How Long Lord, How Long?

Tags

GOP, health care reform, insurrection, racism, repeal, right wing extremism, teabaggers, violence

Throughout the scriptures, the psalmist’s words ring out–“how long Lord, how long?” And we wonder too.

Not, this is not a Good Friday message, but the Psalmist’s lament rings so true to those of us who can but shake our collective heads at the insanity that is the political realm today.

As Armageddon has not occurred, the sky has not collapsed upon us, all manner of natural disaster has not struck, nor are booted storm troopers at our door so far, we watch in utter fascination as the party of NO continues down a path of determined lie and deception.

Since the passage of the health care reform bill, the chant has gone from “kill the bill” to “repeal it,” and literally dozens of Rethugian hooligans are joined in lockstep behind Turd blossom and a cadre of similar “leadership” all claiming that if you will only vote for them, they will repeal this vile, evil, and communistic legislation.

Except, that it is all a huge lie and they know it. Yet, they have learned that lies work, at least in the short term, and frankly most all politicians can look no further than their next election, and as long as the truth won’t will out by then, the lie is golden.

David Frum, who has been drummed from the “party of No” for suggesting that Reuglicans were the big losers in the health care law, was on The Colbert Report last night, and had some interesting math to relate. (There are plenty of other pundits and strategists who acknowledge the correctness of his addition by the way.)

According to Frum and others, it is simply mathematically impossible for the GOP to repeal the new law, no matter how many seats they win in November. In fact, if they win all of them, it changes nothing. They might be able to pass a repeal bill, but of course the President will not sign it, and guess what? They don’t have the numbers to override a veto, period, end of story.

And, of course, they know this. And yet, they are now campaigning on virtually nothing else but a promise to repeal the law. Why?

Because it works to their benefit with the only group they can count on–those who are a bit too lazy, too soft in the head, a bit too uneducated, and a bit too racist/sexist/ethnically challenged. Their rhetoric is music to the ears of the great but dull working class, those with not the mental acumen nor the desire to actually know the facts. It is music to the ears of perhaps most of these lame brains who in actuality have other axes to grind such as racism, homophobic overdrive, and a barely concealed fear that real equality will leave them at the bottom of the heap.

The air is filled with bombast, and everything that has the imprimatur of “government” is now dangerous and suspect. Teabaggers and libertarians now argue that census information is a nefarious intrusion by Obama, designed to learn the hidden weaknesses of the opposition. I ask, where were they ten years ago or twenty? They filled out those census forms with nary a quibble then didn’t they?

We see them for what they are, married to an ugly agenda of hatred, fear, and selfish personal interest. And that is why, it seems impossible that actual truth will out. For truth is not what this is about. We can talk about all the ethically amiss Rethugs who deliberately spew these lies, as pursuing an unconscionable program that can result in serious violence against innocents. Yet, it is also fair to say, that for most of the sign toting, expletive deleted crazies, the lies only serve to gild the lily as it were. These folks are hell-bent on forcing their worldview on us no matter truth known or offered to them.

That is in a nutshell why they are dangerous. Like the crazy “Christian” militia group arrested in Michigan, many of the rest are willing to take ultimate steps to shove their values and beliefs down the collective throat of America, like it or not. They were the chanters in the 1960’s–“America-Love it or Leave it,” translated as, accept America as we control it, or get the hell out.

So, while much of the babble of the right wing wonkies is laughable, don’t turn your back. They don’t uphold the 2nd Amendment for nothin’ folks. Take them at their word. Next time, they may well bring guns. But I have to wonder, how long are we to suffer this insanity? How long Lord?