For years Democrats took unwarranted guff from Conservatives for how they appeared “weak on defense.” Trying to find diplomatic solutions rather than to wage preemptive war was certainly not going to make those in the business of war very successful. When Reagan finagled the release of the hostages to magically coincide with his inauguration in 1981, his neo-con cohorts duped the nation into believing Republicans exclusively could maintain a competent US military. A more insidious motive of paying for their release in a clandestine agreement was the true reason for freeing the hostages, not simply the election of President Reagan, but the serendipitous timing. During much of the 80’s, the arms race was in full swing, and no armament expense was too great. Thus, our military escalated by 43% during the Reagan Administration alone. Increases by subsequent GOP administrations have been even more obscene when compared to every other nation on earth. “Saint Ronnie” has continued to be the messiah of the RNC Convention every four years, and until they implode from abject stupidity, he will be the GOP standard bearer, ad infinitum.
Here’s why: In his two terms as President, Reagan cut the budgets of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (by 40%), the Department of Commerce (by 32%), the Department of Agriculture (by 24%), the Department of Education (by 19%), and the Department of Transportation (by 18%). He never cut the budgets for the Departments of Defense, Justice, or State. The GOP has little use for education, so he was an effective proponent for keeping America ignorant enough to vote against their own better interests. His “government IS the problem” mantra went straight down the toilet with his massive escalation of the SIZE of the federal government. The federal debt was $994 billion when he took office in 1981, and grew to $2.9 trillion when his second term ended in 1989. These obvious inconsistencies between conservative philosophy and actual policies are conveniently omitted from right wing historical accounts. Reality has a well known liberal bias as Fox News viewers are reminded constantly.
With the recent sequestration cuts proposed, Republican Congressional proponents of excessive and wasteful military spending are once again resorting to their fear mongering tactics. Any instrument of destruction, public or private, should have few restrictions according to these misanthropic miscreants. As a party, they’ve been very consistent in assuring our military is far and away the most extravagantly financed force on the planet, even coercing Democrats to fall for their chicken hawkishness. Liberals and Conservatives agree, we are, without a doubt, the greatest military force on earth and few cuts, if any, have been made to the military budgets. (Bush/Cheney did manage to cut the funding on adequate body armor and helmets, but no defense contractors lost a dime).
The irony here is this: Americans know how technologically advanced our military is, yet continue to demand their own personal arsenals to defend themselves from a tyrannical government as if it’s anything but an exercise in futility. So if we try to ban someone’s modified semi-automatic weapon with a high capacity clip, they actually believe they will no longer be able to overtake a Seal Team Six-like force that may descend on their house, after thorough, surreptitious drone surveillance has been conducted? Really?
Maybe video games aren’t as big a problem as Chuck Norris and Die Hard movies are in creating a delusional fantasy culture. Why not? Obviously, man has believed a talking snake, a talking burning bush and a giant boat filled with every species on earth (even those wood eating termites behaved themselves) could co-exist and perpetuate life, so why not make every mullet-sporting vigilante believe he or she is a superhero in their own right?
For years, Republican rule, wrought with incompetent foreign and domestic policy blunders, were never rife with so many who have a fervent need to “take up arms” against our (pre-Maoist) government. Before President Obama, there was an unspoken trust in our government, undeserved as it certainly proved to be. Nonetheless, these Freemen types were largely silent during the Bush years. Rising to a level of prominence not previously seen are these extremist reactionaries like the now remorsefulJames Yeager and the infamous Alex Jones. Yeager had to recant his wild threats: …”and earlier this week I made a pretty inflammatory video. Hindsight being 20-20 I shouldn’t have said some of the things I said, of course. And I just want to reiterate to everyone that it’s not time to shoot anybody.” Sure you don’t, Yeager. You seem like such a stable, sincere guy.
It’s too late for your attorney-coerced apologies I’m afraid. The cat’s out of the bag and your broadcasted instability is merely a glimpse into the larger problem. The proliferation of massive arsenals, ample ammo stashes and the recent calls for armed insurrection validates the thought processes which dominated the Cold War Arms Race. Plotting to “take out” your own democratically elected government is akin to the very treason the Founding Fathers designed the Second Amendment to PREVENT!
Survivalists, doomsday-preppers and street vigilantes are desperately trying to combat an epically well-armed and funded government military. However, this military and the government who manages it has yet to pose any threat remotely resembling Mao, Stalin, Hitler or Chavez. But they’ll do their damnedest to make you believe this convoluted nonsense is the truth.
