Why We Can't Solve Anything

Category: DFL 2012

by Dave Mindeman

How Republicans view the world is really coming into focus this year. In a time when economics and jobs would seem to be the logical focus, we have nothing but sideshows and rehashing of social issues.

1. Women's Reproductive Rights. I saw a cartoon a few days back which had a gynecologist talking to a woman paitent on an examining table with her legs in the stirrups.

He glances ups and says, "I think I found the problem. You have Republicans in your vagina."

The Virginia legislature has introduced a new term to the anti-choice lexicon -- The mandatory Trans Vaginal Ultrasound. The fact that this law got all the way to the Governor's desk is an outrage. The fact that only public backlash prevented him from signing it is even more of an outrage.

Virginia voted for Barack Obama in 2008....then they reverted back to the dark ages.

2. Castle Doctrine. If we are going to defend our homes with O-K Corral gunfights, then we have really lost the battle with the criminal element. Police are trained over and over about how to approach a deadly force situation. Yet, we are passing laws that permit ordinary citizens to make life and death judgments under duress. How can this be logical? Law enforcement is against this type of wild card legislation. They not only want to safeguard the public, they need to protect themselves.

3. Drill...Drill....Drill. The United States is on record with just about every President going back to Jimmy Carter, that we are committed to ending our addiction to oil. Yet, here we are, drilling in the Gulf at unprecedented rates (depite the false claims of the GOP). We are "fracking" the world in shale deposits. We want to build pipelines that cross environmentally sensitive areas and water aquiphers. At the same time, solar power gets criticized and wind farms get cancelled. Research on biofuels is nearly at a standstill. Oil money rules the world. It owns the political class and shows no signs of ever changing. Who are we kidding? If Middle East wars and unrest is increasing, we can only blame ourselves.

4. Wealth and Tax Fairness. Only in America can the poor be chastised for being a burden on our budget. Only in America can the middle class and poor be taxed to make way for wealthy tax cuts (Note: Kansas) And only in America can a Presidential candidate paying a 15% tax rate, claim that the desire for tax fairness by the rest of us is "class warfare".

5. Deficits. The deficit relates directly to tax fairness. If we did not have the Bush tax cuts, we would not have a deficit problem. And the extension of the Bush tax cuts continues the problem. Yet, the Republican Party continues to push for more tax cuts....more revenue deficits....more defense spending....more breaks for big oil. The rhetoric is non-sensical.

6. Regulations. It would seem that if the Republicans could work it, they would eliminate all regulations. The SEC, FDA, and EPA are supposed to disappear. Should we go back to the Love Canal days? Should we bring back smog to Los Angeles? Do we want the eagle extinct? or the Grey Wolf? or the condor? Do we want strip mining to rape the land again? ruin the water table? Do we want to give oil carte blanche to have another BP oil spill? Or maybe our own nuclear Fukishima? How about a financial meltdown without a stop gap? Let the financial world succumb to their own greed with no safety net. Is that what we want?

I doubt it. But the GOP keeps telling us otherwise. These industries are incapable of self regulation. They need government caps and if they aren't complaining about it then the regulations aren't doing the job.

7. War and Peace. Republicans embrace war (with the exception of Ron Paul). They sabre rattle. They spend endless money on the newest weapon of choice. And although the Obama administration hasn't exactly been an advocate of world peace, there is little doubt in my mind that we would be in conflict with Iran right now with a GOP President.

Newt Gingrich thinks an apology for the inadvertent burning of Korans in Afghanistan is weakness. Yet, at least Obama has the intelligence to recognize that is not about saving face but saving the lives of our soldiers. American culture is not some kind of world standard that everyone must embrace. We need to be a part of the world...not rule the world. If we are supposed to lead by example, then the Christian Golden Rule must apply....not Christian superiority and arrogance.

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I fully realize that my world view is not a majority one. I realize that our problems aren't always simple and require nuanced solutions.

But we have to be aware of the solutions that have not worked. We have to learn from history. Republicans don't want to do that. They prefer to rewrite history so that we can go back and do it all again.

And so it goes. And so it continues.