How can it
be that our governmental processes have degenerated to the point where it is
considered okay by a large portion of the public and political leadership to
deny funding for needed health care services to children, old people, poor people
and the sickest among us, and at the same time give huge tax rewards to the
richest among us? With nearly a trillion dollars involved, this is not an
incidental action; but, a massive transfer of necessary human survival services
for unnecessary individual enrichment.
Tax breaks
for the rich and "trickle down" economics have been a part of the
political landscape for years, but the direct taking of money for lifesaving
services to provide windfalls to the wealthiest has reached a new level of cold-heartedness.
Let's pause
and take stock. It's 2017. The Presidency is a national and international
embarrassment led by a man who is supported by about a third of the public. His
actions scoff traditional norms of decency, undermine the basic foundation of
American government, and threaten national security. He has established a
new normal where facts can no longer be distinguished from lies. Hard to
believe, but the good old U.S.A. is being led by a man so in love with himself,
that he prints a fake Time magazine cover "trump"eting his phony accomplishments and
resides in a constant state of alternate reality.
Congress is
non-functional because of intense political polarization that has reached a
point of frantic implausibility. The two major political parties have morphed
into factionalized tribes, trading patriotism for
partisanship, to the point that they can no longer define or
articulate what they stand for and being led by the extreme elements of their
ranks.
We can't
blame the current state of affairs solely on our bungling President. There are
two prominent and skilled GOP leaders -- Mitch McConnell & Paul Ryan --
who could stop this madness in a New York minute if they chose to elevate reverence for country over their dogmatic passion for
Party supremacy.
The
breakdown of the major political parties and their growing dysfunction has led
to their inability to provide the required "check" on the executive
branch. Congressional paralysis in recent years provided the underpinnings
for the movement that led to the election of Donald Trump and its persistence
now allows the continuation of this national and international insult to the
American brand.
The more
extreme ends of each party remain active and continue to fan the rhetorical
fires that further divide the electorate. The mainstream media continues to
report the constant drumbeat of lies, dumbfounding tweets and statements, and
unimaginable political faux pas. The alternative media distorts
reality and rationalizes the GOP and White House shenanigans and demonizes
the mainstream media.
At the same
time, much of the public have allowed their eyes to glaze over and begun to
tune out the constant frenzy of insanity. Many are in search of distractions to
avoid the insults to their intelligence. Many have run out of adjectives to
describe what is happening. Many avoid discussions with family and friends
because the circumstances are so sensitive and confrontational.
The vehement
debate over health care is indicative of what is to come as the country faces
other major policy directives and issues. The political leadership of both
parties is pushing the framework of democracy dangerously close to its breaking
point. The tolerance of the American public for this continued malfeasance
and incompetence is not sacrosanct -- it will reach a point of eruption.
Within the
next few days the GOP leadership and Presidency have a choice: to either stop
the current intolerable proceedings and start anew with a bipartisan
approach; or, they can continue to ram through a one-sided solution constructed
with no public hearing or scrutiny that is doomed to failure and will push the public
to the brink. The choice is theirs.
From my
perspective, the desired process would be to develop legislation via the
shared committee power process which I have continually advocated in this blog.
See more on shared committee power and links to further
information: https://goo.gl/LwzeuA.
