The New GOP Boogeyman Under Our Beds...

An Opinion by Watson

 

 

   "If we had some bacon, we'd have some bacon and eggs...if we had some eggs."

 

   We are going to hear about those pesky, unpatriotic sub-Americans called "socialists" until doomsday.  It will be the GOP mantra screeched from the mountain tops.  It will be attached to every election contest from coast to cost.  The Republicans will tattoo it on everything that walks, crawls, and slithers. 

 

   However, they will never tell us the definition of exactly what today's socialist believes.

 

   There are approximately 400 people in the United States that have as much wealth as the income of the lower 60% in our country.  If you aren't close to a calculator, let me give you the total number of people that 60% would represent:  Approximately 192,000,000.

 

   Now, if you are a capitalist, you will shrug your shoulders and say, "Capitalism is good for America."  That's about as far as they can see, too.  The truth is, capitalism is good, but like anything else, it is good only when attained under the same rules and regulations that are applied to everyone.

 

   Thus, the disparity between the classes must beg the question:  So why did the capitalists insist on a tax cut for only those wealthy old guys and gals when it's obvious that the tax cut is costing the rest of the country $1.5 Trillion!  The capitalist will drag out his guitar and play you a few bars of his tune, "trickle down."  That tune, however, has never won any awards for truthfulness.

 

   The democratic brand of socialism brought us Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Unemployment Benefits, Workers Compensation, Forty-hour week for workers, Child Labor Laws, Women's Right to Vote and other Women's issues, and literally hundreds of other "socialist" ideas. 

 

    The GOP is warning us to look out for those pesky socialists.  They're out to send our nation into bankruptcy.  Never mind that we are trillions of dollars in debt just since Trump came into office.  His trillions for tax cuts for the rich and demands for billions to build a border wall are but a few of his tax and spend "capitalist" ideas.  But mention money for clean energy, climate change work, infrastructure needs, better health care for our people, lower prescription costs, livable wages for our workers, cheaper tuitions for our college students, cleaner air and water....the list is nearly endless...and still we get nothing but lip service from the Republicans.    

 

   So, tighten your seat belts because we are going to hear the word "socialist" ad nauseam from now until election day. 

 

   Just remember, however, what brought us to this point.  It takes two to tango....but the GOP wasn't taught how to put one foot in front of the other and chew gum at the same time.