The GOP Has Died

 

The Republican Party has been around since 1864. At that time, the party supported classical liberalism, opposed the expansion of slavery and supported economic reform. The 21^st century Republican Party supposedly has an ideology that’s based on American conservatism which incorporates both economic policies and social values. It’ s been stated that the GOP supports lower taxes, free market capitalism, restrictions on immigration, increased military spending, gun rights, restrictions on abortion, the regulation and restrictions on labor unions. What about their social values for WASP power, slavery, hate and racism? This essay takes a look at the so-called conservative behavior and policies of this group.

As an adjective, conservative is defined as “holding to traditional attitudes and values, cautious about change renovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.” Right away, I asked the question “When did their traditional attitudes and values begin?” Did they begin in 1864 with the start of the Republican Party; did they begin in 1619, with the start of slavery, in  1776,  or should we go back to the 10 Commandments of Moses or the birth of Christ for moral and religious value beginnings? Are slavery and prejudice traditional social values?

It’s important to consider neoliberalism policies and the presidency of Richard Nixon and his vice president Spiro Agnew. Both corrupt politicians left office in disgrace.  Neoliberalism perpetuates free market capitalism, corporate control, privatization, and curtailing the power for a diminished federal government.  President Nixon created a war on drugs which was actually a war on blacks. Blacks could be easily incarcerated and discriminated against compared to whites under the umbrella of drugs and the racist laws. They could be and were placed in the privatization prisons by the racist criminal justice system.

Ronald Reagan, their next elected President, supposedly was for anti-apartheid. However Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, said on Capitol Hill “in my view, the Reagan administration’s support and collaboration with its equally immoral, evil and totally unchristian…. You are either for or against apartheid and not by rhetoric. You are either in favor of evil or in favor of good. You are either in the side of the oppressed or on the side of the oppressor. You can’t be neutral.”

Reagan supported anti-Communist regimes in Latin America but was criticized for his support of the Contras in Nicaragua. The rebels had poor human rights record. Reagan’s support for the governments of Guatemala and El Salvador were also controversial due to the oppressive nature of those governments. It was later determined there was a genocide in Guatemala.

Two members of Reagan’s administration, national security advisor John Poindexter and Col. Oliver North worked through CIA and military channels to sell arms to the Iranian government and give profits to the Contra guerrillas in Nicaragua. Both actions were contrary to Congress. Reagan professed ignorance but admitted that he had supported  initial sale of arms to Iran  on the grounds of that sales were supposed to help secure the release of Americans being held hostage by the Iranian backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Tower Commission found the president guilty in the scandal. 10 officials in the administration were convicted and others were forced to resign. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger was indicted for perjury. Historians ranked the Iran-Contra affair as the ninth worst mistake by a US Pres.

William Rehnquist was named to the Supreme Court in 1972. It has been said that he revived the principle that the Constitution limits federal government power. He wrote a majority opinion that invalidated a federal law extending minimum wage. He also voted against the expansion of school desegregation plans and the establishment of legalized abortions dissenting in Roe versus Wade.  He joined the majority in denying a private right to sue for discrimination based on race or national origin.

Presidents Bush placed us in a war in the Middle East. We formerly armed Saddam against Iran and then we attacked him. We are still at war in the Middle East. Moreover, the younger Bush, with the Republican court became president. He was responsible for terrorists supported uprisings backed by Iran when he overthrew Saddam. He was at the helm during the greatest economic collapse in our history at the time. He also created the department of Homeland Security there by increasing the size of the federal government.

Currently, the GOP was supposed to be champions of tax cuts. Well, that’s true if you’re in the top 1%. The GOP was supposed to be for reduced government and limited spending. However, we now have an additional federal department called Homeland Security. These GOP tax and trade war policies have created the largest government deficit in our history.

The GOP is positioned to eliminate the Affordable Care Act which will affect thousands and give the privatized insurance companies control to eliminate pre-existing health issues. The GOP is positioned to eliminate Roe versus Wade which will affect the choice of so many women. Save the fetus so that later you can deny mother and child healthcare; eliminate food stamps; and keep mother and child poor. Traditionally, St. Augustine had his views regarding abortion. It can be said that the abortion view was made by ignorant, using today’s standards of knowledge, by sexually repressed male church leaders’ centuries ago. Then, it was more about keeping the male’s property under his control. It was not about the welfare of the fetus either. A conservative position should be at the center of this Roe versus Wade decision? It’s about traditional male power.

Labor unions are under attack and their viability is at issue. There were 14.6 million union members in 2019. 1983 there were 17.7 million. Over half of all unit members in United States live in just seven states-California , New York, Illinois , Pennsylvania , New Jersey, Ohio and Washington. The Global perspective for 2016 placed the US in the fifth lowest trade union density of 36 OECD member unions.

Immigration has been a travesty. Even though research suggests that immigration is beneficial to both to the receiving and sending countries; and importantly reducing barriers to labor mobility between developing countries. Research suggests that favorable immigration policies would be one of the most efficient tools of poverty reduction. But there is discrimination against foreign-born and minority populations in criminal justice, business, economy, housing, healthcare, media and politics in the United States and Europe. We have cages to separate parents from their children.

Yes, we have the biggest military in the world and we have more guns per capita than any other country. However, this doesn’t make us safer. This fact illustrates how fearful we are. When there is propaganda or lies about the government taking away guns, we have an increase in the sale of ammunition. We have political rallies and people have their guns. Some are concealed. We have peaceful protest and others bring their guns. We have more hate groups than ever before and a president that is consumed with hate.

I see nothing conservative about the WASP party. They certainly don’t espouse 10 commandment values or a democracy of voting values.   As Donald said “we want to have …get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very trans-will have a very peaceful- there won’t be a transfer, frankly there be a continuation. The ballots are out-of-control. You know it.”  This party favors the 1% of white wealthy people and Wall Street. This party moves against, discriminates and exploits people of color and the rest in every way possible-socially, economically, politically and legally. With their exploiting the earth and their denial of climate change places all of us at risk. The white GOP is about wealth and power. They don’t represent the majority of people living United States and make sure to suppress voting to keep the power. The GOP is no longer the Grand Old Party. The Republican Party has become a terrorist organization “person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against citizens in the pursuit of political aims.”    Further, a main reason for a government is that it is supposed to protect the population. With Covid-19, this white Republican government has placed us all at risk and doesn’t care how many die in the process. Bring back Abe and Ike.