The Legacy of Reaganomics: From Trickle-Down to Corporate Welfare

 

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The Grand Old Party is no longer grand. If it ever was. What is grand about a political party? Why not get rid of both parties and have system when where each and every person stands for their own beliefs?

The present day Republican Party is a union of three distinct groups - the moderate Eisenhower/Rockefeller Republicans of yesteryear who emphasized fiscal responsibility, along with the pro-life Right advocating for conservative social values, and the staunch supporters of gun rights. The strategy was originally crafted by advisors to Ronald Reagan whose electoral college victories in 1980 and 1984 would have otherwise fallen short. At first this coalition was an uneasy fit yet it has since coalesced into a formidable force. The newcomers in the coalition have successfully ousted the traditional establishment within the party. Absurdities abound. Why does the religious right champion a politician who they would not wish to be their pastor? Or their litigious neighbor? This dichotomy mirrors the broader ideological divide in American politics where liberals often perceive themselves as the arbiters of critical thinking while conservatives assert their own errant perspectives with equal conviction.

Over the last several decades the Republican Party has steadily cultivated an environment of contentious politics by employing underhanded tactics. This trajectory has seen the party pioneer a distinct brand of political engagement characterized by cynicism and scapegoating of liberals, positioning them as the primary cause of the most every ill facing the nation. This narrative has directly contributed to the polarization, deepening divisions and discord within American society.

The Republican Party has strategically capitalized on the notion that welfare concentrations primarily located on the coasts. They decry such programs drain working people’s tax dollars … while overlooking the far greater drain caused by corporate welfare. Industries such as ranching, forestry and oil are allowed to pillage the nation’s resources. Corporate America reaps obscene profits while paying minimal fees to the nation's Treasury for the use of our public lands.

The Republican Party employs a complex tapestry of nonsensical ideologies and creates a misconstrued web of societal issues. The pro-life Right and gun owners, while wielding significant influence within the GOP, often find themselves marginalized on issues beyond their primary concerns. In a Faustian bargain they sacrifice their broader wellbeing for the sake of their one issue and unwittingly undermine their own interests in the process.

The seeds of this downward spiral were sewn in the Reagan years. Espousing the virtues of small government, Ronald’s eight years in office was the first time the debt doubled in any eight-year span. While ridiculing the Democrats as tax-and-spend the actor-turned-president perfected borrow-and-spend. As business elites reaped windfall profits and corporate America thrived, ordinary citizens did well enough not to notice the bait-and-switch. He lowered taxes? Yes, he indebted us instead. With interest.

Disparities and injustices perpetuated under guise of capitalism call into question the merits of a system that prioritizes profit over people. Capitalism meant I could open an sporting goods store and you could open a restaurant. Capitalism unchecked became a corporatocacy. As present day Republicans champion this alternative reality capitalism the intended consequences become apparent: We now have trillion dollar companies paying little or no taxes … and at far lesser rates than wage earners.

Entrenched partisan divisions have led to persistent and systemic issues. These divisions, often fueled by ideological rigidity and quests for power, have led to a gridlock that no American can be proud of. Uniting America should be the only MAGA that we should care about. A complete paradigm shift of the political landscape will be required. If you have a blue or red campaign sign in your yard this fall you are on the wrong side.

It is better to be alone than in bad company.” - George Washington