Looking back; it's a Tea Party thing. It's well-known how nostalgia for an America that never was is used by the GOP as an emotional cudgel. GOP faux patriotism compels many voters to act against their self-interest. It is a powerful tool because most voting-age Americans have lived their entire lives during the post-war golden age. The ending of this age is fertile ground for overwrought fears. The GOP plays upon these fears, because they have nothing genuine to offer America as a whole.
Let us spend a few moments objectively looking back to see what obsessively looking back has brought us. Here are some short reminders of our recent past. As you look back upon them, please take the time to recall the massive amount of political effort that was spent during each phase.
The 2008 Crash - America teeters on the edge of the Second Great Depression.
January 2009 - Barack Obama is sworn in as our 44th President.
••••••••• The Nightmare Begins, or, Orwell Starts Spinning •••••••••
Economic Stimulus - GOP lockstep opposition cannot stop new POTUS momentun, but does de-fund the initiative significantly.
Auto Industry Bailout - GOP lockstep opposition. "Let them go bankrupt." Last supply of new-POTUS momentum passes law.
Senator Al Franken - GOP litigation mischief keeps Mr Franken from taking his seat for roughly a half-year.
Health Care Reform - GOP lockstep opposition becomes understatement of 21st Century American politics. Tea Party "spontaneously" astroturfs into existence.
2010 Elections - Republicans take House and several state governments. GOP pushback intensifies.
High-Speed Rail - GOP lockstep opposition results in many declared projects and their jobs to be re-located to non-GOP states.
Union-Busting - GOP lockstep delight in union-busting breeds massive citizen backlash and austerity-driven economic downturns in GOP-led states.
Credit Rating Kamakazies - GOP lockstep opposition sees the GOP putting and America's credit rating and the world economy rating in mortal danger ... for no credible reason.
War on Democracy - The GOP launches a coordinated campaign on the state level designed to reduce access by Americans to the ballot box.
Osama bin Laden Killed - GOP lockstep opposition to President Obama is so intense GOP officials and voters refuse to credit the serving C-in-C.
"Obamacare" Repeal - GOP lockbrained opposition causes 33 different House votes to repeal the ACA. This despite the POTUS veto stamp guarantees the ACA will live on. Repeal via lawsuit fails to kill the ACA in the SCOTUS.
War on Women - GOP lockstep opposition to recognizing women as fully-funtioning human beings goes hand in hand with GOP desperation to push health care reform backwards in time.
Federal Appointments - GOP lockstep opposition has kept scores of judicial and administrative functions unfilled to this very day.
This is just a partial list but it is enough to remember the frustrations of watching this all happen. The GOP spared no effort opposing Democratic initiatives at every turn. Post-CU dollars gushed to support these reactionary, backwards-thinking efforts.
And all this was done while the US and global economy teetered. Fanatical GOP pushback remains their strategy despite the hardships felt by millions of Americans. It sounds insane that the GOP let the United States dangle by a thread in order to oppose Democrats for opposition's sake alone.
But the GOP had a plan!
All that effort, money, and obstructionist strategy had a point. It had a a goal. Let us look back and see what all that effort was spent to accomplish. Here it is.
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