Republicans Want to Party Like it's 1899
I got to talking with a co-worker the other day and our discussion turned toward politics and the ever-rightward drift of the Republican Party. We both noted that the Republican Party in its current state is virtually unrecognizable compared to the Republican Party during the Reagan years. I readily posit that Ronald Reagan couldn't get nominated for Dog Catcher by today's Republicans. During our conversation, I mentioned that I had recently read an argument that showed how the Republican party, via its misinformation wing (FOX News) is basically opposed to every landmark piece of legislation in the 20th Century. I want to share it because it is frightfully accurate.
To wit (the AlterNet piece that I recalled is here) the Republicans would love to undo:
1. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid (If you're stupid enough to get old or sick, it's YOUR FAULT!).
2. 17th Amendment - direct election of U.S. Senators by the voting public, as opposed to having state legislatures choose them (um, because the public can't be trusted to elect its leaders?).
3. 16th Amendment - basically the creation of the federal income tax (because there should be no taxes; freedom is FREE!!!).
4. Americans with Disabilities Act (if you're disabled, it's YOUR FAULT).
5. Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Uppity negroes!).
6. Voting Rights Act of 1965 (More uppity negroes!).
7. Nuclear arms control, in virtually all it's forms (nuke 'em all, let god sort 'em out!).
8. Abortion rights. (Well, duh, but only sort of - the Republicans had ample opportunity to make major inroads on this topic in the early '00's, yet it is still an issue. Gee, perhaps it is more important to the Republicans that they have the outlawing of abortion to fight for in campaigns as opposed to actually achieving it.)
9. Labor unions (real Americans own factories, they don't work at them).
10. Department of Education (a mind is a terrible thing...)
11. Unemployment insurance (if you're stupid enough to go to work for a company that eventually lays you off, it's YOUR FAULT!!!).
12. Environmental Protection Agency (who needs an environment when Jesus H. Chirst is coming back some time during Sarah Palin's lifetime?).
13. Progressive taxation (Won't somebody think of the millionaires?).
