By Mike Meister
The fiscal cliff fight is over and a compromise was reached. Arguments will be made over who won and what is ahead but what I would like to talk about is a phenomenon that is a threat to our very existence as a free people.
Why has it become so hard to govern? Is it because a number of our legislators have forgotten their oath of office in fealty to their pledge to Grover Norquist? When did Norquist become the anointed one who is destined to be worshipped at the altar of the Tea Party to the detriment of the country?
It has been said that paying taxes are the price of admission to living in a free society. The Tea Party Republicans and Grover Norquist apparently either do not believe this or they simply don’t care. Over 160 house republicans voted against the deal including two from my state, Nebraska. Why? It’s about good government not ideology.
Anytime fealty to an ideology takes over from reasonable discussion and compromise we all suffer. I wonder how many of you reading this have ever had to deal with a two year old who didn’t want to do something. If you have, then you know how it must feel to deal with the likes of the Tea Party republicans and their fearless leader Grover Norquist.
As the latest fiscal fight begins – raising the debt ceiling – we, the people of the United States, will likely once again feel the pain as the ideologues put their beliefs over our prosperity. If the Tea Party Republicans and their master continue down their path of ideology over government at least we know that historians will refer to the next recession as “The Tea Party Recession.”
Dear Mike Meister, I am so sorry. I thought political writings were about persuading people, and offering ideas. I did not know the objective was to see how much blame and how many people you can blame for the current state of affairs.
Let me make a suggestion for your next essay. Pretend there is no Republican Party at all. The entire House and Senate are all Democrats. What do you plan to do about a $16 trillion debt and an annual deficit of over $1 trillion dollars? Keep in mind, the Federal Reserve is literally devaluing the dollar to keep interest payments on the debt low and has done so to the point the US dollar is now equal to the Canadian dollar.
Sometimes reading this site is better than the comics. I own a daycare and quite frankly, all of D.C. mirrors what I see at work. Selfish, uncompassionate people who think the world revolves around themselves. As a Christian, I am sorely disappointed in the many brothers and sisters who seem to think God is on their side and supports their agenda. Some one is wrong because both sides are so different. What no one seems to consider, both sides are wrong. How does one tell? The side who talks about their responsibility versus the other guys faults. And that is the one thing you will not see from either side. You can not save what God has preordained to destroy.
Mike, those who speak from ideology stand for something. You may not agree with them, but at least they stand for something.
You, on the other hand, appear to prefer partisanship over ideology. Thus, you stand for nothing other grabbing power.
Those in Congress who signed the “tax” pledge made promises to their constituents, not to Grover Norquist. And the Tea Party movement is just that– a movement of citizens who are concerned about four successive trillion dollar deficits. Nothing radical or racist, just citizens worried about runaway spending and loss of freedom.
When Barack Obama was railing against deficit spending a few years ago, where were you on this issue? Were you taking Republicans to task for profligate spending and a growing nation debt?
Of course you were. What happened since then, other than the election of a Democrat– the most radical leftist on our history– to the White House? Well, even more deficit spending.
Suddenly, spending is good.
Mike, you have an ideology. You just need to figure out what it is. The rest of us already know.
I supposed Mike believes we live in a world without boundaries and an endless capacity for risk just like our fearless dictator Barack Obama. Like I said previously on my own blog: I think I will stick to MLK’s philosophy to never be afraid to do what’s right. I don’t “need” Govt forcing decisions on me that I don’t agree with and that go against my principles and standards. Like the Tea Party Patriots all over this country, I’m in agreement with them, we are {T}axed {E}nough {A}lready. A Govt that calls good evil and evil good is not good govt at all.
Mike, you fascinate me. The Tea Party, is the ideology of the “old” Republican Party, the party that believed in man’s individuality, creativity and industry. If his pursuit were successful he reaped the rewards — if not he suffered the loss. Wasn’t it William Bradford, who in 1620 figured out in one winter that socialism doesn’t work and switched the following year to a capitalistic approach with dramatically different results? One winter, Mike, one winter. And that was nearly 400 years ago. That’s the Tea Party, Mike that you’re so want to ridicule.
You can castigate them all you want, yet it is your president who is destroying the greatest country that ever existed. As Drew queried: how do you and your leftist buddies figure America will be able to survive with such outrageous debt and with no end in sight? Is it Obama raising the taxes on the top 1%, that doesn’t even cover 3% of your president’s current deficit that is going to save us? Of course not. Is it ignoring Soc Sec, Medicare and Medicaid with its out-of-control spending acceleration that will save us? Of course not — or weakening our nation in the eyes of the world, or ignoring the murder of four innocents in Benghazi when a simple call from your president would have saved them (while that has little to do with the economy, it does show the lack of character of the person in the WH, sorry, the criminal in the WH), or incentivizing the lazy and slothful into joining the ranks of those dependent upon us producers? I could go on but if my point isn’t clear by now, you wouldn’t get it later either.
In ending: fealty, Mike, fealty? Certainly you couldn’t be accused of that now, could you, you and your buddies? You ignore world-wide proof that your ideology doesn’t work. But then you must ignore it because to accept it means it would be crow-eating time and crow has never been known as a tasty meal. It sure does look different over here, Mike. If you are ever able to look over your shoulder you’ll shudder at what you see.
Ah Drew you speak of a utopian world. Unfortunately, reality is that we do not have a Congress that is devoid of Republicans. If we did we could get the bloated defense budget under control. Create a farm bill that is tied to the markets as every democratic farm bill has been rather than handouts like every republican farm bill has been. We could reverse the destruction of the US postal system and get rid of the republican law that was passed requiring the postal system to front end load their retirement program to the detriment of the system. Before advocating something I suggest you do your home work. Most of the major deficits, including the most recent one, are a result of the actions of Republican Presidents and or republican congresses. It’s a simple fact.
Dan, under our Constitution God has nothing to do with it. Besides how do you know whether my God would agree with yours? Barry Goldwater warned of the take over of the republican party by religious zealots in the 1970s. Turns out he was right.
Ah Roger you could not be more wrong. What I stand for is compromise and getting things done for the greater good. That is my definition of governance plain and simple. History shows that spending was necessary to avoid a repeat of the Great Depression. Everyone wants to point and say Keynesian economics is wrong. It isn’t, and history has shown this time and again.
Angela – What??? That makes absolutely no sense. Flesh it out a bit for me in a way that perhaps we can have a dialogue.
Anonymous – I am glad I fascinate you. Unfortunately you could not be more wrong about the tea party being the “old” republican party. It isn’t even close. Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan would both be RINOs by the TEA party standards. Both men raised taxes when it was necessary to do so. Both men rejected religious litmus tests for service to the country. Where ideology needed to yield it did because they both understood that half a loaf was sometimes far better than none.
I am not advocating for socialism and neither is President Obama that is a myth perpetuated by t eh right wing media to incite the masses who, 1. Do not understand what socialism is; and 2. Assume it’s bad because the right wing talking heads tell them that.
You also make the classic mistake of lumping Social Security in the discussion when not one penny of Social Security is part of the budget, Why is Medicare and Medicaid spending “out of control” as you claim? Could it be because of the Republicans tinkering with the system and not allowing it to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies? Perhaps it was Republican changes to the law that protect the providers and not the users.
As for Benghazi – I am curious where you get your information that a simple phone call could have stopped an attack. How many other myths and conspiracies are in your quiver to try and support your contention. By the way are you taking about the producers like Walmart who rely on the food stamp program to subsidize their paychecks? Or perhaps the oil companies who feed at the tax payer trough. Can’t help but wonder if you are one of those who utilized the SBA to get where you are and now bad mouth the very government that finally funded the SBA after 8 years of being ignored by the Bush administration.
I have fealty to my country and to my fellow man. No more no less. I believe that government has a place in all of our lives. Although perhaps you do not like that there are police officers and firemen to protect your property. I believe keeping people ignorant is a sin and the public secondary education and higher has a place in an upwardly mobile society.
I just look at history and facts in arriving at what I think is best and at whose door steps problems should rightfully be placed. Rather than denigrate a man because he looks different than I do or because his way of doing things is different than mine I try to look at what he is doing and what the result is. If the result is good then by all means let’s continue down that path. If the result is bad let’s change course and correct the problem with common sense solutions rather than 30 second sound bites.
Thank you all for reading!!!
Mike, I spent 25 years in Federal service from being a VP for a union to being a part of management. What is obvious to those that serve, there is no difference between Dems. and Reps. They both play to their bases, favor their friends and screw the other side any time they can. Anyone who claims the other side is wrong and their side is right is ignorant or purposefully naive of reality. They also lack any credibility. Partisanship is never the answer. Arguments such as yours add nothing of value to the conversation. As much as many of us try to change the conversation to something useful, partisans such as you will not allow it happen. So things never change, only the people. The overall picture and situation keep getting worse and it is the partisans who refuse to acknowledge it as long as they are getting their way. The only point about God is that he foretold all of this thousands of years ago and I for one am not surprised but what is happening in this country. Politics is now the art of the selfish leading the moronic selfish to the detriment of all.
Mike, first off, “anonymous” is me. Sorry my name did not appear. I don’t hide behind aliases or codes.
The Tea Party stands for fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free markets. That used to be the platform of the Republican Party. Socialism — (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles. Collectivism is the political principle of centralized social and economic control. If that doesn’t spell out what Obama’s about then please instruct me.
Social Security is an expense. It must be paid for. There is no magical “lock box” with money “stashed” away until needed. And by the way, it is not an entitlement. We have paid into it our whole lives. Regardless of how anyone wants to classify it, we are forced to pay into it so it can be paid out in later years. It and Medicare and Medicaid are out of control for a couple major reasons: tort laws which allow incomprehensible judgments against individuals and corporations (such as the tobacco settlement); and secondly, when Social Security was first instituted the life expectancy was 58 for men and 62 for women with the retirement age at 65. Today life expectancy averages 78. If that doesn’t create a runaway freight train, then what does? And you guys don’t want to do anything about it except make us makers pay more in taxes. As to your “negotiate drug prices”: are you aware that fewer drug companies prepare flu vaccines today than years ago because the “negotiating” has made the profits no longer worth the risk? Price controls have never worked. Remember the long gas lines at the pumps years ago?
I know you believers (in BO) can’t imagine that your esteemed leader could ignore the requests for assistance after the first attack in Benghazi but there are millions of us who believe full well that he instructed those who were nearby and in a position to help, to “stand down”. Your Wal-Mart comment doesn’t make sense to me so I’ll not respond.
Government is needed without question. Its greatest responsibility is to protect its citizens from within and without, which of course includes your above-mentioned police and fire. But I am indeed a minimalist who believes in small government and the free enterprise system. I have never been one to think that 535 people in Washington can compete with the combined genius of 310 million free citizens.
I, too, look at facts before I reach my conclusions, but you and I are either looking at different facts or your and my definitions are substantially different, because you and I are about as far apart as two people can be. I’m still looking for anyone who can point out ONE socialist country that has been able to compete with what America was able to build in about 250 years. Can you? *That* is the kind of a fact that I look at.
“Everyone wants to point and say Keynesian economics is wrong. It isn’t, and history has shown this time and again.”
And this is where you are dead wrong. Goverment spending stimulates government. Unfortunately, government doesn’t pay for itself, only the private sector can do that.
People on the left point to the Great Depression for evidence of Keynesian success. Yet, what started out as a bursting credit bubble and recession was turned into a fifteen year nightmare by Keynesian “rescue” efforts.
And the depression was not ended by Word War 2 spending. No real wealth was created then, only massive destruction. War is bad that way.
The depression ended after the war when government spending finally dropped rapidly, and private sector employment and growth rose sharply.
Read Friedman some time. He goes into great detail as to the causes of the Great Depression.
Ted, thanks for your comments. From the various Tea partiers I met when running for Governor what you describe is not the tea party I met or dealt with.
The Tea Party you describe was actually what the Tea party began as and I was flirting with getting involved in the movement until it was hijacked by the extreme right wing of the Republican part and has become the bully pulpit of every conspiracy theorist in the country. The Tea party began as a Washington group of moderate republicans and moderate democrats who were fed up with the politics as usual being espoused by Dan Brandt in his comment above.
As for collectivism if the President truly was taking us that way why didn’t he just keep AIG, the banks and the auto industry and nationalize them? He had them why return them to the private sector. Facts speak much louder than sound bites.
Social Security is an expense but it is not a budget item. It is funded by the payroll tax and is capped artificially in 2013 at $113,700. In other words anyone making more than $113,700 makes no more contributions to SSA and everyone who makes under that figure pays the full tax on 100% of their payroll. Did you know that eliminating the cap solves all of Social Security’s purported woes? My point is simply that Social Security is not part of the discussion when discussing the budget. (I don’t disagree that some tinkering with social security is likely needed but it should not be part of the greater discussion on the budget.)
With regard to your comment about tort cases then am I to assume that you think the 7th Amendment should be repealed? The tobacco settlement occurred because the tobacco industry didn’t really want their dirty laundry aired. My beef is the attorneys who got greedy over their fees giving those of us who help people daily from the abuses of the insurance industry a black eye.
It might surprise you to know that I don’t follow President Obama blindly as you suggest nor do I agree with all of his policy positions. Am I to presume by your comments that you blindly followed President Bush. I currently am watching Secretary Clinton testify about Behnghazi and as I have said all along this is nothing more than a manufactured “cover up” by Faux News and the conspiracy theorists of the right to discredit the President.
Ted, over the years I have been very clear that I consider myself a Jefferson Democrat. I believe in local control and small government. So perhaps you and I are not that far apart. Shocking I know, but it is actually true.
You constantly challenge people to compare a socialist country to the United States which is inherently unfair. It is an impossible task because no country – with the possible exception of the United Kingdom which has operated under the Magna Carta for twice as long – can meet the criteria. So while your call for comparison cannot be answered mine can, what is the benefit to the Obama administration to “cover up” what happened in Bengahzi?
Roger – no real wealth was created by WWII? Really? I wonder how many capitalists of the era would agree with you on that. All of the rebuilding, all of the jobs that were created to build the war machine didn’t create wealth? Eisenhower warned of the military industrial complex (Originally the military congressional industrial complex) Friedman is an interesting read – some of his stuff is sound some of it has been discredited – just like Keynes.
Mike — how interesting about the Tea Partiers that you’ve run into; I know a number of them and don’t recall one that has spoken in as extreme of a manner as those to whom you refer. I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just saying that I’ve met none of those extremists.
Collectivism is centralized control: if you have the power to fire the president of a company and tell it how much it can pay its executives you don’t need ownership. I have contact within Wells Fargo. The president of Wells Fargo, in Washington with the rest of the lending presidents, refused to take the money the government was forcing upon them. That is, until he was taken into a private meeting and behind closed doors. Only then did he relent and sign the papers. In both of those cases, that shows extraordinary power in the hands of government. With that kind of power you simply don’t need ownership. So I agree with you, “Facts speak much louder than sound bites”.
Trial by jury is a very important part of who we are, however hundreds of billions of dollars to settle law suits, when the “victims” knowingly participated by smoking the products of those companies, is obscene. I smoked for 22 years and could not imagine holding the tobacco companies responsible for MY weakness should I develop cancer or other related illness. Dirty laundry aside, that is obscene. And I agree, the fees to the attorneys were also obscene. I have many attorney friends and trust and respect most of them. There are scumbags in all fields and all walks of life.
You and I will have to agree to disagree on Benghazi. Don’t you find the reports that we all listened to immediately after and for the next two weeks a little confusing? Rice says one thing and Obama says another and as time goes on the story changes, yet again. That doesn’t suggest a cover-up to hide the truth until after the election? Millions of us believe it was a masterful scheme to hide the murderous actions of the president.
I was not a fan of George W Bush. In his 8 years as President I can only think of 3 things he did that I agreed with; appointed 2 “seemingly” conservative Supreme Court judges, reduced taxes and started the war on terror.
Socialism does not work. Given enough time all socialist countries implode.
Mike, lots of individuals personally profited from the war. Normal sort of thing during wartime. But, though millions were employed by the war effort, soldiers’ pay was notably low.
And, how many automobiles were bought by consumers, even if they had the money? None. No consumer auto production during the war.
Instead, we were making tanks and ammunition and bombs. Almost everything produced during the war was either destroyed during the war or abandoned afterward. Or sold for a pittance for scrap. And, was using during the war to blow other stuff up.
Wartime employment was a phantom. We were generally consuming our pre-existing wealth, not creating new wealth.
Then, when wartime spending stopped, private investment grew and private sector employment grew.
The government spending during the depression did not end the depression, rather it extended it.
Drew: “Pretend there is no Republican Party at all. The entire House and Senate are all Democrats.”
Mike Meister “….you speak of a utopian world. Unfortunately, reality is that we do not have a Congress that is devoid of Republicans.”
My response, like North Korea and Vietnam?
Mike, I only wish that you could actually rely on facts and not just your partisan views. Case in point. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 that you blame the Republicans for. The P.A.E.A. bill was introduced by Rep. Thomas Davis [R-VA11] and had three cosponsors:Danny Davis,[D-IL7], John McHugh, [R-NY23] and Henry Waxman,[D-CA30]. There were two Democrats and two Republicans that were involved with the bill. Seems as if you have blinders on when someone with a (D) behind their name is also involved in something that you don’t agree with.
Progressive Oasis is Ken Riter, BTW.
I wish I felt as you do that the fiscal fight is over. The GOP has nothing else to do but grandstand in the name of their own eventual destruction. The debt ceiling debate is coming up, I’m sure they’ll find some way to keep the obstruction going.
Why has it become so hard to govern? Its only hard to govern for the party that says government doesn’t work. Petitions over people, apparently it works for the Tea Party, well what’s left of it.
I think the Tea Party read the constitution, they just like to gloss over the parts that grant Congress the power to collect taxes and duties. Just remind them of something called the 16th Amendment.
If there was ever a time to take an economics course, it is now. I’m taking one and everything I see is pointing to Keynesian economics as the right course. Using taxpayer dollars to build infrastructure build up our capital, its called an investment. Charging two wars on a credit card depletes that capital. Where have we seen this before?
Isn’t it amazing how the leftist’s, the networks and the progressives have killed off the Tea Party so many times, only to do an about face and confront articles about how the Tea Party continues to have super influence on an issue. Look at last years primaries. Indiana, Texas, Nebraska, Idaho and many other campaigns making national news.
Now the sequester has gone into effect, and that was a result of the 13 week Debt Ceiling fight during the late spring and summer of 2011, where the Tea Party actually directed the debate on the floor of the House of Representatives through their kitchen table lobbying efforts. A historical first. So the Simpson/Boyle commission who was charged with reaching a balance was unable to do so, resulting in Obama creating the sequester legislation.
That was last Friday when it went into effect. So the stronger Tea Party organizations are still continuing to meet with its local and state leaderships on a regular basis and are collecting those disillusioned voters and citizens because where are they going to go? The Democratic Party? The Republican Party establishment?
As the economy continues to get worse (do not mistake these stock market trading records as a reaction to the sequester, but to the Federal Reserve’s recent activity), and the cost of living is skyrocketing, I ask again, where are the outraged masses going to turn to? They will turn to citizen organizations that were created organically, and the principled organizations like the Tea Party Patriots membership will skyrocket.