A Time to Say No. The Politics of America's Deconstruction.

I used to think that the leadership of the Democrat Party could be best characterized as little more than a bunch of "useful idiots" as Lenin put it. Fools so consumed with the preservation of their own power base that the needs of the nation as a whole were secondary at best, oblivious to the notion that they were driving us off a cliff just so long as they were the ones behind the wheel and looked stylish doing it.
Not that the Republicans were a whole lot better. Having squandered the great opportunity provide by both the "Reagan Revolution" and Newt Gingrich's "Contract With America," they took to spending like Democrats, and now that they have lost two elections in a row they look even more foolish than the Democrats. As if "standing on principle" now will produce any better result than arguing about the placement of the deck chairs on the Titanic. A day late and a few trillion dollars short.
Of late I have become convinced that there is something much more venial going on here. It's not just that the Republicans have sacrificed their souls on the same alter of political expediency that is the Democrat's stock and trade; it's that they have allowed themselves to fall into the trap that has been laid out for them.
The history of our nation has always been full of political contention. Underlying much of it however were always the concepts of reasoned compromise and the "loyal opposition." Who can honestly say they think political debate functions at a level of anything even resembling these concepts anymore?
The elements of the left, including a compliant news media, have buried the idea of "loyal opposition" and succeeded in replacing it with a system of vitriol that has divided us into two camps, both equally convinced that the other is not just of the opposite opinion but possessed of evil intent. Both sides become so convinced of their rectitude that any lie and provocation is justified means to achieving goals.
For the conservatives herein is the trap. Forced into a position of constantly being on the defense, they all too easily have adopted the tactics of the left in a vain attempt to counter them, not realizing that this is precisely the posture the left wants them to take. Having lured the conservatives into the trap the left springs it. Essentially saying "Look at those mean, uncaring Republicans, they call us names!" "We just want to help the children!" Thus positioning themselves as the perennial altruists the unwitting public laps up the "It takes a village" porridge as "just right," the panacea of all their woes, "we needn't worry the Democrats will save us."
The way is then paved for the endless parade of ever expanding social welfare and entitlements fed by a propaganda machine that convinces all too many that they have a "right" to be supported by government, that they have no obligation to seek betterment through their own effort. The all knowing and all caring government will see to all their needs. Bombarded by propaganda and outright lies they become convinced that the evil conservatives are trying to deprive them of their "rights." So blinded by misdirection they become oblivious to the chains of dependency the left has link by link tied to their ankles and shackled to the edifice of the nanny state.
The thing is not even the Democrats can reasonably believe that what little is left of the productive economy and the few taxpayers left can sustain an ever expanding program of social welfare "rights." The financial collapse coming out of such policy is as predictable as sunrise following the dawn. It's not that they don't care; it's that that is their intent. Herein is where the venality I spoke of earlier comes into play. This situation is not all arising out of some set of some set of random events. It arises out of a template laid down back in the mid 1960's. A template created by the protégés of Saul Alinsky.
What has come to be known as the Cloward-Piven Strategy was first published in The Nation magazine in May of 1962. What the authors referred to as the "orchestrated crisis" is to be hammer by which capitalism can be destroyed. The method is exactly what we are seeing; overwhelm the budget with so many benefit "rights" that the system collapses of its own weight. The plan of the Democrats is not to rebuilt America but to transform America, sacrifice the productive economy for the welfare state and in so doing destroy the very values that made America great.
If we as individuals don't stand up now and say no to this pernicious plan we will no longer be "citizens" of a great nation but merely "subjects" of the state.