After listening to Bobby Jindal's insipid response to President Obama's sweeping vision for America, it should now be clear to everyone that the Republican Party is intellectually bankrupt. Rather than offer constructive solutions to the multiple crises confronting America, Republicans have been reduced to shouting "Tax cuts!" and "Deregulation!" as if the last eight years had never happened.
That may be good news for Democrats, but it is unfortunate for the country because we really are facing a large number of seemingly intractable problems for which solutions are not readily apparent. No one really knows the most effective way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, or expand health care access, or reduce carbon emissions, or win the war in Afghanistan, or deal with the collapsing financial system. The Obama Administration is ready to tackle all of these problems and more, and they have good ideas about how to begin, but they are not omniscient and the devil is always in the details. It would actually to useful if the Republicans could engage on these issues, offering critiques and alternatives where appropriate, perhaps even forging a consensus on the most critical issues. Unfortunately, they appear to be both unable and unwilling to play that role.
Perhaps we could draw them back to reality by seeking agreement on those topics on which no sane person could disagree. For example, the solution to the problem of poisoned peanut butter and other tainted foods is not - and cannot be - lower taxes and less regulation. Even Gov. Jindal would have to admit that (I think). Here are some others, feel free to add your own:
- The solution to rampant fraud on Wall Street is NOT lower taxes and deregulation.
- The solution to our crumbling infrastructure is NOT lower taxes and deregulation.
- Contrary to what Gov. Jindal seemed to suggest (bizarrely, for the governor of Louisiana), the solution to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina - and erupting volcanoes - is NOT lower taxes and deregulation.
- The solution to graft, corruption and war profiteering is NOT lower taxes and deregulation.
- The solution to insolvent banks is NOT lower taxes and deregulation.
- The solution to failing public schools is NOT lower taxes and deregulation.
With these concessions, we would at least establish the principle that government has some useful role to play in our society. Perhaps we could then engage them in a honest discussion of what role government could play in addressing some of the more complex problems noted above.
Then again, as I look at the current crop of Republican leaders - probably not. As Kurt Cobain would say: "Oh well. Whatever. Never mind. "