Grover Norquist Is The Biggest Hurdle To A Debt Ceiling Deal

Jul 21 2011 Published by under Uncategorized

After the election of Barack Obama in 2008, the Republican Party has had several different leaders who have advocated for the destruction of democracy and carried the torch against the American people. There was Michael Steele, the straw-man leader and token African-American who was kept subordinate to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and a variety of conservative pundits and think tanks that directed the GOP machine’s march toward oligarchy and theocracy. For a year or so, the Koch brothers sleazed around in the shadows with the Heritage Foundation as their front group and together they pulled the strings of Republicans in Congress and the states to promote corporatism and quietly build a coalition of teabaggers and neo-conservatives who, out of hatred for a Black man in the Oval Office, instigated a fake grass-roots movement in opposition to high taxes and health care for all Americans.

Now that Koch Industries and the Heritage Foundation control the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court, there is an all-out assault on the remnants of our representative democracy and a new figurehead has emerged as leader of the Republican Party. The requirements to lead the GOP are oppose government, suppress Democratic voters, and eliminate taxes for the wealthy and their corporations. Finding allies in the war against America is simple for neo-conservatives, and a ready-made army of evangelical Christians has been dispatched to support the corporatist takeover of America by inciting them against Democrats with a bible-inspired assault on women and gays. Although Christian extremists believe they are prosecuting a Holy war against the forces of evil in the Democratic Party, they are little more than a dangerous distraction and voting bloc the GOP uses and abuses. The new Republican leader, Grover Norquist, is also being used by conservatives to control Republicans in Congress and state legislatures and represents the biggest threat to America since Adolf Hitler in World War II.

Norquist is best known as an anti-tax, anti-government champion and has circulated around the country enticing Republicans to sign a “no tax” pledge that will effectively spell the end of America; many Democrats have been willing participants in granting Republican wishes at every turn in a spirit of compromise and bipartisanship, or to protect themselves politically with corporate donors. Compromise was once a process where each side gives something of value to reach an equitable agreement, but it has evolved into Democrats falling all over themselves to please their masters in the Republican Party. Norquist has been nothing short of an evil genius who has convinced Republicans and their supporters that America’s government is unnecessary and taxes for the wealthy and corporations are an abomination worthy of the fires of Hades, and he is enjoying success that was unheard of just 3 years ago.

Mr. Norquist’s no tax pledge is wreaking havoc in negotiations to raise the debt ceiling and that appears to be his goal. At the heart of the no tax pledge is a condition that states if a tax loophole is closed, there must be a corresponding tax cut to offset the closure. It is a win-win situation for the wealthy and corporations because they will never ever face a tax increase and the country will never experience increased revenue despite spending cuts Republicans force on Democrats. Even though there are some Republicans who have balked at closing loopholes at first, they have more than satisfied Norquist by reducing taxes in other areas. All the while, the economy is being sent further into a black hole and Americans face more Draconian cuts to benefits that affect every American except the wealthy.

The debt ceiling negotiations have exposed Republican attempts to block any semblance of compromise and a balanced approach to the national debt because without coupling spending cuts with increased revenue, the government will forever face a deficit until there is no government. Norquist has convinced Republicans that government is too big, and although tax revenue is at its lowest point since 1950 at 14.9%, for Republicans it is still too much. Besides breaking the government, Norquist’s no tax policy will also break the military and eventually destroy corporate wealth. With defense spending taking up 54% of the nation’s budget, it will not take long for spending cuts to eat into the defense budget and with no increase in tax revenue, the military will face drastic cuts to afford higher entitlement spending for the wealthy, oil industry, and corporations. The problem with morons who have no rudimentary understanding of finances is that their fantasy world of never-ending tax and spending cuts means that at some point in the near future, there will be no money for anything.

There are some Republican Senators who recognize that in order to continue giving the oil industry subsidies and entitlements to the rich, they have to find new sources of revenue. Norquist’s answer is more spending cuts to the point of eliminating Medicare and Social Security. Norquist promotes the Ryan-Heritage budget plan even though in the short term it raises the deficit but that works nicely for Norquist because his goal of no government will eventually reach fruition. Some other Republicans bemoan the fact that Norquist’s leadership and direction makes it nearly impossible for them to discuss with Democrats a way forward in debt ceiling negotiations and that pleases Norquist. He said, “The Democrats have run into a brick wall, and the pledge is there.” The Republicans have successfully held the debt ceiling talks hostage because they have refused to consider a balanced approach and unless Democrats concede and give more tax cuts to the rich and corporations coupled with eliminating Medicare and cutting seniors Social Security, there will be no deal. It is the new definition of compromise and Democrats are powerless to stop the “no tax increase” Republicans.

In the latest debacle for Democrats, the president signaled that he supports cutting Social Security, corporate tax, Medicare, and programs that benefit 98% of Americans to get a modest increase in the debt ceiling. Although it sounds like a major defeat for Americans and their government, it is the best anyone can hope for in the new bipartisanship and compromise. The only bipartisanship involved is Democrats and Republicans both support an economic fix that includes spending cuts, lower taxes for the wealthy and their corporations, and an impotent government.  Norquist has effectively directed the Republican Party’s ascension as dictators, but the good news is that their reign will be short-lived. At the rate the country is going, it will not be long until there is no government except for the corporations who buy what is left of the nation’s assets.

The latest proposals Republicans have proffered take America’s spending to 1966 levels when the  population was 196,560,338; in 2010 the figure was 308,745,538. In 1966 the average life expectancy was 70.2 and in 2009 it was 79. When Republicans claimed they wanted to take the country back, it never dawned on intelligent human beings they were seriously considering spending as if it was 1966, but that is exactly where America is headed. With the price of maintaining defense spending rising like all other areas, the military will soon consume America’s entire budget. Roads, education, Social Security, law enforcement, and every program the government administers will be eliminated and the only controversy the corporations will face will be how much to cut defense to continue the wealthy’s entitlements.

Americans are beginning to show signs of revolt against Republicans, and poll after poll shows the people want taxes increased to pay for the services they require. However, Republicans have signed a blood oath to Grover Norquist and his no tax pledge that enables them to ignore 81% of Americans who want taxes increased on the wealthy. It is too little too late and if Democrats had showed up in the 2010 midterm elections, it may be a different story.

Norquist is an evil dictator who owes his allegiance to corporate wealth and the Kochs, and along with his allies Ed Schultz and Jane Hamsher who encouraged Democratic voters to sit out the 2010 elections, have finally accomplished what Adolf Hitler, Al Qaeda, and countless enemies failed to do; destroy America. At least in 10-20 years, the no tax mentality will have destroyed the corporations and their no tax mindset that Grover Norquist has advocated for two decades. In the meantime, Americans are sinking farther into poverty and can barely afford food and shelter, but as long as the wealthy, the oil industry, and corporations pay no taxes the Republicans will have fulfilled their pledge to Grover Norquist to destroy America once and for all. If Adolf Hitler had only known Norquist’s tactics to destroy America, he could have saved a million bombs and billions of bullets.



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