A NEW POLITICAL MOTTO

I have two very conservative sons-in-law, both bright, industrious and well informed, hard workers who have achieved success by dint of individual and admirable industry, who delight in having fun with their more liberal (or moderate) father-in-law by sending him anti-Obama literature and quips. I think they shake their heads at such a poor misinformed old guy who has been seduced from the true path of Republican orthodoxy. One of them sent me a list of bumper stickers, of which one really caught my eye:

TRY BEING INFORMED

INSTEAD OF JUST OPINIONATED

As a former Republican of the ill-fated and almost defunct moderate wing, I think this is the perfect motto for the Far Right Neo-Cons who have taken over the Republican party. This group specializes in having a multitude of strong opinions but a paucity of factual information. Indeed, they have every right to their opinions, but I could respect them more if they had a factual basis for many of them.

Any deviation from the cant of their interpretation of capitalist doctrine is traitorous--and automatically makes the trespasser (oh, cursed word) a socialist. Their orthodoxy commenced about 1925 in the Cal Coolidge era and has gone through only minor transformation since. The fact that we had a minor blip called the Great Crash of '29 and the Great depression of 1930-1940 has not significantly altered their worldview.

That is why they ignore the current lessons of the Recession and the problems facing us today. Unfettered capitalism is A-OK and should be left alone to sort itself out.

That is why it's fine for us as world leaders to sustain two wars that are costing us a trillion dollars and more and putting the youth of our country at risk.

That is why it is considered criminal to admit on the world stage that some of our policies have not always worked and that it is not wrong to listen to other world opinions on occasion.

That is why it is just fine for the major world leader to be the only world power without a health plan.

I could go on. The point is, the world constantly changes. I am a believer in the free market capitalist system, but it has to change and become more responsible to the needs of the majority of people and cannot be without scrutiny and supervision to ensure that greed does not always win. Capitalism in our republic must always be in a state of flux, adjusting to different times and conditions. The Far Right refuses frequently to accept these realities. They are expert at criticizing but amateurs at suggesting concrete solutions or alternative plans.

May I suggest a new bumper sticker:

YOU MAY DISAGREE

BUT TRY TO AGREE

YOU MIGHT EVEN LIKE IT!