Republican Class Wars

Over the last four years, Republicans have been accusing President Obama and Congressional Democrats of practicing class wars. I have not seen that; I do however know of a much uglier war of the sort that has been fomented by Reagan Republicans for the last 30 years. That war is of course against "liberal elites."

If one is to practice demagoguery, one must direct people's attention against someone who is at a higher place in society than are they. And while the Marxist directs that attention against businessmen, the Reagan Republican directs it against scientists, journalists and artists. In both cases a great wrong is done. And since the Republican-fomented class wars are much more prevalent in America than are the Marxist ones, it is these that need to be scrutinized the most.

These class wars are making it hard for the people at their receiving end to do their job; the result of that is disastrous to America. Science is at the root of all technology, which means that it is at the root of all prosperity, and without it capitalism would be nothing more than exchange of basic commodities at the level it was in Medieval Persia. Journalists inform people about what is happening in the world, and if they aren't allowed to do so truthfully then the public is blind. As for arts, these are the flowering of civilization, its gift to the world and the thing from which it derives its name; and good art continues to exist long after all of one's contemporaries are dead. All of these are very important pursuits, and attacking these pursuits is ruinous to the country.

Is the Marxist class warrior better than the Republican one? No; but the problem is as follows. The Republicans keep falsely accusing Democrats of practicing class wars when they are themselves guilty of practicing them to a much greater extent. And while there are places in the world in which the Marxist class wars are still taking place, America is not one of those places. Instead America has seen Republican wars against the more successful people of Democratic persuasion, to grave detriment to America and to needless suffering inflicted upon all sorts of good people in America and elsewhere in the world.

So whenever a Republican starts accusing Obama or anyone else of practicing class wars, let it be remembered who is behind real class wars in America. It is not Obama, and it is not the Democrats. It is Reagan Republicans that have caused the worst class wars on American soil, and America has suffered as a result.

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2012 Republican Ethics

Since the late 1970s I have followed political candidates and each party's platform with a personal blend of inquisitiveness, awe and learning. I began my political fascination in the Democratic camp under Jimmy Carter, switched to the Republican side under Ronald Reagan and back to the Democratic platform when Bill Clinton came into the picture. During Clinton's presidency I changed my affiliation of record to "Independent" as I saw strong candidates on both sides of the political arena that had something worthwhile to offer.

I wanted to know what each candidate's vision, values, candor, sincerity, track record, "personability" and aura of "presidentialism" traits were firsthand. In my years of political enthrallment I would watch each political party's entire convention. I saw teamwork, support, guidance and revelation in the political discourse on both sides. I studied every candidate and made informed decisions of my own accord instead of following the public consensus of what I regarded as an uninformed majority. Too many people know very little but they speak it fluently. Politics can be grand. It has weeded out the weak candidates and given the public a means to identify our leader(s). Government is after all... for the people.

2012 however, has redefined what political leadership is, or can be. The Republican Party (RP) once touted that they were part of the "Moral Majority" implying that they had God on their side and would only do the right things. In August 2004 for example, on CBS's 60 Minutes, President George W. Bush was asked "Before declaring war on Iraq, did you consult with your father (ex-President George H. W. Bush)?" Bush replied, "No. I consulted with a higher Father."

Today, the RP carries an intangible air of superiority. The platform resonates with such banners as "kill abortion with forced vaginal probe ultrasounds," marriage sanctity definitions, medicare reductions, repeal of medical care for ALL Americans (i.e.- Obamacare) and protection for the wealthy from modest taxation to build America whole again. Their basic arithmetic however does not add up. Because Republican members blend faith into the mix with their rhetoric they imply that God continues to be somehow on their side and the enemies are Democrats who are weakening the genetic pool of America.

Misguided, uninformed "moral" arguments are pervasive in our daily discourse cloaked with fear and confusion BUT in 30 years of following the political landscape I have never witnessed so much incompetence, racism and blatant lies in the political debate, primarily from Republicans. Newt Gingrich wants to replace janitors with the students themselves in our elementary schools, and even colonize the moon!? Herman Cain's excuses his lack of world knowledge because he is a "leader not a reader?" Mitt Romney discounts the 47% of Americans who reap rewards earned in Social Security benefits, veteran benefits or unemployment benefits and frowns on those who earn subsistence income that is below the thresholds of Federal tax liability. Grand Cayman accounts, China investments, off-shoring, reckless war mongering rhetoric, Veteran oversight errors, self-deportation suggestions, company closures and tax relief for the wealthy paint Romney as a flip flopping puppet of the elite that cannot run a campaign, let alone a country.

Deceptive ads from Romney, American Crossroads aka Karl Rove and the RP are considered "acceptable" as long as they are anti-Obama; turning a blind eye to ethical competition casts a deep shadow on the integrity of the candidates. Rush Limbaugh diatribes insult the intellect to earn a buck. John Boehner's criticism of President Obama for his "lack of focus" on the economy ring hollow when he has the House of Representatives debating whether "In God We Trust" should be our national motto, Paul Ryan's claim for political clout that a GM plant that shut down in Janesville, WI (his hometown) should be blamed on Obama when he knows Obama was not President at the time are just a few examples of falsehoods and misinformation campaigns. To add more insult to the American intellect, Fox News and Sean Hannity for example, surreptitiously combine protest footage between the Spring and Fall to imply "big problems in Washington" and then recant saying it was "an inadvertent mistake."

Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority leader, has stated that his top priority is NOT rebuilding the economy but rather to "make Obama a one-term President." Broad-based "objectionism," for the sake of hate, using the American people as pawns, is not leadership. Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman combine eloquent charm with vitriol to mask truth. This is the highest office in the nation, a Presidential race, which demands honesty, the facts and a sound plan!

It is clear that many in the GOP (aka RP) have lost their moral compass and must now contend with Romney's touted "rolling calamity" campaign. Taking a position that is opposite of your opponent just because it will "differentiate" you from the competition is no sound strategy. Where is the substance?!The fact that both ex-President's Bush could have endorsed Romney in person at the Republican National Convention, yet they abstained, tells a story by itself. Jindal, Christie and Santorum surrogates have seemingly abandoned their front-runner. If only Wishy-Washy Republicans could "etch-a-sketch" themselves into new leaders maybe we could start to have earnest discussion with individuals who have the intellect, desire, forthrightness, ability and desire to really move our collective America into the future... TOGETHER!

Enrique Ruiz, CDE, CM, MBA, PgMP
http://www.americasdiversityleader.com/

Enrique Ruiz (Rick) is President of PositivePsyche.Biz Corp. His global expertise spans commercial, defense and IT industries on two continents. He has a successful track record of building diverse, dynamic and multicultural teams with workforces up to 15,000 strong. He is a Hispanic-American that has lived in 3 countries and worked in four. He is fluent in Spanish, studied other languages and engaged in several faiths. He has published several books and provides consulting, training and speaking services on leadership, program management and diversity management.

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