What has become of the Republican Party?
As I write this, the state’s electors have cast their votes for President- Elect Joe Biden and Vice President- elect KamalaHarris.
The American people have shown, by a historic election turnout, our choice for new national leadership by a margin of over 6 million votes. The reaction by a majority of the Republican Party to their defeat in the presidential election has been very revealing.
There is no longer any doubt about the political philosophy of the former Grand OldParty. TheGOPthat I knew formuchof my early adult life stood for a party led by President Dwight Eisenhower. This party stood for competent civil service, fiscal responsibility, a stalwart opposition to all forms of Fascist governments, high moral character and respect for the States’ Rights in a republican form of government.
With the election of Richard Nixon and his choice for Vice President Spiro Agnew, this party began to change. BothNixon and Agnew were proven to be corrupt. The change was accelerated with the rise of SpeakerNewt Gingrich and the Tea PartyMovement.
The Nixon Southern Strategy was an overt appeal to racism as a fundamental policy choice of the new GOP. The party leadership recruited the former Democratic Dixiecrats into the Republican Party to form a new Red Wall dividing the country down the middle.
This new GOP was against spending taxpayer’s money for the benefit of theworking class under the presidencies of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Fiscal discipline was their most important priority. This priority changed rapidly under Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump. Taxes were greatly reduced on business and the rich and the national debt has skyrocketed.
Of even greater concern is the new GOP stance on the respect for the Rule of Law. Even Attorney General Barr, a great advocate for Trump, has stated that there is no evidence of fraud in this past election.
The attempt by 17 Republican state
Attorneys’ General and over120Republican Members of Congress to have the Supreme Court overturn the clear majority vote of the people is a defining moment in the history of our country.
This is an attempted government takeover by a Fascist Party.
They state they represent the outrage of their vocal minority base. Who speaks for the outrage of the majority of the people who cast their ballots in a fair and open election? Biden and Harris won by over seven million votes ( 4.5% margin). Majority rule is a central principle to the very concept of a democracy! How have we come to this?
This election will be the subject of much research by our social scientists. Clearly the reasons are complex. One reason seems to be based largely on racial bias. The election of Obama has brought into the light a national problem that we have been struggling with since the founding of our nation. Also, the Republicans have lost the high ground on issues of morality.
Perhaps the most difficult reason to deal with is the changing nature of information exchange and work in our modern society.
Oursources ofnewscannowbe suppliedby “BOTS” that target false information to specific segments of our population to manipulate theirworld views.
Technology is also replacing many of our previous manual labor jobswith computers and machines. We need new laws and regulations to deal with these profound technological influences on our society if we are to save our democracy.
As we have witnessed the rise of successful Fascist political movements in both Italy and Germany in the 20th century, we are witnessing the rise of a Fascist political movement in our country today. They ask for fanatical devotion to a strong leader. They tolerate street violence as evidence of their passion for the leader. They despise democratic principles as being a shelter for theweakand“socialism”. They believe in minority rule by the True Believers.