Thoughts That Keep Me Up At Night

I woke up during the night with this chilling thought:  Some of the same people who believe  defaulting on our debt would be no big deal also don't think evolution or climate change are real.  (That sentence could have just as well ended with the word think.)  How, with all the evidence to the contrary, Republican obstructionists can blow off the tremendous impact defaulting would have—not only on the economy and the ensuing fallout in this Country but globally—is beyond me.   Respected economists and other leaders around the world are warning us of the consequences.  How can anyone deny this?  The same way they deny the scientific evidence of evolution and climate change.

 

Former President Carter made a thoughtful observation this week:  He said that what the world is seeing when they look at the United States today is a democracy that's not working.  No way that can be a good thing.  I believe our "exceptional" country is getting less exceptional by the day, thanks to a handful of people who—to a great extent—were bankrolled by some of the wealthiest people in this country and elected by pawns of those people who have no idea they're being used against their own best interests.

 

Someone I love dearly sent me a message the other day, with a link to an article quoting the Heritage Foundation on the Affordable Care Act.  He was asking what I thought about it. I could tell my fuse was getting mighty short when I nearly had apoplexy, wondering how he could trust that source.  (Saw just yesterday that the Koch brothers recently gave $50 million to Heritage.)  Or how he could think of buying the assertion that "Obamacare means the end of the middle class in America."  Then he sent an article quoting another Affordable Care naysayer—Ben Carson, a Harvard-affiliated MD.  A regular on Fox.  So, I understand my friend isn't immersed as I am in monitoring and researching the political landscape.  He has other passions, other interests.   I messaged, "I don't want to talk about this."  To which he replied, "I understand, but . . . " and continued, totally ignoring my wishes.   Geeeeez.

 

Wish I hadn't gotten so upset about it, enough to take a BP pill.  He's a brilliant person, a genius in some respects.  Just not in politics!  I shouldn't have attempted to educate him in an e-mail.  Foolish to try. And I wish I hadn't told him to find somebody who would tell him what he wanted to hear.  But it's beyond frustrating to receive right-wing propaganda from someone I love, respect and believe I know well—especially when the person is hard-headed as I am and hard to convince.  I hope some of his reaction is about anxiety for the future and not knowing what information is reliable.   I did refer him to healthcare.gov.

 

Yep, the fuse is short and getting shorter.  Maybe, in part, because I spend so much time listening, reading, researching, watching C-Span, cable news and PBS.  There's still a lot I don't know about politics, policy, and too many other subjects.  But I have been paying attention.  My burning interest in all things political keeps me tuned in— even when it's not in the best interest of my well-being.   I'm worried about the state of our political system.  The rigidity.  The ignorance.  The unprecedented power the Republican majority in the U.S. House has given this small group of obstructionists is deeply troubling—as is the control already being exercised over our elected representatives by mega-wealthy businessmen.  And the Supreme Court's next ruling on campaign contributions, if they rule in favor of unlimited personal contributions, would have a terrible impact on the electoral process and governance, much like the Citizens United case has.  It's horrifying.  But fear can render us impotent, so we can't give in to it.

 

After writing this and on more hard self-examination, I recognized a deeper truth about my beloved friend's messages and their effect on me.   It's that I have grown to associate a person's political philosophy with their moral compass, as a reflection of what's in their hearts.  What their priorities are.   It speaks volumes about a person's worldview. So, it frightened me to think that the man I have known as a liberal's liberal (a self-described "radical" when we first met) might have given in somehow to fear or—what?  My father once said, "I'm a Democrat because I care about people."  That's certainly the reason I'm a Democrat. That, and I respect that other people are my equal.  Most of us Lefties don't mind having a little less (paying more taxes, etc) in order that less fortunate Americans might have a hand up.  We don't resent it.  And my friend does care about people.   I know that. When we're face to face next time, I will talk with him about all this.  I care far too much about him to discuss something of this magnitude (for me) by phone or messaging.

 

I don't know how the Affordable Care Act will affect individual Americans or this Country over the long haul.   Granted, the first week of the AFA "rollout" didn't go well.  However,  I am optimistic that changes will be made when aspects of this huge, complex new system are found wanting.  Some have been identified already.  And the President seems more than willing to modify whatever doesn't work in "Obamacare." Social Security and Medicare weren't without glitches in the beginning.  Best I can tell both systems have been running smoothly for a long time; in fact, they've exceeded this taxpayer's expectations.

 

No, I don't know everything.  Far from it.  But I am informed for hours each day by a broad range of sources.  I do know "the middle class" won't be destroyed by the health care act.  The "middle class" has been on the road to extinction for decades.   The Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and greed (which has led to such things as the exportation of jobs for jaw-dropping profits and socking away money in offshore accounts) are two major contributors to that sad truth.  Make no mistake about it—Democrats and this President are the ones who have been fighting—who historically have fought—for the poor and for policies that strengthen the "middle class."  So don't recite the freaking Republican talking points to me.  And don't wonder why my head explodes if you do.  If you know me at all,  you know I don't suffer fools gladly; in fact, these days I don't suffer them at all.  The ones in Congress—well, I need to keep an eye on what they're doing.  We all do.