[Vision2020] From Depression to Rage

[Tom Hansen]

"Republicans lecturing the country about fiscal responsibility, economic
recovery, governing - or anything else, for that matter - would be like
Mick Jagger lecturing Mother Teresa about excessive promiscuity."

The following unsigned commentary courtesy of the Atlantic's "The Daily
Dish" at:

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/01/from-depression-to-rage.html

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The past year has been a very difficult one for me, personally and
professionally. I've been up a lot more than I've been down, and I've been
angry and frustrated with life, as we all are at times. But I can't
remember the last time I felt such overwhelming rage toward a group of
people as I have felt toward the Republican Party and the conservative
movement since President Obama's election.

I simply cannot grasp what motivates these people, what compels them to
thwart even the smallest attempts to clean up the enormous destruction
they wrought under Bush and Cheney. Irresponsible, hateful, mendacious,
sleazy, destructive - these words do not even begin to describe them.

I am unemployed and have not found a new job after almost a year of
searching. I have a mortgage. I also have a preexisting medical condition,
thanks to emergency surgery I had to undergo nearly 18 months ago. My
unemployment benefits expire in five months, my COBRA not long after. Like
untold millions of Americans, I am preparing for the worst as the economy
slogs through its agonizing turnaround.

I voted for Obama with proud but open eyes, knowing full well not just the
magnitude of the tasks he faced, but the pure, unrestrained malevolence of
his opposition. Health care reform will unquestionably help people like
me. And now some low-rent hairdo, whose sole claim to fame is posing naked
for some ladies' magazine way back when, may happily destroy whatever
chance this country has at moving in a more just, humane, and morally and
fiscally responsible direction.

As you stated, the Republican Party of this new century is shot through
with nihilists. Unabashed nihilists. But what leaves me shaking with anger
damn near every day since President Obama's inauguration is the pure
smugness and nonchalance of their nihilism.

Palin, McConnell, DeMint, Boehner, Cantor, Rubio, Scott Brown and the rest
of the Ailes- and Limbaugh-warped GOP: Would you trust any one of these
goons to greet you at Wal-Mart, much less govern our country? The question
answers itself. They literally care nothing for America. They have spent
the past decade doubling the national debt, running up record deficits,
indulging the depradations of Wall Street, expanding Medicare by a
trillion dollars while refusing to cover the cost, needlessly and
shamelessly cutting taxes by two trillion dollars while again refusing to
cover the cost, degrading the Army and Marine Corps to the point where it
will take them both at least a decade to recover, jailing and torturing
detainees and lying about it, manipulating intelligence in order to invade
Iraq out of some sick neocon thirst for vanity and glory. I could go on,
but that would take hours, and only make me angrier.

Suffice to say that Republicans lecturing the country about fiscal
responsibilty, economic recovery, governing - or anything else, for that
matter - would be like Mick Jagger lecturing Mother Teresa about excessive
promiscuity.

Karl Rove and Dick Cheney were thankfully not present at America's
founding. But their political descendants will certainly be present at
America's demise.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown