The Time Machine

The problem with the 21^st Century Republican Party is that it is running on a 19^th Century engine. The Republican presidential candidates even look and talk 19^th Century-ish. They speak of change, but they mean merely a return to an age long gone. These guys make the monopoly-driven Robber Barons look like penny-ante flimflam men in their desire to corner the market on everything in the universe.

I watched the Republican presidential candidates “debate” last night. What a melee. The candidates interrupted one another, sneered, and looked down their condescending noses at Ron Paul, the only candidate who opposes the U.S. military adventure in Iraq. But on matters other that the war, Ron Paul has some zany ideas, like eliminating the federal government.

One of the more amusing Twilight Zone ideas was floated by Mitt Romney. His proposed health care plan would require the abolition of all publicly-funded health care programs. Each individual would be responsible for buying his or her own healthcare coverage in full. Anyone who opts to forgo a plan would be required to pay all costs of medical care out of pocket and possibly subject themselves to penalties for failing to buy a plan.

That’s an odd approach. Republicans preach “individual responsibility” and then stick it to you if you exercise a little bit of individuality and opt out of their way. That’s kind of like God saying “Okay, Bobby Boy, I’m giving you free will, but if you exercise your God given free will to my displeasure, then buy some asbestos pants, pal.”

I wasn’t alive in the 19^th Century, but I’ve studied enough history to know that the health care system proposed by Romney is the same as the system in effect in 1900, namely, nil. If you became injured or ill in those days, tough stuff. No money? Then suffer. It’s your own damned fault a rusty cable snapped and severed your leg. There are plenty of other suckers waiting in line to take your job. Society has no responsibility for you.

Of course, a society that refuses to care for its own is an amoral society. We managed to redeem ourselves somewhat with Roosevelt’s social programs of the 1930s. But sadly, we are now regressing, pushed along by opportunistic elites who hold the threat of low wage illegal aliens over our heads.

The U.S. now has more than “plenty of others” waiting to take the jobs of American saps who decide to fall ill. We have a surplus of illegal aliens onstage already, something like 20-30,000,000. With a backup force this big, rich folks like Romney don’t have to suffer whining, sniveling Americans yard lackeys who actually fell for the American Dream and demand a decent wage.

When candidates talk about eliminating health care for others, they fail to mention their own generous government funded health care. And they also omit a neat little fact: all employer expenses are passed along to the customer. Businesses don’t eat anything. Sure, businesses argue that they could reduce prices to Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. America if they could just get rid of those pesky taxes and employer contributions. They just don’t say that the savings are pocketed by them rather than passed along.

Were there any other antique ideas floating out of the Republican debate? All of them. Too many for me to even think about. My brain is addled. I need to calm my nerves. But I can say this. If you want to know what these old geezers will do, look at the Bush record. These guys actually trampled each other in their zeal to jump on the Bush Wagon.

If you like backwards time travel, vote Republican.

A couple of asides

Huckabee must have returned to Arkansas. He was relatively silent last night. He shoulda played his guitar.

Mitt Romney had a taser up his arsetermeister. He talked so fast one had the impression he was rushing to pull it out. I wonder if his wife ever gets a word in edgewise.

John McCain spent his time sneering at Ron Paul.

Fred Thompson tutored everyone in his stentorian Hollywood syllabic preciseness.

Rudy seemed bewildered.

And Ron? His wide-eyed innocent stare hypnotized me.