty tree.
1773 Boston Tea Party
1776 Declaration of Independence from British rule
1781 Articles of Confederation – our first constitution
1781-1789 governing body in the United States was the Congress of the Confederation made up of delegates appointed by the legislatures of the states
1786 (Aug)-1787 (Feb) Shays’ Rebellion, made up of armed farmers angry about debt and taxation. They also used the ‘Liberty Tree’ or a ‘Liberty Pole’ to symbolize their cause.
1787 (Jan) Over 1000 Shaysites arrested.
1787 (Feb) Those involved in Shays’ Rebellion came up against the local militia of Springfield, Mass. The government militia fired warning shots from cannons. Two of the cannons struck persons of Shays’ Rebellion, killing 4 and wounding 20. The remaining Shaysites fled.
1787 (Sept) Constitution of the United States of America adopted
1787 (Nov) Letter from Thomas Jefferson to William S. Smith contains the quote concerning Shays’ Rebellion
1789 Bill of Rights introduced and in effect by Dec 1791
1789-1797 George Washington Presidency
1797-1801 John Adams Presidency
1801-1809 Thomas Jefferson Presidency
Thomas Jefferson was referring to the Shaysites that happened to be killed as the “tree of liberty” being “refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Here is the full quote:
“God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. … And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
Here is another explanation that I found recently from a blog called “The Rude Pundit”:
So, like, for a long time, as a threat to people in power, protesters trot out this line from Thomas Jefferson: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants.” It’s been tossed back and forth between the left and right like a football at recess at the special school, although most often it’s proudly displayed by the yahoos in some extreme right wing nutzoid movements, be it militias or the townhall idiots. And it’d be a poignant quote, one that gets us back to our roots as a revolutionary society. Except that Jefferson was actually talking about the blood of ignorant people who rise up in arms against the American government, too. In fact, it was mostly their blood.
The entire letter makes this clear, and, as with so many things properly understood in relation to the Founders, it is stunningly prescient. Jefferson was talking to John Adams’ son-in-law about Shays’ Rebellion, a truly fascinating episode in the early history of the nation, pre-Constitution, but post-Revolution, where rural Massachusetts citizens rose up against the state’s government over issues of taxes and debt. They were crushed, of course, and many of the politicians of the time were all a-twitter with how this was an attack on liberty and how the rebels should be put to death.
And while he could be something of a drama queen in his rhetoric – well, really, they all could be (it’s the effect of long-term wig-wearing) – Jefferson’s essential message in his letter was, more or less, “Chill. Stupid people will act stupidly.” Or, as he put it, “I say nothing of it’s motives. They were founded in ignorance, not wickedness. God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty.”
See, Jefferson was forgiving the dumb, saying it was better to have idiots uprising than to have no civic engagement at all. But we have to understand that they’re dumb and that the dumber they are, the more they will rage in their dumbness. Prior to the famous quote, Jefferson wrote, “We have had 13 states independent 11 years. There has been one rebellion. That comes to one rebellion in a century & a half for each state. What country before ever existed a century & a half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon & pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two?”
Now we have people who associate themselves with the present Tea Party Movement, people vocal about opposing health care legislation or insurance reform, and often people vocal about their opposition to the Obama Presidency in general, taking up the symbol of the Tree of Liberty to symbolize their cause, using acts of violence and threats to reverse legislation passed by their democratically elected Congresspersons and President. They are encouraging taking up arms and forming community militia to oppose enforcement of law, should whatever conflict they believe may happen comes to pass….even though no threats or conflict from the government has been in play in the first place.
All the while believing that Jefferson’s words are supportive of their actions, when in reality the Tea Party of today are the new Shaysites….often misinformed, lacking a complete picture of the issues they protest, and collectively issuing little threats (whether they be real or not) concerning action against the government. I just hope that the Tea Party followers aren’t bound to repeat history.
The good things the new health care reform will do is pretty incredible. And a lot of them start right away, or at least sometime this year.
2010:
Ban on denial of children because of pre-existing conditions
Tax credits for small businesses to assist with employee’s insurance premiums, up to 50% of the premium cost.
Rebates for seniors to help cover the medication coverage expenditure limitation in Medicare
Cutoff for young adults being on their parents’ insurance policy is reset to age 27.
Lifetime caps on individual insurance are banned.
High-risk insurance pool created for adults with pre-existing conditions
New insurance plans must include preventative care without co-pays
Insurance companies are banned from cutting someone’s insurance once they get sick
Insurance companies must reveal how much money they output on administrative costs and profits
There will finally be an appeals process for coverage and claims for the patient
New screening processes to tackle health insurance fraud
Medicare payment protections will be extended to small and rural hospitals.
Nutritional content will have to be disclosed by chain restaurants
2011:
Annual wellness visits and prevention care for Medicare recipients
Medicaid plans that would allow states to offer home and community care for the disabled
Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage frozen at 2010 level to bring costs in line with Medicare.
Employers must disclose the value of employees’ health benefits on their W-2
Insurance companies required to spend 80-85 of premiums on actual health care, or they will be required to issue a rebate to the patient for the difference
2012:
Move in Medicare and Medicaid to track admissions to prevent readmissions because of preventable issues.
2013:
Medicare payroll tax increased for individuals earning > $200,000 per year, or couples earning > $250,000 per year.
2014:
Ban on discrimination for adults with pre-existing conditions
Insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals
Annual limits for insurance will be banned
2018:
All plans must include preventative care without co-pays
There are still a number of fixes that will need to be put into law, like a lot of earmarks and fluff removed…as well as the affirmation that federal dollars will not be spent on abortion services. I hope the Republicans will be kind in their treatment of these fixes.
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