The Closing of America

I am at a loss how any American, especially a politician, can dare to think let alone utter the thought that America demonstrates any form of global leadership.

This most recent fiasco to hit the American political system clearly exposes the hypocrisy that is the two-party democracy so loved and revered by the American population.  It is no more than a cruel manipulation of the general public by various interest groups who under the guise of democracy, which in the USA means capitalism, use a political system to further their own economic agendas void of any social conscience.

How else is one to explain the Republicans willingness to apply massive economic stress and pressure to over  two million public employees, 40% of whom will either be laid off or allowed to keep working without being paid, and all of whom will be left to wonder whether they will be paid back-pay or not.

The last shutdown in 1995 cost US$ 1.5 billion-to the US taxpayer- and lasted 3 weeks lowering GDP by 1.4%!  This shutdown is over a law which was voted upon and passed- "Obamacare".  Why do the Republicans think that it is worth forcing a closure of the US government by demanding a delay of the implementation of a democratically passed provision to provide health care to every American?

And yet, in light of the fact that I don't think they will ultimately be successful in delaying the implementation, I am confused by there bloodymindedness.  Is the Teaparty tail of the Republican party really strong enough to push them into a fight they won't win?  Is the Republican party now thinking with its tail?  Apparently yes.

So why is the party willing to not only risk serious voter backlash at the next elections but to also risk damaging the US economic recovery which in turn will make it that much more difficult for the rest of the world to recover economically all because of a policy which in every other democracy is seen as a social and moral right?

Aha.  The idea that a state has moral andnsocial responsibilities doesn't fit into the ideology of the Republican right- even while they all feed at that great social creation of Medicare and Medicaid. 

Now that's great global leadership.