FLAIT

As I've shown in this blog, the Republican Party is a political terrorist organization, nationally and the state level, that leaves nothing but a scorched Earth behind (literally. Literally. Literally. Really literally. Really really literally). I've been waiting for Democrats to challenge Republicans (good luck with that) by asking them to name just one constructive thing they've done for the American people over the last five, ten, or even 20 years. Heck, to make it easier, challenge them to just say something constructive. But they wouldn't even be able to do that because other than "less government" and "tax cuts," Republicans have nothing to offer except attacks, lies, dogma, hypocrisy, vitriol and bare knuckles partisanship. And a scorched Earth.

So it was very surprising - shocking, actually - that Republicans were not only proactive and identified a serious and growing problem facing the country this year, but offered what seemed like constructive plans to address it. And that's their initiative to address the growing opioid addiction epidemic, nationally and state level. Yes, Hell has frozen over and monkeys are flying.

But after a while, it got me thinking. Since when did Republicans give a hoot about anyone, let alone someone with a drug addiction? It didn't seem right. There had to be a reason why they're doing this. And there is: politics.

Whenever Democrats want to solve a problem - be it infrastructure, mass transit, gun violence, health care or climate change - Republicans can't engage in any kind of honest, intelligent debate because, as I said, they have absolutely nothing constructive or intelligent to offer and would lose that debate. And because they can never, ever, agree with a "liberal." So they unleash their propaganda machine of lies, attacks, hypocrisy and sanctimonious talking points - whipping their mindless and gullible voters into a frenzy in the process - to poison any whiff of a honest, intelligent debate and prevent block any meaningful legislation to pass come up for a vote. For example:

Infrastructure and mass transit. For the most part, both are mainly blue city and state concerns. And because of that, the GOP couldn't care less about crumbling bridges and a decrepit mid-20th century mass transit system. Heck, they've been trying to get rid of Amtrak for decades. And why not? Most of their riders aren't voting Republican. And calls for cutting a "big government-run" railroad is exactly what their mindless and gullible anti-government GOP voters want to hear; and more important, rally around (because that's how they've been trained).

Gun violence. Mass shootings aside, gun violence is mainly an inner-city, i.e. black problem. Nuff said. And the GOP's main voting block is mainly rural white gun owners. Nuff said.

Health care. Everyone is affected regardless of ones politics. But the GOP has brainwashed their voters into believing that conservatives have all the answers and "big government" liberals are evil and always wrong about everything (when it's conservatives that are evil and always wrong about everything).

Therefore, despite the rest of the industrialized world proving that government has to be involved in health care for it to work, the conservative "answer" to health care has to be the complete opposite: get "big government out of it" and allow "free market competition." But that's what we did! We allowed the "free market" and private corporations to design, manage and administer our health care system in the 20th century. And they gave us the most asinine, complicated and expensive health care system in the world, by far...that didn't cover seniors, children or the poor. And "big government" had to step in for them. And it took "big government," once again, (Obamacare) to bring health insurance to millions of Americans despite GOP sabotage to ensure that it fails so they can say, Obamacare failed! Told ya! Na-na-na-na-na-na...

Everything is extreme, hard-core partisan politics with Republicans. Everything; even if it makes them look like hypocrites when it contradicts their "pro-life" propaganda. But Republicans get away with it (of course they do, it's a cult!) because 1) Democrats never call them out, and 2) they've done so well with their health care dogma and talking points that they've convinced conned brainwashed their voters - many of whom either have a pile of unpaid medial bills or no insurance at all - that it was in their interests to oppose Obamacare and support the GOP in their efforts to sabotage it and repeal it. Oh, they have their voters so well trained.

Republicans and their moronic voters would rather be wrong and look foolish trying to defend their indefensible health care talking points than admit that liberals were right all along. And they never will, out of spite.

Meanwhile, Republican legislators have terrific tax-payer subsidized health insurance plans paid for by those same GOP voters. Hey, that's exactly what cults get you do to.

Climate change is the same thing. It has to be a liberal hoax and conspiracy, or else those Commie, pinko liberals would be right. And like health care, Republicans can never, ever admit otherwise because it would contradict the anti-liberal, anti-Democratic propaganda that Republicans and the conservative media have been feeding their voters, viewers, readers and listeners for decades. Tell a lie over and over again and mindless and gullible paranoid conservatives will believe it. They have to. It's a God damn cult.

So Republicans always block whatever issue Democrats want to address because of colossal ignorance, stubborn partisan politics and, most of all, spite. They can never admit they're wrong. So they engage in political terrorism and use right-wing talking points and propaganda to whip the members of this cult into a frenzy to ensure nothing "liberal" gets done. But they're quick to blame "liberals" when things go wrong. And we wonder why the country's in the shape its in.

And here's my point to all this. Opiates, as far as I can tell, isn't an inner city (i.e. "black") problem. But crack cocaine was, and is, an inner city (i.e. "black) problem. But I don't see Republicans trying to do anything about that. Oh wait, I'm wrong. They did try and do something. Republicans are for mandatory drug sentencing and incarceration, which disproportionately affects blacks. Opiates on the other hand, is a problem that mainly effects rural whites (Republican voters), probably affluent whites (again, Republicans voters). And the Republican's answer to that isn't mandatory minimums and incarceration. It's compassion, empathy and drug treatment and counseling programs.

The two parties often differ on criminal justice issues, but in the case of treatment versus incarceration for those who abuse opioids, majorities of both Democrats and Republicans favor treatment.

Previously, whenever it came to a drug or alcohol dependency, it was an inner city, black problem. Therefore, Republicans couldn't care less. Anyone who had a problem with drugs or alcohol...well, it was time for "tough love" and for those "junkies" to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps." But now they have all the sympathy and compassion in the world for those lily white affluent Christian "junkies" hooked on pain killers. Yes, affluent. Because the GOP's budget proposal to deal with this epidemic is a "joke." The poor may not get the help they need because Republicans wanted to cut opioid treatment from Medicaid. Also, removing the Obamacare health insurance mandate will result in those seeking help not being able to get it because they dropped coverage.

I present your Republican Party Political Terrorists.

Whenever Democrats want to tackle an issue that effects millions of Americans, or the entire country, Republicans oppose, block, lie, cheat and bully to ensure that nothing gets done because they have nothing to offer except hubris, hypocrisy, ignorance, stubbornness, inflammatory right-wing talking points and bare-knuckles partisan politics. But all of a sudden, the one time the Republicans want to do something constructive - that bears repeating: the one time Republicans want to do something constructive - it's 1) political, and 2) they expect Democrats to fall in line. And they will because unlike Republicans, they care about the welfare and well being of all Americans. Even affluent, lily white Christian "junkies."

So when it came to opioid addiction, I knew there had to be something behind the GOP's proactive response to it because Republicans only care about the unborn and clinically dead. And if you're somewhere in the middle, then the hell with you, unless, of course, you're wealthy, a corporation or gun owner; or in this instance, lily, white, rural Evangelicals or Christians.

And if there's something that affects minorities or blue cities or states, Republicans couldn't care less. But when it affects their own voters, they're on it (be it with a full helping of incompetence). And Democrats better not block, obstruct or sabotage it.

Hypocrites. And that's being extremely kind.