THE REPUBLICAN “DOGS OF WAR”

Politics is war without bloodshed – Mao Tse-tung

Republicans have declared war on America. Sounds ridiculous, but is it? To fully understand the behavior of the Republican Party, one must view their actions through the eyes of a soldier. Still skeptical? That’s OK. Let’s go review the troops waging this war.

The Republican forces are aligned along three fronts: (1) Corporate business interests, (2) the Religious Right / social conservatives, and lastly, (3) the Tea Party. Granted, there is a good deal of overlap between these combat organizations, but identifying them in this fashion helps clarify their battle plan objectives.

Let’s talk about the Republican shock troops first. That would be the Tea Party. Their stated objective is reduction of Government spending. However, this movement also includes some Southern “Special Forces” units whose troops are, frankly, horrified by the idea of a black man in the White House. To the extent they support fiscal conservatism, it is motivated by the belief that too many of their tax dollars go to support minority-focused social programs.

The Tea Party resents being called “racist.” But the fact is, while George Bush ran up $5 trillion in debt, these so-called fiscal conservatives sat quietly by, not saying a word against two unfunded wars and massive tax cuts for the rich. Their induction into the fiscal conservative movement did not take place until after President Obama was elected. They say they see red ink, but it seems what they really see is “black people.” Occasionally we get a glimpse of the real Tea Party whenever Rand Paul questions the 14th Amendment or Haley Barbour declares that things “weren’t that bad” in Civil Rights era Mississippi.

The longest serving Republican ground troop legions are the Religious Right and social conservatives who have for decades complained that “America is going to hell in a hand basket.” These folks are politically armed and motivated by the perceived threats posed by the “4G left-wing monster network” — the Godless, the Gays, the growing minority population and the anti-gun lobby.

An army is said to march on its stomach, but in the case of Republican troops, their forces are fueled by money. And ample money is available from big business like never before, thanks to the recent Supreme Court Citizens United ruling. No modern military assault would be complete without an Air (waves) Force which is supplied by the likes of Fox News, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and right-wing radio.

All war is based on deception – Sun Tzu

According to Sun Tzu, all war is based upon deception. The Republicans have learned this particular lesson very well. They campaigned during the last elections on jobs… jobs… jobs. This message resonated with the American voters and the Republicans made stunning gains in the House of Representatives. Their jobs mantra was, however, the classic military feint. After emerging victorious from the recent electoral battle, rather than attack joblessness in America, the Republican forces returned to many of familiar culture war issues such as abortion. When told that the proposed Republican budget cuts would cost jobs and threaten the nation’s economic recovery, John Boehner’s now-famous response was, “So be it!”

When you demonize, you dehumanize. – James Forsher

Throughout history, forces promoting conflict have sought to demonize their enemies. In addition to rallying the troops, demonization makes it psychologically easier for your troops to defeat and destroy the enemy. The Republican “war machine” philosophy is no different. Right-wing radio and its constant messages of hate and fear does a great job of communicating with the troops, conveying the seemingly endless threats posed by the illegitimately elected Democratic administration. Rush Limbaugh and company are the 24/7 equivalent of a “Government-is-the-enemy” rebel-yell battle cry. Hell, no! They won’t let anyone forget that real Americans and their liberty-loving and god-fearing ways of life are under attack from the unpatriotic left.Seriously, you have to give the Republicans credit. America is afraid. And this fear is a cultivated and calculated strategy. Fearful people vote. Fearful people do not pause to consider the consequence of their actions; they just react, spurred on by the Republican dog-whistle fear messages of Socialism, Unconstitutional-ism, Marxism, (or insert your favorite fear-ism here) and juxtapose it next to the Republican bumper sticker message-of-the-day: Women shouldn’t have the right to choose. We pay too much in the way of taxes. We don’t need the EPA. We need to get Government out of our lives. The “Kenyan” wants to take away your right to bear arms. We must not be weak on Defense. Obama hates white people. Government is taking over healthcare. Obama is Muslim and it goes on and on and on.

The Republican forces are impressive. They have massive numbers of ground troops, tremendous air (wave) power and lots and lots of big business money to keep their attack machine well-oiled and moving. But the most devastating forces are the Republican “sabotage teams.” These are the elected representatives who, under the camouflage nets of their jobs, seek not just to discredit government, but to literally dismantle the very institution they purport to serve. Enter the States’ Rights astro-turf movement with its claims of states’ supremacy and the ability to nullify Federal laws. An elected and serving Republican even suggested that the President should not speak for America. Statements such as this are not off-the-cuff. They are all part of the Republican war effort.

We harass; the enemy tires; we attack. – Mao Tse-tung

By delaying, obfuscating and obstructing every legislative initiative proposed by this President, the Republicans have sought to convince Americans that he, along with the Democratic Party, are incapable of governing. By refusing to discredit the Birthers, the Republicans have sought to cast Obama as an illegitimate and literally “un-American” President. (Do you really think the Joe Wilson “you-lie” shout-out during the President’s State of the Union address was an accident? Could it have been calculated disrespect to rally the troops?)

So there you have it. These three groups are the assault forces assembled in the Republican war on America. But what are the Republican combat objectives? Well, there is no secret here. Karl Rove told us. The Republicans want a permanent Republican majority. To accomplish this, they must not just defeat the Democratic Party – they must destroy it. The Public Employee unions are viewed as Republican Public Enemy Number One. Destroy them and they also destroy the Democrats’ primary ability to mobilize and get out the Democratic vote. Voilá! You could very easily have your permanent Republican majority operating at the behest of big, multi-national businesses. Their mantra might as well be, “If it’s good for big business, it’s good for America…” just not working, middle-class Americans.

The frontal assault being waged on public employee unions going on in Wisconsin is the most visible battle at the moment, but there are other fronts of this Republican “war” as well. Ever hear of divide and conquer? Classic military strategy is to cut off an enemy from its supply lines and its access to reinforcements and then kill it. The modern day equivalent of this tactic is redistricting which Republicans are undertaking with a vengeance. Redraw voting district lines and Democratic majorities can literally be cut to into tiny ineffective electoral pieces.

In politics, as in war, it is important to hold the high ground – and the high court.

The Supreme Court was once considered a bastion of the liberal left. No longer. The Roberts’ court, with its reliable pro-Republican majority votes, stands ready to revisit what many considered to be settled law. Think things can’t get any worse than the Citizens United ruling? Think again. The court appears poised to abandon all appearances of legal neutrality and join body-and-soul with the right-wing movement. Clarence Thomas when recently addressing his wife’s activism on behalf of right-wing groups said it plainly. “We believe in the same things,” he said.

What’s the Republican war all about? For big business and corporate special interests, it’s all about the money which comes in the form of less regulation and lower taxes. In their view, the projected growth of entitlement programs threatens their much desired tax cuts. In addition, programs such as Social Security and Medicare also threaten the 20% of our spending that goes to Defense. Defense contractors certainly want to ensure that their gravy train chugs along without abatement. Did you know that some Republicans are even calling for the U.S. to get involved militarily in Libya? Apparently two wars aren’t enough!

While Republicans love to publicly wrap themselves in the flag of fiscal conservatism, the fact is that in the last half-century, they’ve proven themselves incapable of reducing spending. Based upon both distant and recent history, they will redistribute spending in a way that repays those who contribute to their campaigns. The Military Industrial Complex and big business will continue to flourish. The myth that Americans pay too much in taxes will continue to be promoted. If history is any indicator, the rich will get richer, while the middle class and the most vulnerable in our society will continue to suffer. And entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will come under increasing attack as unaffordable.

So you still don’t think the Republicans are at war? Well, what really matters is what the Republicans think – and they are all military-geared up for a scorched-earth campaign to take their country back in 2012. Democrats and democratic values stand a good chance of becoming casualties or nothing more than collateral damage in the Republican uncivil war on America.

About the author: SequimBob2 is an author, a former soldier, a political junkie, and a self-described member of the resistance against the war being waged on America by the Republican Party. When not on the battle lines, he can be found shooting pictures in Washington’s beautiful Olympic Peninsula. Photos used in this story were provided by “Slagheap.”

 

Vote my way!

 

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BigDogMom
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BigDogMom

The generals have a saying:
“Rather than make the first move
it is better to wait and see.
Rather than advance an inch
it is better to retreat a yard”

This is called
going forward without advancing,
pushing back without using weapons.

There is no greater misfortune
than underestimating your enemy.
Underestimating you enemy
means thinking that he is evil.
Thus you destroy your three treasures
and become an enemy yourself.

When two great forces oppose each other,
the victory will go
to the one that knows how to yield.

– Tao Te Ching –

KillgoreTrout
Member

Excellent BDM. That’s from the Jane English/Gui Fu Feng translation, with great black and white photography, and Chinese Calligraphy opposite each idiogram.
A really nice book.

whatsthatsound
Member

Excellent article. I love the extended metaphor and the clear headed perspective. Powerful and convincing.

ghsts
Member

Wonderful assessment SB2 of the dark forces in action, now to the point, why are they still in control of our State Department, Federal Reserve, Treasury Department and Armed Forces? Time to put down the cool-aide and wake those asleep at the wheel, so they can avoid the potholes and derail the train to war, (I can only hope my metaphors are sufficiently mixed to be understood by neocons, republicants and sycophants.)

Mao was so full of it, politics is organized bloodshed.

ChrisR266
Member

Very well said, Sir.
It is abundantly clear to me that the GOP has been fighting the war for a number of decades.
And, although they have won some battles, they haven’t won the war, by a long shot. November 2008 was a sure sign to them that the tide had turned and their chances of winning this war had eroded greatly. They lost ground so significant it threatened their survival. The fundamental character of the electorate had risen to smack them hard in no uncertain terms.
So what do they do? They circle the wagons (or man the bastions, if you prefer another metaphor) and start lobbing all they have left at the electorate. They “go nuclear” in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey and in the House of Representatives. They scorch and burn, knowing that if they do lose, they’ll leave nothing unscathed behind. The breathe hard, fighting off the onset of Cheyne-Stokes as defiantly as they can. The “last gasps” never were felt so acutely by a populace as they are feeling it now. The GOP sold what traces of soul it had left to the reactionary hooligan “Tea Party” and those mercenaries are now demanding their pound of flesh. They’d throw their dogs and mothers at the electorate if that was what it took to defend that lowly ground they’re defending now. They’re all in. Their most revered generals know it’s now last gasp time and are trying to save their sorry skins–even Karl Rove has gone Judas on the GOP.
And look what all this has wrought: Sure, quick and intense uproar from the electorate who kindly, naively desperate (and stupidly) gave the GOP one last chance to demonstrate they were worth saving. Never give the desperate a glimpse of an out, they’re likely to charge for it and try to take you out when they do.
So the scorch and burn tactics will continue until 2012, until we vote them out of the picture for the the last time and in no uncertain terms.
I have confidence that the 2012 blow will leave them down for the count. They’ll be gutted. We will be a long time recovering from the havoc they have wreaked over the last 30 years, but we will recover.
It does amaze me though what people will suffer to learn the most important lesson: no one will really stand up for them until they choose to stand up for themselves first.
Thanks for writing this piece.

escribacat
Member

That dog in your picture looks like a fear biter to me.

BigDogMom
Member
BigDogMom

E’cat, was thinking the same thing…he will need to be re-socialized in order to get over that!

Truth
Member

Here’s an excerpt of this article: http://www.consortiumnews.com/2010/033110.html

The Pattern Continues

So, the Republicans have never been made to pay a political price for their scheming to undercut sitting Democratic presidents — and to grease the GOP’s route back to power. Whenever a Democrat is in the White House, the Republicans believe they are free do whatever they want to block him from solving national problems, making him look weak and ineffectual.

That was true of Johnson, Carter, Clinton and now Obama.

This GOP strategy is pursued even if it tarnishes the international image of the United States or if it undermines national security, even if it means more than 20,000 additional U.S. soldiers dying in Vietnam, or 52 American hostages facing longer captivity in Iran, or the likes of Timothy McVeigh feeling empowered to blow up a federal building.

The strategy continues even if it raises the current threat level against President Obama and Democratic lawmakers. The strategy continues because it works.

(A Method to Republican ‘Madness’ by Robert Parry, March 31, 2010)

Sabreen60
Member
Sabreen60

This war was started decades ago. FDR talked about it. I posted this article on “that other web site”, but it clearly states what Republicans have attempted when there is a Democrat in the White House. Of course, they have so much more ammunition now, as you clearly state. Thank you for this article.

A Method to Republican Madness

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2010/033110.html

Truth
Member

Thanks for the link, Sabreen, that’s another excellent article!

KevenSeven
Member

If the baggers want to pretend that they are not flaming racists, or the Rethug party for that matter, they can all just kiss my grits.

Does anyone remember the Southern Strategy?

KB723
Guest
KB723

KevenEven, It’s Not so much that they want to Pretend, Well actually they do Pretend.

chasethis
Member
chasethis

Keven, did you read Matt Taibbi’s October Rolling Stone article? After spending months and months with the Tea Partiers, he concluded, “Tea Partiers aren’t racist. They’re just earth-shatteringly stupid, willing to believe the fantasy that white people are some sort of oppressed minority.”

While, I love MT’s words, I’m not convinced the baggers aren’t flaming racists.

BabsBP
Member

Have any of you noticed that many of the folks who spout the tea party line have substance abuse problems? Or often are dry drunks?

I am convinced that as a group they are bitter because the American dream hasn’t gone according to plan. Instead of taking it out in a positive/activist way on the corporate oligarchy, they look to blame anybody else who doesn’t look like or live like them.

They cannot admit to what is not within their control or what they should have learned from their own individual mistakes. (I believe that we all are subject to a bit of both — the fates if you will, and personal choices that blow up from time to time. Unlike tea party folks who like to play blame the victim, I think making mistakes is part of the human condition, but I digress.)

chasethis
Member
chasethis

SequimBob2. Couple of things:

1. “4G left-wing monster network” A hearty guffaw! (That’s something like rotflmao in English.)

2. The photo caption.

You have mad skills. (Forgive that. I watched American Idol this eve.)

2ndClassCitizenPundit
Member

People who are against the Republican party are anarchists who eat babies for breakfast.

And then they *cook* them.

(Note: AdLib you may have to reset the snark alarm on the servers again.)

KQµårk 死神
Member

Yes because an angel loses their wings every time a blogger is snarky.

2ndClassCitizenPundit
Member

You’re welcome.

KillgoreTrout
Member

The contradictions within the tea party are pretty glaring. They shout that they want smaller government, then they support ideas and proposed bills that would expand or create new government agencies to clamp down on social issues, such as abortion.
The insane proposals are many. The proposal to arrest doctors who treat women that have had miscarriages, the law in Arizona which makes it much easier to clamp down on people of color, and the resultant need to create more prisons. The foolish idea that cutting funds for Planned Parenthood would save money when in fact it would create more need for treatment of STD’s, burden the state with unwanted children, raise medical costs for women because there would be no testing for possible cancers and such.
None of these ideas supported by the, “smaller government crowd,” would do anything to reduce the size of government. Many would need to actually expand the government.

Truth
Member

Killgore, that’s true, but I would expand it to “The contradictions within the Republican Party are pretty glaring” .

– They sell themselves as fiscally responsible while driving up the deficit.

– They scream of small government while they expand government control.

– They scream for jobs, while doing everything to erode the job market.

And so on.

KillgoreTrout
Member

Truth, can’t argue with that. It’s just the tea party are the ones shouting the loudest.

Truth
Member

I know. And that makes it easier to catch them – so it could be an advantage in some respect….

KillgoreTrout
Member

Their fly is down and they haven’t realized it yet.

2ndClassCitizenPundit
Member

As long as their crotch is covered, they can not be charged with indecent exposure.

Which is why I advocate loosing gypsy moths into Congress.

Truth
Member

SequimBob2, EXCELLENT analysis! You describe exactly what’s going on!

Not to underestimate is the air attack: The US really needs new media laws. I don’t know any other (so called) democratic country which allows and promotes lying on air without punishment.

Bob, and I hope you lay out in a second article your ideas what we actually can DO to combat the Republicans – individually and collectively.

Thanks again for your excellent work, applause!

PS: This might be of interest:

http://www.thenation.com/article/158282/how-build-progressive-tea-party

http://www.thenation.com/video/158927/johann-hari-us-uncut-fed-tax-evaders

KQµårk 死神
Member

Great article. Republicans are certainly at war with America. All they care about is getting back in power and not advancing this country one inch.

Chernynkaya
Member

Thanks–good post.

Chernynkaya
Member

(Just a quick thought before I continue reading.)

The Tea Party IS the Corporate front– an astroturf group founded by Freedom Works, run by Dick Armey and funded by the Koch brothers. Although I doubt more that a handful of members even know that, I would consider them as in the same category as corporate/business interests.