I used to staunchly defend that pedestal, just like Allen but I've read too much Thomas Jefferson writings to defend it any longer.
I started out as a Republican in 1970 for 4 years and quit the Republican Party in disgust when Richard Nixon on the verge of impeachment, resigned from the Presidency of the United States. I became an Independent voter and have been one ever since. I spent 9 years in the U.S.Navy where I pretty regularly supported Ronald Reagan and Republican policies. Now things has changed since the 1970's. The Republican Party (GOP) is not today what is was in the 1960-70s. The GOPpers are about 400% more conservative, they practice hate and division, and a most ironic fact is that if Ronald Reagan was alive today, pushing the views he pushed in the 1980's he would be drummed out of the party as being too liberal. I voted for my last Republican in the early 1990s.
I believe in personal responsibility, I believe the government programs must be workable and affordable, but I also believe the economic and political system we live under should be a level playing field for all members of society, not rigged as the GOPpers are working hard to give the most benefit to the wealthy and screw the rest of us.
Our social programs must be reworked, but in striving for max profits, corporate leadership is acting in a treasonous manner by exporting MILLIONS of good paying jobs overseas. This reduces the tax base, concentrating it in the top stratum of society, requiring that the wealthy pay higher and higher tax rates, not lower tax rates. BUT THEY WANT THEIR CAKE AND EAT IT TO! The worst thing about this, the government, the only entity that can do something about it, is doing nothing to stop the process. The mantra
"it's just business." is illustrated perfectly by the flesh trader in "Taken" (the Liam Neeson movie where his character's daughter is abducted and sold into slavery) tells his character
"it was just business" like that makes it ok! This is cumulative and is destroying our economy to a point that there won't be much of a domestic market to sell their goods. But they won't care, because they will just move the product to the next up and coming country.
Overall there is a morality problem in the U.S. I can't say it extends around the world, but in this country the Middle Class is being destroyed in the name of higher profits. Not just profits, but MAX profits and the working class has been relegated to expendable status. Instead of thinking, lets build a strong corporation that benefits all of the participants, leaders are in the ego zone, rationalizing they are irreplaceable and deserve to be enriched at a rate 1000X greater than the average employee. It's as if the head is a glutton, but thinks the rest of the body can survive on starvation wages. It's not equitable.
Plus we just can't afford to police the world any more. We must get our own house in order, now. We espeically can't afford wars that suck billions of dollars out of this country EACH WEEK. Remember, the GOPpers are ok with this but try to spend a billion on a poor kid meal program...
sorry we just can't afford it!! These guys are bastards and bad for the country. And as this thread discusses, they have talked an entire class of citizens into voting for policies that cut their own throats.
Now the Democrats are bad too, but I reserve this rant for another post.
Bottom line, we exist as a society for the common good so the cumulative efforts of human beings can produce a greater good for society as a whole. It's not every man/woman for themselves (Libertarian?), it's not anarchy, (another form of liberty), and it's especially not a few in powerful individuals scurrying around in board rooms to ensure they live happily ever after while screwing the rest of us. This sort of thinking will destroy this country in the not so distant future. When enough people are disenfranchised by GREEDY BASTARDS, there will be a revolution.
