______________________________
Read this and this. Note this:
At a time when nations that tax, spend, regulate, and invest more consistently outstrip the United States in many measures of progress, leading Republicans speak only of smashing government and ending vital programs. In this constantly escalating rhetorical game, it became inevitable that one of them would eventually expose the emptiness of this vainglorious display. It was unsurprising that the ultimate faker would turn to be Rick Perry. …
The facts are simple enough even for the average tea party voter to understand… the countries that tax more, spend more, and regulate more than the United States are mostly doing better than we are, whether measured by educational attainment, social and economic mobility, income equality, employment growth, or infrastructure quality. They use market incentives and private sector partnerships more intelligently than we do, too… because they know that a strong competent government fosters enterprise without allowing corporate domination. Despite their current crisis in the Euro-zone, they’ll emerge from the recession with those strengths intact. Then again, European conservative parties would never nominate the likes of Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, or Ron Paul for public office at any level. No doubt, they find the GOP debates bleakly amusing in these dark times. It’s the only attitude that makes watching tolerable. …
The Legislature’s Republican-controlled budget committee approved Medicaid cuts expected to result in about 65,000 poor people leaving the health insurance programme. All Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee voted Thursday to approve the plan by Governor Scott Walker’s administration. All four Democrats opposed it. The plan now heads to President Barack Obama’s administration for approval. Supporters of the proposal to cut more than half a billion dollars (15.2 billion Roubles. 360 million Euros. 310 million UK Pounds) from Medicaid say it’s necessary given rising costs in the rapidly expanding programs that currently provide services to about 20 percent of Wisconsin’s population. However, Democrats and other opponents argued the cuts are inhumane, and they’d force the state’s most vulnerable people to lose coverage.
******
Let’ keep this focused on this rather busy day. American Republicans aren’t “conservatives”… they’re Laissez-faire Free Market Radicals. They have NOTHING in common with true conservatives like TR, Stolypin, Witte, Adenauer, Diefenbaker, or Nixon. They’re nothing but Corporate Buccaneers intent on raping the country and starving the government of the funds that it needs to carry out its legitimate functions. Remember… Universal single-payer mandatory healthcare came to us from… Prince Otto von Bismarck! That is, the present extremist Republicans are liars and only deserve the tip of your boot. Of course, when it DOES come up for a vote, as it did in Ohio, they receive a sound whipping. How much you wanna bet that’s an omen for next year? Do note how the Corporate Media’s silent on that defeat… it tells you how much you can trust Fox News and the on-air commentariat. I don’t give them any credence… do you?
Barbara-Marie Drezhlo
Saturday 12 November 2011
Albany NY
