The Dead Core of McCain's Republican Party

The current economic meltdown, along with the energy, health care and transportation nightmares in the US, are not so much an indictment of a capitalist society, as they are of Republicans' duplicity in advocating for free markets when their main purpose is precisely the opposite: to ensure that economic power remains in the hands of a few, preferably their friends. This in turn should guarantee Republicans' own political power thanks to bountiful donations, and their personal financial future with the promise of highly profitable "jobs" and "consulting" careers.

Now that it has thoroughly discredited the market economy it was ostensibly pushing, the Republican Party is left with no clear, logical economic agenda. Once the party of smaller government, greater choice and enterprise, John McCain's GOP has been reduced to the party that wants more government intervention (see constitutional amendments forbidding gay marriage) and less choice for women (see outlawing abortion in all cases), and stifles scientific research (see stem cells).

The greatest failing of Republican management has been to pretend that the government does not exist (except to send the country to war), until it is too late and the heretofore non-existent government has to come to the rescue of assorted investment banks, mortgage companies, insurance giants, etc, providing massively inefficient subsidies to those least in need of them, simply to prevent further disaster.

Eight years of Texas/Wyoming rule in the White House has given us an energy policy that has pushed the country deeper into the oil well thanks to direct and indirect financial and military support of the oil industry in the US and abroad. This corruption is, of course, disguised as giving in to Americans' deep love of driving and flying (ha!), notwithstanding the fact that the federal government actually ensures that consumers have no choice whatsoever when it comes to transportation.

Health care remains the most egregious disgrace in contemporary America, an uneconomical and unfair system that would be the laughing stock of the world were it not a matter of life and death. Here too, Republicans have been glaringly dishonest in advocating for free markets while ensuring that extraordinary profits are made by insurance and drug companies. The US spends more than any other on medical care, a huge proportion of its huge income, with so little to show for it that it has one of the lowest life expectancies among wealthy countries, sliding from 11th to 42nd in the past 20 years. In a place where such a premium is supposedly placed on social mobility, 15% of the population is without insurance: how the hell are you supposed to focus on moving up if your entire livelihood and your family's is dependent on you not getting the flu, let alone cancer? And in a country in which labor mobility is extolled as the greatest virtue, most workers are tethered to jobs for the sole purpose of "benefits" (ie access to health care), under constant threat of losing their threadbare medical safety net: how anti-capitalist is that? Even with insurance, mind you, over 1 million Americans file for bankruptcy every year after slicing through their life savings because they cannot work or because they have to meet "co-pays" and a Kafkaesque labyrinth of hidden costs they have to bear when they are catastrophically ill. McCain's response to this absurdly inefficient (let alone socially shameful) situation is a tax proposal that is so flawed that it will increase the number of uninsured. Barack Obama goes much further, but he and many Democrats remain painfully timid about revisiting the disastrous launch of health care reform in the 1990s.

Under the guise of free trade, the untouchable holy grail of the global economy, successive governments have let goods into the US produced under conditions that would be illegal in the US, making a mockery of federal labor laws, including those that apply to children and those that govern safety. Again, it is not so much the theory of free trade that is necessarily defective, it is its blind application and the rush to implement it, spurred by the need to please Republicans' (and, yes, occasionally Democrats') corporate sponsors. Republicans, though, do deny their masters one wish: borders that are legally open to immigrants, including highly skilled ones and students. McCain saw the writing on the wall during the GOP primary and did a 180-degree turn on this, more fearful for his political career than for his financial well-being (a luxury he can afford thanks to his wealthy wife.) And so the party of free trade and unfettered capitalism erects walls that are both physical and legislative to prevent the free flow of labor, not really stopping less-educated and less-skilled workers from entering the country, but making sure that technology and other sectors in need of skilled employees open campuses anywhere but in the US. Another unintended but ominous result: US schools of higher education, possibly the country's greatest asset, are under assault from foreign competitors who have seized the opportunity as students everywhere are turned off by a US education because of the non-academic burdens placed on them.

McCain's response to these challenges is so blatantly ignorant that it is clear that, in fact, he does not know they exist. Carly Fiorina, his chief economic advisor, has now confirmed what McCain himself told us last year: he is unqualified to manage the US economy. His previous chief economic advisor, former Senator Phil Gramm of Texas, had previously opened our eyes to the McCain team's economic ineptitude when he accused "whining" US workers of being in a "mental recession." And of course, in an era in which technology is critical to the economic growth of any country, most of all one in which traditional industrial jobs are melting away, McCain has fewer computer skills, including email, than many 7 year-olds.

And thus, McCain is left to focus on what he likes best: foreign and culture wars. On the former, he is eager to throw yet more tax money to Halliburton and assorted corporate beneficiaries of US military largesse. Iraq and possibly Iran if McCain comes to power, provide yet more evidence of the warped oligarchical goals of the current US government and most of the Republican party: beneficiaries of the venture are among the staunchest friends of the GOP, from oil companies to weapons manufacturers to security firms, all of which have made billions from a war that has impoverished the country in countless ways, caused the deficit to balloon and ruined the lives of tens of thousands of US families. Under the guise of a "war on terror", Republicans have bloated the Federal government to a record size, concentrating its extraordinary power on the enrichment of a very few, while criminally neglecting its duty to the majority, all along claiming to want "smaller government, less taxes and more choice." The result feels more like kleptocratic Uzbekistan than it does a healthy capitalist society.

With the right-wing of his party having decreed that Sarah Palin would be his running mate, McCain now gives us the 80s and 90s culture wars, slightly revisited. This has long been the strategy of last resort for the Republican party. And, more often than not, it has worked. It may seem insane to many of us, but there really is a whole slice of the electorate for whom sexuality and race are the defining negative issues of the 21st century. You know the old GOP strategy may work one more time when working-class Democrats in Scranton, one of America's fastest-dying cities according to Forbes, plan to vote for McCain because of "the life issue," because Palin is "anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage [...], the perfect woman," and because if Obama wins "they" are going to make it "the Black House." As Forbes makes clear, Scranton hardly represents the future of America but it still matters a little, at least electorally, and the Republican Party is clearly betting its own life that such a city would rather die than to shed its prejudices.

Follow Paul Jenkins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulcJenkins

Comments

[kiss01]

Thank you Mr. Jenkins for your excellent article. The truth about Republican policy has been so lucidly revealed by you. Pity that there is still a fair proportion of American population who subbornly have their heads stuck in the sand based on their tunnel-vision religious outlook. McCain/Palin are 2 shining examples and God forbids, if they get elected. It surely will be to the detriment of this nation if they do.

[JohnnyBoyyy]

Excellent analysis of the hella messy meltdown of our Great Nation, Mr. Jenkins!

The past 8 years under the "Texas/Wyoming" (sowwie Texas and Wyoming) imperialistic rule has gotten us into the worst situation imaginable.

AND, I especially love your statement at the end - "the Republican Party is clearly betting its own life that such a city would rather die than to shed its prejudices". WAKE UP AMERICA - IT'S 2008!

This is OUR Time - This is OUR Moment.

Obama/Biden '08/12!!!

[Miravanguild]

Do not blame the Democratic Congress.. It will be just two years since they got into office, they do not have a VETO proof majority, and in the face of the imperial presidency are almost powerless.­.. The tidal wave that has crashed on our shore the last weeks has been forming out in the sea of greed and mismanagement for years.. As long as they were at each other's throats in partisen combat, they were powerless to hold it back.. This is what fights over gay marriage, school prayer, flag burning amendments has gotten us.. Shame on us all...

[FirstShirt]

"Do not blame the Democratic Congress.. It will be just two years since they got into office, they do not have a VETO proof majority, and in the face of the imperial presidency are almost powerless.­.. "

Sorry. Doesn't work that way. Pelosi and Reid should have been holding hearings and new conferences if they knew something was wrong.

Reid said this week that no one knows what to do. Certainly he doesn't. What losers. And where was Obama?

[Shadow08]

Some people believe in something called karma. What America did in Iraq, the shock and awe slaughter, the continuing occupation that kiils innocent people in their own country, in their own homes, causing millions of displaced people and refugees, parents carrying home their dead children, all perpetrated by a lust for their oil...well­, maybe America is due some hard times.

GW Bush did the unthinkable by launching an un-provoked attack on an innocent population, and perhaps, just perhaps, we may have to pay for that.

[SherryIndianapolis]

Tell me we are not the most ignorant country on earth.

[KillTheMessenger]

I wish I could. But I can't.

OK.. maybe the Taliban controlled regions in Pakistan and Afghanistan are worse...

[lw1899]

Thanks for a great article expounding on the GOP's disastrous policies.

[RumiSouth]

Working in a mail-order pharmacy, I find it frightening that I cannot afford the medicines I fill for elderly patients every day. Just today, I had a conversation with an 80-year old lady who said, "I just shudder to think how expensive it is for people my age who aren't in as good health as me."

To which I replied: "Ma'am, I'm 36 and the New York Times said that I will need $2 million in savings for my health care costs in retirement. Now tell me, how am I supposed to make two million in the next 30 years?"

[pencandle]

McCain Campaign spokesperson, Nancy Pfotenhauer, laughed off the notion that she was a lobbyist, stating she lobbied briefly for a non-profit organization. According to sourcewatch.org, prior to 2001 she headed the Washington office of Koch Industries.

Koch Industries is a major polluter. During the 1990s, its faulty pipelines were responsible for more than 300 oil spills in five states, prompting a landmark penalty of $35 million from the Environmental Protection Agency. In Minnesota, it was fined an additional $8 million for discharging oil into streams. During the months leading up to the 2000 presidential elections, the company faced even more liability, in the form of a 97-count federal indictment charging it with concealing illegal releases of 91 metric tons of benzene, a known carcinogen, from its refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Nancy Pfotenhauer (nee Mitchell) was formerly executive Vice President at Citizens for a Sound Economy, a powerful industry-funded think tank, promoting deregulation. It was founded by Koch Industries interests and continues to maintain strong links.

So, Nancy was a lobbyist for a group that was big on deregulation and was a front for a corporation that polluted a lot. What a surprize. This is another example of the kind of change John McCain will promote, the kind of people he will put in his Administration and another example of his maverick reform minded thinking.

[Jim--C]

thanks for the heads up on nancy p.

[youarekillingme]

God Helps Us All!!!

[paixa3]

Gosh Mr. Jenkins, you make it read as if the previous Republican agenda was logical. Their economic plans have never been logical for the country, nor for common workers.

[MinasTirith]

With the advent of more and more 'Neocon' thinking, the Republicans, as torch bearers for the mentality, have been pushing (hardest since Regan) to make government small enough so that you could drown it in a bathtub.

Not 'small' in terms of it's overall footprint. But small in terms of how it interacts with, owns, regulates or controls aspects of the economy.

Their 'Ownership Society' was best described in Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine'.­..They have been looking for a way to invoke the kind of shock upon our own nation that has scuttled other countries around the globe, with the help of the World Bank and the IMF. The 'shock' is necessary because without it, the people will rebel. But, given enough shock (can you say, 9-11?) the people will stare open mouthed as rights are removed, as previous government entities are privatized, as the wool is pulled over the eyes of the population.

This has been the methodology of Bush, this is the continued legacy that McCain now carries. This is what makes the Republicans dead at the core. Because their version of the 'Free Market' and what we know as 'Democracy' are in most every respect, mutually exclusive concepts.

[JonathanDS2U]

I once did a junior high school report on group behavior, back in the '70s when I wanted to make the case for anarchism. One thing one learns is that a lot of anti-social individuals can belong to a group and receive sanction for their pre-tendency to want to mess people up. I often see such characteristics in people who are so very proud to call themselves Republicans. They just don't care what happens to other people. This of course is not true of all Republicans, in fact there probably even a few Nazis who didn't know what they were a part of at one time.

[TonyOnly]

We MUST toss the republicans out. They don't deserve to be rewarded for what they've done.

[FirstShirt]

Ok, lets trade. You take the presidency and let the republicans have the Congress. Pelosi and Reid were worthless and have done nothing.

[bobdob]

Oh, but haven't you heard, Mr. Jenkins? The reason John McCain doesn't use a computer is isn't because he lacks the skills. It's because, as a prisoner of war, he was beaten so severely that he can't raise his arms to type--only to pound the podium as he demands an end to unnecessary government regulation and meddling in markets that work best when they're left to run themselves. Or hadn't you heard?

[Bluedanube]

McCain was a POW??? I'm surprised his campaign hasn't used this.

[JRsNana]

LMFAO!

[FirstShirt]

Yeah. It is a hoot isn't it? He said the North Vietnamese broke his with torture. I bet you were choking on your popcorn with laughter at that.

[Bocababs]

As I get ready to go to a white woman's house tonight as there are house parties all over FL tonight of Women Who Support Obama, I am struck by the Black House thing in Scranton PA, and can only thank the Lord Above I grew up in Philadelphia and not West of there. Whole different culture in Philly.

I had a talk with my old boss on the West Coast of FL that I worked with for five years. He is a staunch Republican who hates Bush, thinks the country is in a Recession, would have rather have had Rudy be President, but did not like him even that much and thought he ran a terrible campaign, and then I read your post today and I thought of all of this. I think the Republican Party needs to go back to their old conservative I think the GOP went crazy with Religion, Power and War. Governor Palin is one more nail in that part of their movement's coffin, and I cannot see this woman running anything that has to do with the situation our country is in at this time. We need a real leader and that leader is NOT John McCain. His ambition and downright horrible demeanor over Obama has scared me over these past few months, and I am hoping others who are scared to vote for the "Black Man" in Pennsylvania come out of their bigotry and see the light.

[Bowillie]

You people are crazy if you think all of the problems in this country were caused by Republicans!
What has your Democratic majoriy Congress done to fix any of the problems they promised you they were going to fix if you just gave them a chance.

"The US spends more than any other on medical care, a huge proportion of its huge income, with so little to show for it that it has one of the lowest life expectancies among wealthy countries, sliding from 11th to 42nd in the past 20 years. "

Could it be that our health sucks because we over eat the wrong foods and sit on our butts too much?
Does the government need bottle feed you and keep you from hurting yourself? Good grief!

Take some of the responsibily for yourselves there is plenty that needs to be taken.

[michiganfan]

Let's take a look at the Democratic "majority" Congress. Shall we?

- They have had the "majority" for all of a year and a half.
- During that year and a half, the Republicans have set an all-time record for the number of filibusters in a single term.
- During that year and a half, president Bush/Cheney has vetoed how many bills that would have addressed the problems the Dems wanted to fix?
- Their margin of control in the Senate is 51/49. For every issue, there is at least one "blue dog" democrat who sides with the Republicans (like Joe Lieberman on Iraq). On top of that for the vast majority of the last year and a half, the Dems have had at least one Senator out of action and unable to work. (Kennedy with cancer, and Johnson with a brain hemorrhage­.) So, other than holding control of the committees (thank god) the Dems DON'T have control of Congress.

[michiganfan]

"Could it be that our health sucks because we over eat the wrong foods and sit on our butts too much?
Does the government need bottle feed you and keep you from hurting yourself? Good grief!"

- Or maybe it might have something to do with fact that a third of the people in our country are uninsured/­underinsur­ed and don't have access to proper health care.
- Or maybe it might have something to do with the poorest people in this country having no access to quality education, hence the bad health and eating habits.

[michiganfan]

"You people are crazy if you think all of the problems in this country were caused by Republicans!"

The Dems are spineless and haven't stood up to them, or done what has been within their power to obstruct horrific Republican policies. That is their burden of the blame in this. However, most of the problems in this country have indeed been caused by policies initiated by the Republicans. (*cough* Phil Gramm *cough*)

[indi1216]

Not to put the blame on the Republicans, but you know all this happen under the Republican's watch and of course the $1 trillion war did not help, oh and the bill spearheaded by Republicans that got us into this financial mess to deregulate them...and luckily we did not listen to McCain on privatizing our social security, guess it would all be gone by now. Still think McCain can help us now?

[wheaties]

Don't forget access to healthy foods. Many studies have been done about the lack of quality produce available in cities. Oakland has come up with a community gardening program that has been really successful.

i agree that people need to work out and stay in shape, but that alone is not going to make a dent in controlling the costs of our system. I always love it when republicans scream about individual responsibi­lity....ho­w many banks did our government bail out today???