Most of us are too busy surviving to know the facts. While each of us is responsible for our choices, we should still be able to trust you who are in positions to know better. You are the people deserving particularly pointed scorn. You are the people who are responsible for knowing facts, honestly representing these facts to your constituents, and using these facts to guide progress in the service of all. You are the people who have failed to live up to that responsibility. You are the people who have time and again proven that you are more interested in power and the elite than you are in serving the best interests of the public. You are the people spreading fear of the institutions you then join and dismantle for your greedy overlords. You are the lying Republicans
You know that deficits have increased under Republicans and have decreased under Democrats. But, you selectively highlight the national debt when it suits your purposes, which is usually part of agendas to block progress or to cut and privatize existing socially meaningful programs.
You know that taxes are necessary for a functioning government and public good. In addition, you know that cutting taxes does not automatically translate to economic progress for constituents. Still, you incessantly play up the small, short-term gains of tax cuts that inordinately benefit the rich, while you refuse to connect the resulting shortfalls in revenue to the inability to meet the infrastructure and social welfare needs of your districts and states.
You know that Social Security continues to help tens of millions of people avoid working to the grave. You also know that it is not in immediate danger, and you know that its solvency can indefinitely extended with some minor adjustments, such as raising the taxable income ceiling. Yet, you continue to fear monger about the burden of this extremely beneficial program on our government.
You know that Obamacare has allowed millions to be insured, provided security to many, including those with healthcare needs or others simply changing careers. You also know that this effort has extended the solvency of Medicare. Still, you feign or deign to hate this program and continually harp on its imperfections in efforts not to improve it, but to tear it down.
You know that public education is a system that has proven capable of accepting each and every child, providing them opportunities to think critically and advance to appropriate levels, ranging from remedial life skills up to and including advanced degrees in cutting edge research. You know that publicly available preschool and nutrition programs are worthwhile complements to public education. You know that funding and support of teachers is critical to school success. Nevertheless, you relentlessly criticize our schools and teachers, while you siphon resources to other efforts that are either unproven or demonstrably less effective, even when provided advantages in funding and selection of students.
You know that government agencies and regulations protect working people and our environment. You also know that an unchecked private sector has proven to increase inequality, endanger workers, and pollute our environment. Still, you persist in insisting that government is the problem, and, rather than seeking reasonable regulations, you highlight regulatory failures in an agenda of gutting entire agencies.
You know that science is about as reliable and objective as any enterprise devised by humans. You know that, among the many benefits yielded from this type of inquiry, are demonstrated connections between causative agents and environmental degradation or human disease, proven effectiveness of preventative measures, such as immunization, undeniable gains in agricultural productivity, and overwhelming evidence that humans are risking future generations with our impacts on the planet. Of particular note is that we are changing the climate. Still, you continue to sow doubt about established science to save face for a few of faith, and, more significantly, to serve the interests of powerful elites profiting off of exploitation of human needs and our life supporting environment.
You know that nearly everybody desires a peaceful and lawful society. Still, you attempt to claim the high ground, all while demonizing selected groups of people based on the actions of a few. Furthermore, you are aware that laws apply to all, even those who uphold and enforce the laws, but you fight attempts to apply laws fairly and evenly, and reject efforts of the mistreated to be heard as anti-cop and lawless.
Yes, you know these things and more. I don’t know if you believe that carrying water for the rich and economically powerful will save your skin, but I am fairly certain that this path does not lead to a desirable destination for most. Before we reach that destination, I think that you will find that the power in the numbers of people you fail to represent is stronger than the power in the numbers of your greedy task masters’ bank accounts.
Although this is a criticism of lying Republicans, let it also serve as a reminder to duplicitous Democrats. We have seen you erode regulations on the rich, make deals that increased inequality while stagnating the middle class, and bail out bankers much more than home owners. While you are not Republican lite, you are not standing out as supporters of the people, as you have seen in states where you formerly relied on organized labor. We are in desperate need of a party that champions the people. Who will step up?