Wayne Allen's Weblog

I personally "overreact" because I believe republican policies have a much larger irreversible negative effect on our country.

Just consider the issues for a moment:

1.) Finance - Middle America is much more likely to support tax cuts than increases - it's obvious. Therefore, it is harder to pass Democratic tax legislature than it is to pass Republican legislature tax. I firmly believe trickle down economics simply does not work. It takes a short time for Republicans to cut taxes and, a very long difficult time for Democrats to raise taxes.

2.) Gun control - If Republicans win, and things like the assault ban are allowed to retire, automatic weapons or unregistered are allowed to flood into society. If a Democrat wins, and gun control laws are tightened, it takes 10-20 years to clean up what's out there.

3.) Environment - If Rupublicans win, and Alaska is drilled, forests are cut, and commercial whaling is allowed to be reopened, we lose thousands of acres of forest, and countless wildlife. All of which is either impossible to reverse or takes years to do so.

4.) War - Typically Republicans take a tougher stance to foreign relations. They like to beef up the military and stick their chests out at other countries. It's what we have done for the past 4 years. This causes irreparable damage to foreign relations, treaty talks, and the general initiative toward world peace. It's taked Democrats years to undo this damage by opening up peace talks, working with other countries to produce weapons treaties, etc. Don't misunderstand, I personally support a strong military - I don't want to be a sitting duck for attack, but I do not agree with how foreign relations are usually handled under Republicans - with the exception of Reagan (with the exception of Iran :))

I just seems to me that Democrats work harder to pass the type of legislation we believe in. So when we lose the presidency, we see a decade or longer of tough work and undoing. It took Bush about 2 years to undo about 10 years of Democratic work. There is no reason to think it won't take 10 more years to get it back.

By overreact of course I mean secede or move to another country, not be disappointed and wish things were different and morn the loss of what could have been.

I think you sum it up well when you said "Democrats work harder to pass the type of legislation we believe in". Of course I would replace Democrats with Republicans and make your arguments in reverse. But that is what makes our nation great, we have difference opinions and can talk about them and from time to time elect people who represent most of our point of view.

However, if you just claim the other side is "evil" and want to leave the playground you are overreacting.

Well, from my point of view, I am looking at 4 more years of bad policy and an continuously degrading standard of living.

This time is especially dissappointing because now Congress is republican controlled and the Supreme Court is soon to be heavily biased for republican views. Combine that with the idea it will take 10 years to fix it all, and the idea of giving up and moving away starts to look nicer. I mean, why put up with spending a good portion of your life where you will miserable. I am not saying I am ready to take off, but I can understand the feelings.

I am not sure I understand how you would reverse the parties to make the same argument. For example:

1.) Finance - Democrats pass tax increases. All Republicans have to say to middle America is "I want to put the money in your pocket and not in the hand of 'big government'" and people will be rallying to pass those cuts. It's easy for Republicans.

2.) Gun control - Democrats win and stricter gun regulations are passed. Assault weapons are banned - which really means you have to convert them to semi-automatic, and new clips hold less rounds (old ones are still legal). What have you really lost? - not much and reversing those laws are instantaneous for republicans - you can buy your automatic weapon the next day. Police officers can now be worried what they are coming up against for a long time to come. It's been opened up, and it will take a long time to close it back up again.

3.) Environment - my point here is that Democrats want to conserve the environment. Nothing is lost, and republicans always have a chance to take it back and drill it, cut it, etc. If republicans pass legislature and are allowed to do what they want, forests, wildlife, endangered species are lost FOREVER. There is not reversing it for Democrats.

4.) War - I don't think you can argue that it takes longer to wreck a relationship than it does to create or fix one. It's the nature of the world since the beginning of time. Good relationships are broken in an instance and take years to patch. I know the general American population loves it that after years of policing the world and helping everyone out and getting nothing in return that we are now telling everyone to piss off, but it's damaging relationships all over the world. It's not a good idea, it has set back peace efforts many years, and it's dangerous.

Bush is out of excuses now. After 4 more years, he won't be able to blame anything on Clinton, or a democratic congress or even a democratic slanted Supreme Court. He has everything in his favor now, and can pass almost whatever legislature he wants. If he can't improve the state of the country in the next 4 years, he should just admit he was not fit to run this country.

As for the republicans being "evil". I honestly have that feeling some time. In particular the tax issue bothers me. Most politicians make enough money to enjoy the kind of tax cuts republicans like to pass. I know everyone else got $300 and $1000 per child, but that's pennies compared to what the rich got, and Bush has never denied that. The fact democrats want to raise their own taxes tells me they are doing so because they believe it needs to be done for the greater good of the country. Republicans continously want to lower taxes for themselves and big businesses. I believe the years have shown trickle down economics don't work - so why keep doing it? Economists have shown over and over that big businesses and the wealthy do not allow that money to "trickle down". They keep it, and the income gap between the middle class and the upper class widens just as its done for the past 4 years. It hurts the poor and middle class, and it makes republican politicians richer, and they know it. That seems evil to me.