Category: Taxes

I wonder how the Republicans in Congress can look at themselves in the mirror today, after the mockery they’ve made of themselves, our country, and our allies in the world. In the last few years we know the majority of Republicans in the House and Senate have become uncompromising zealots, crippling the government and our democracy as a whole, blocking any sort of American progress for the sake of their own agenda, instead of representing the will of the people.

Preaching change and fresh ideas, newer Republicans achieved great gains and even took over control of the House of Representatives during the midterm election. They did not make enough gains to actually push their own agenda, but to bring our legislative process to a halt.

Why would elected representatives of the American people want to throw a wrench in the works? John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives, openly states he will do whatever he can to undermine, undercut and ruin Barack Obama’s presidency. Besides being a traitorous and horribly un-American thing to say, it shows his unwillingness to do his actual job: working with colleagues from both sides of the aisle in order to keep the government running, adapt it to changing issues, and work to improve America.

The Republicans have spent the first two years of Barack Obama’s presidency working their hardest to block, stop and oppose any legislation that was proposed. In fact, they’ve spoken out against legislation that was originally introduced by Senator John McCain, Barack Obama’s political opponent in the 2008 election, because President Obama endorsed it! A large piece of the healthcare overhaul was legislation that McCain actually originally introduced during President Clinton’s administration. President Obama has spent so much time trying to work with the Republicans and has compromised so much on key issues that the majority of Americans wanted that his own party is frustrated with him. And instead of being grateful for a President that bends over backward to work with Congress, the Republicans act like a spoiled child who has just learned to say “no”. They say NO at any and every opportunity they have because they can, not because they should.

It is amazing the Republican hate for President Obama runs so deep that it surpasses their love of America and its people’s well being.

Now we are embroiled in a political quagmire. Republicans have irrationally held onto the idea that it is unfathomable to put an end to unreasonable tax breaks and loop holes, even when the current economic climate calls for such action. They have been asked not to raise taxes, but simply to put an end to the breaks the wealthy and corporations enjoyed when the economy was thriving. Instead they would prefer to gut the social programs that help to keep the foundation of America from crumbling. Programs that Americans realized they needed after the Great Depression. They refuse to even consider renegotiating the prescription drug plan that has caused Medicare costs to skyrocket. Instead, the pharmaceutical companies can still charge us more than anyone else for the same drugs. However, they insist we need to cut trillions out of other areas of Medicare. Instead of fixing the part of the system that was broken from the start (non-negotiable drug costs), and is the biggest expense in Medicare (more than 3 times what other countries pay even though they are created in America); they want to continue to allow private companies to rake in our tax dollars, but strip down benefits for our veterans, parents, and grandparents and any disabled Americans.

The healthcare “debate” is just one of the many ludicrous examples of the insanity that has spread like a cancer throughout our political system. They do not even try to hide their intentions of destroying people, parties and lives anymore.

They don’t care about citizens. If there was any doubt, there should be none now.

Standards and Poor’s has lowered the United States of America’s credit rating from AAA to AA+ with both short term and long term outlooks being set to negative.

This is ghastly. This is horrible. This is one more ultimate embarrassment forced upon the American people in the name of the Republican agenda.

It is impossible to know for certain what kind of repercussions this will have for the people of America because this has never before happened in the history of America. Never. Ever.

Economists are scrambling to give some kind of forecast: economic slowdown, increased unemployment, a rise in interest rates. What will happen when the credit worthiness and trust in an entire nation drops? What happens when all of the citizens of a nation experience their debt burden increase, during a fragile economic recovery? This move could bring about changes lasting decades.

This is what the Republicans have chosen to do. Raising the debt ceiling is one of the more trivial things our government must do. It has been raised 74 times in the last 50 years. That means it has been raised more than once a year, on average. Presidents Bush and Reagan raised the debt ceiling many times, because not doing it would have been disastrous. Now, with the cost of and the interest of the wars they started during the Bush years mounting, with the tax breaks given at the same time cutting down revenue, this one thing has suddenly become a key issue?

This was an unprecedented opportunity for a group of politicians to take advantage of the situation and deal a terrible blow to America, in order to blame the fallout on the current President. They hope to pin this ridiculous insanity on President Obama and the democrats and hope that the American people will somehow forget who dealt us this horrible injury.

They believe they are patriots fighting for what is right, if it is the Republican view. If it isn’t, damn those that disagree and damn those that get in the crossfire.

I believe an American patriot is one that is selfless, and who will do what is best for our country.

I believe an America patriot is one that has the personal fortitude to put aside differences and treat America with dignity.

I believe an American patriot is one who understands that compromise, and doing the right thing, leads to a better America.

My fellow Americans, the horrible circus we just saw from the Republicans regarding the debt ceiling was watched by the world and they did not like what they see.

I do not like what I see.

Thank your Republicans for making a mockery out of your life, your home and you country, for bringing America to a new low. Thank them come next election, by not forgetting what has happened. Thank them by booting them out of office.

Sources

Standrad and Poors Report

General Information on Debt Ceiling