When I was a kid--and an Errol Flynn fan-- the Republicans resented the New Deal because it meant institutionalizing Robin Hood — spreading the wealth around. Their philosophy was that the national and global decisions are made by the profit motive, regardless of consequences. In spite of the Crash of ‘29 or Reagan’s Black Friday, they still believe the common good is in the grubby hands of the money vendors. If that’s so, then why at the turn of the last century did the auto-industry expect public funding of highways? Did the railroad magnates produce locomotives and cars without laying tracks? — though they did get great globs of land tracts from the government. And why didn’t Eisenhower go to his wealthy backers and say “I want you to build the Interstate Highway” instead of tapping the nation’s coffers? [His best achievement, by the way.]



Of course, in reality, the private sector does build everything from the lowly ditch digger to the highest priced engineer. The only difference is that the government brokers the deals for anything and everything for the general welfare of the people. And that’s what the Constitution is all about and what Republicans do not believe in and thus balk at paying taxes. The South had been staunch Democrats in the old days because they erroneously blamed the Republican driven Reconstruction — however Draconian it had good intentions — and subsequently bonded with northern Democrats, provided civil rights, which is merely an extension of the general welfare clause, was off the table, except for New Deal revenue far outweighing their tax assessment — and putting it back on the map.



Once the Democrats since Truman pushed for civil and voting rights, the confederates returned to their true colors of not believing in a “United” States. This too keyed into the conservative wing of Republicanism where they hoot and howl about states’ rights which is a ploy to smash the instruments of getting things done for the people. Just consider the second amendment crap that Charlton Heston doled out. The NRA is psycho over a government take over — this is nothing but the Confederates reincarnated. The second amendment was designed to call together a state militia for the purpose of keeping the peace on behalf of government, not against it. The right to bear arms of an individual came out of the frontier in pushing back the Indians. That huge redneck, red belt, seen on TV 2000 election night was actually the spread of the Confederacy from Florida to Montana — a frightening thought.


I can remember when most of the Rooseveltian New York City dwellers got a taste of owning property in Levittown they turned Republican! These apostates, forgot that Truman got them the VA loans and G.I. Bill! One of the things I always admired about my brother-in-law is that no matter how much wealth he accumulated he never changed colors. He remained a Democrat till his last day of self identity before falling into the abyss of Alzheimer. He used to say at tax time that his 65% tax bracket didn’t bother him because he knew that if his boss wasn’t in the 90% bracket he’d be getting clerk’s wages because the boss would keep it all. Yet today’s wealthy brats are screaming over a lousy 36%!


The Bush2 cuts amount to more butt-kissing the rich after they fleeced — since Reagan — a gullible nation, resulting in a debt reaching the moon, I just can’t see the conservative view — more of the same trickle down nonsense. To begin with, how can there have been a surplus when the nation still owed $5 trillion? Greenspan’s twining that it is not good to pay off the debt too soon was in itself “irrational enthusiasm.” Yet it served the purpose of Bush II to drastically cut taxes under the guise of government being too wealthy. And have you thought to whom we owe that money? Why, the Japanese, Germans, and, of course, the Saudis, together with the Gates of the nation, all getting wealthier on the interest paid out by the little taxpayer. It is incredible to me that the nation falls for the line that self-centered gain will bring riches to anyone. When I was a kid, third graders knew instinctively that the rich get richer while the little people get stomped on.



What’s worse is that it will affect the grandchildren and their children if something isn’t done about it soon. Of course, nothing will be done because Bush’s Brats want their money back now. What is needed now is a president who will jawbone the wealthy who made billions just on Reagan’s tax cuts: “All right, enough already, barons of capital, S&L thieves, pension robbers, and junk bond con-artists, you have had your windfall, now it’s time to tighten the belt; the picnic is over — you’re going to pay back big time! We need the dough because the infrastructure is in shambles. More and more sports arenas, Taj Mahals MacDonalds and Disneyworlds are not the priorities of this nation. Why, those bonehead tax cuts in the 80s, and currently, not only sextupled the debt but has the trade deficit out of control. As a result, you have made a mockery of the proud purpose of the Constitution that is foremost the bastion of the general welfare”