Into the Valley of Defeat...

Into the valley of defeat ride the Numbskullions, or so it seems to me. How can Republicans possibly believe they can win in 2012 if they keep pursuing what appear to be politically suicidal acts? The “War on Women” is the best case in point at the moment but is certainly not the only one. Republicans now say there is no war on women, it’s something just made up by Democrats. How, then, do you explain their plan to reverse Roe vs Wade? They want to defund or eliminate entirely Planned Parenthood. They resist agreeing to a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, and they do not want to support the Equal Pay Act. They have also gone so far as to attempt to do away with contraception, a practice that has ramifications for women’s health that go beyond merely birth control and has been practiced at one time or another for fully 98% of American women, including Catholic women. I can understand why they might want not to have this described as a war on women, but acts are far more important than their empty words. Women are not ignoring this, having already announced they will definitely turn out to vote, and Obama leads Romney among women by some 20%.


Apparently not content with merely alienating the women’s vote, they have also failed to capture the Hispanic vote. Their opposition to the Dream Act, their attempts at voter suppression, and Romney’s suggestions about self-deportation have not registered well with Hispanic voters. Obama has a massive lead against Romney when it comes to the Hispanic vote.

Then there is their desire to do away with Medicare as we know it and replace it with a voucher system that will increase substantially what seniors will have to pay for medical care. They also wish to either do away with Social Security entirely or at least privatize it, plans so stupid as to make you wonder if they are even sane when it comes to reality. One can only assume this is going to cost them dearly when it comes to the senior sector of the electorate.

Now they have made it clear they would prefer the interest rate for student loans to double, even though they have begrudgingly agreed to let it remain where it is, but only by taking away more money from women’s health. This can only reinforce women’s belief in a war on them but also will alienate young people and keep them firmly on the Democratic side of things.

Of course they have no hope for much of the Black vote, not only because of Obama being our first Black President but also because of their not so subtle racism as exemplified by the so-called “Southern strategy.” They say they want to reach out to Blacks but their attempts are largely pathetic and have had little success.

On top of it all they are running a candidate that is the poster child for all of the above as well as the 1% currently subject to the most criticism of what Republicans stand for, more tax breaks for the obscenely wealthy and corporations absolutely smothered with unprecedented profits who in some cases are not paying taxes at all. It is no secret Republicans want to continue and even increase tax breaks for the wealthy while at the same time reducing as much of the social support system as possible. I do not think this is escaping the attention of the voting public.

They also apparently want to go to war with Iran, or anyone else unwilling to simply agree to whatever the U.S. wishes, embracing even permanent war if possible. This would, of course, be good for business, especially the defense industry where we can go on manufacturing billions of dollars worth of equipment we don’t even need and much of which even the Pentagon doesn’t want. They appear to be oblivious to the fact the world is different than it was in 1950. They are pushing an increase in the defense budget, already larger than the rest of the world combined, and doing it at a time when the American public is fed up with war and want us out of Afghanistan as soon as possible, and certainly do not want a war with Iran, except, I guess, for those who believe the incessant Israeli lies about Iran.

It does seem to me the Republicans are galloping full speed into a terrible disaster (for them), one that might possibly harm them for many years to come. Do I care? In the immortal words of George W. Bush, war criminal extraordinary, “Bring it on.”

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'

Was there a man dismay'd ?

Not tho' the soldier knew

Some one had blunder'd:

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do & die,

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.



From the Charge of the Light Brigade, Alfred, Lord Tennyson