Based on the performance of the circus act known as the Republican Congress, we are in big trouble. We currently have our crazy uncle holding the purse strings to our country, their kids are all eight-year-old bullies, and because they are religious freaks who don't believe God wanted them to use birth control, there are a lot of those bullies around. They may not be smart, but they know how to riot and they are allowed to carry guns. They may not understand how the world works, but they know how to line up at the polling place and push that button that says "R."
Those right wingnuts in Congress have taken the shock of 9/11, followed by war and a "great recession" and used those horrific events to train the bullies to set their sights on a black president, a woman leader in the House, and the poor and minority people of this country. The Tea Party voters may not be good at math, but they make up for it with enthusiasm: wipe out food stamps and NPR and we can get rid of that nasty federal deficit. Build that wall and we'll have good jobs again, get rid of Muslims and all those white people carrying guns will stop shooting up theaters and churches.
I recently caught a minute of a Rand Paul event on C-Span in which one of those geniuses in the town hall crowd was railing about a government that can't control companies that pollute the environment with things like oil spills. I should have taped it, because I still don't believe I really heard it. "You idiot!" I shouted at the woman. "Don't you know who that IS?" Rand Paul, who would get rid of the EPA, who believes government regulation is bad, bad, BAD.
It takes me back to the beginning days of the Obama administration, when the Tea Party turned up to protest in DC, complaining about the poor public transportation, which had been caused by Tea Party budget cuts.
Which brings me back to cybersecurity. Because while fools like Ted Cruz are implying that "carpetbombing" our enemies will keep us safe, those who truly control the country, like Wall Street and all those companies that have their hands on the electric grid, can't be made to share their vulnerabilities with the federal government or each other in order to make them safe from cyberattack. Like Nikki Haley a couple of years ago, I imagine once our enemies attack Congress will give us a free year of credit reports.
We're holding on to our guns while the smart psychopaths are working on the capability of pulling the plug on our government and industry computers.
And our candidates for president? Clueless. What they do know is how to get the crowd riled up. Much like Barnum and Bailey, they know there is a sucker born every minute, and those suckers are happy to wave their guns and get in line at the voting booths.
And, by the way, I'd like to stop hearing that these are people who have been hurt by economic downturns. Take a look at the people turning up to cheer for Cruz and Rubio. They are teachers and small business people, they are trading in their economy cars for trucks and SUV's again, and they never have to worry about whether to see a doctor or repair the roof. They are pissed off because they have been given permission to be pissed off, and it feels good to have someone to blame, even if they aren't entirely sure what they are angry at.
And if that's how to get elected, our bunch of republican candidates are happy to point them in a convenient direction. The Stupids are not only running for president, but are waving their guns and cheering, and lining up to vote.
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