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OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 5/21/11

How Do You Spell Sociopath? G-O-P

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Message Michael Payne

What is a sociopath? The definitions can get very involved and complicated but, in short, a sociopath is "a person with a personality disorder marked by antisocial behavior -- a person who has little regard for the feelings of others and manipulates them in order to get what he or she desires." It's a description of an individual "who has little to no sense of right versus wrong." 

That's it; that description is almost a perfect fit for the hierarchy of the Republican Party -- an organization that has "little regard for the feelings of others" to the extent it is determined to eliminate any and all governmental programs designed to help Americans in need. Its objective seems to be, "let's strip social benefits for the American people so we can give more tax cuts to our corporate masters." 

For now, we will restrict this sociopathic designation to the GOP hierarchy because of its obvious behavior patterns and not include Republican and Independent voters who have, unfortunately, allowed themselves to be influenced by the clever but vicious Republican agenda. However, if the twisted ideology of the G-O-P becomes deeply embedded in their psyches, then they will be in grave danger of assuming that same sociopathic identity. 

I'm not inferring that the entire Republican hierarchy should be transported to the nearest asylum. Certainly not, at least not yet. We can't say with authority that those who lead this slightly demented party totally fit the description of that behavioral disorder. However, they are moving closer to it with each passing day as their actions, primarily in the U.S. Congress, are getting more and more hateful and mean spirited as they search for new ways to serve their corporate masters at the expense of the people. 

The GOP agenda has no room for the needs of the people; it's designed to just let the people fend for themselves no matter how dire their situation might be. There is no need for wasteful programs such as health care for everyone, no need for Social Security or Medicare. Republicans care nothing about people. They are much more comfortable in the company of the largest corporations of America. In fact, we might say that the GOP has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Corporate America. 

Some political observers say that, with their obsession to drastically cut back or eliminate entitlements, Republicans are committing political suicide. But could we possibly be that lucky? What should we bring to the celebration? I can hardly wait to send out sympathy cards to my Republican friends. If only that were true! 

Did I hear it right, can it be true that the Republican Governor LePage of Maine is trying to roll back child labor laws in that state, to increase the hours they can work and reduce their rates of pay? What?? 

In recent months, Republican governors in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Texas, among others, have tried to pass legislation to eliminate the bargaining rights of unionized public workers including teachers, police and firefighters. Some have actually succeeded. They eventually might see to it that those who teach your children will be paid the minimum wage. That's how much importance they assign to education, a critical part of America's foundations. 

Talk about demented thinking, how about this Article that relates to 9/11 responders and is an insult to their bravery. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) somehow succeeded in adding an amendment to the new 9/11 Health Bill in the House that would require thousands of these responders who risked their lives to save others to have their names run through the FBI's terrorism watch list to make certain that no terrorists could get the benefits of the bill. 

Since President Obama entered office, Republicans have obstructed new Democratic legislation at every opportunity and they have also made it clear that their intent is to destroy FDR's New Deal "for the American people." The Republican Party has, in effect, declared war -- class war -- on the American people, telling them in blunt terms, "We are going to eliminate every social program that benefits you and if you don't like it what are you going to do about it?" 

In the congressional elections of 2010, what did millions of uninformed Americans do about it? Well, they went to the polls and elected a great number of those very same Republicans who had just dumped on them and gave the GOP control of the House of Representatives. In other words, after the GOP had kicked millions of Americans in the butt, many of those Americans said, "Please sir, may I have another?" How millions of Americans could have done that is difficult to comprehend. It's like casting a vote against your own interests and yourself. 

If the GOP ever gains control of both the White House and both houses of Congress, America will see the privatization of Social Security and Medicare. We will also see the elimination of many of the rules and regulations for the banking industry, the oil-drilling and mining industries, environmental protections, together with other rules and regulations that were designed to curb illegal or damaging practices. This will give Corporate American free rein to do whatever it wishes to generate yet more obscene profits. 

We'll see student loan programs and Pell grants disappear, the Dept. of Education closed and programs that provide aid to schools eliminated. We will see programs to help the poor, the needy and the disabled cut. If Republicans have their way, they will have recently enacted health care legislation, what they refer to as Obamacare, repealed by the courts and replaced with -- nothing. 

We'll see more bailouts for Wall Street, continued tax breaks for the rich and subsidies for the oil industry, a lowering of the corporate tax rate, and congressional investigations of illegal and abusive practices by corporations and their CEO's will be a thing of the past. These corrupted politicians will take care of those they serve, the corporations of America. 

How many more times can the Republicans tell the mass of Americans, "In your face" before the American people say enough is enough? The American people pay the overwhelming portions of the nation's taxes, they are the ones who fund the government and pay the salaries of all the many politicians in Washington D.C. It is time that we the people tell those demented politicians that they will no longer be allowed to trample on the rights of the American electorate. 

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