Well, the elections are over. America has spoken! And while no-doubt the back biting, recriminations, and general bloodletting amongst Republicans will continue for awhile, here is what the face of the New America looks like, at least to me.
Americans are, apparently, willing to accept 7.8% unemployment as the “new normal,” as long as they continue to receive their government bennies. Besides, 7.8% unemployment means that 92.2% of Americans are employed! That’s good, right?
Americans are willing to accept ever-increasing debt; overspending to the tune of over a trillion dollars per year is now OK, despite their excoriating George Bush for what now appears a paltry 400 billion dollars deficit in his last year in office.
Americans are not worried about becoming Greece. Greece is still there, is it not, and has been for thousands of years. This is America. This is the 21st century. We have Obama. We are invincible.
Americans are, it appears, good with rising energy prices. “We don’t need no stinkin coal,” seems to be the new mantra of the American public. Wind power and electric cars are where it’s at, man. Energy independence? Fugettaboutit! Screw the oil companies! Bunch of rich fat-cats anyway; besides, I got my Obama poster to keep me warm at night!
Americans are not concerned about the upcoming “fiscal cliff.” After all, Obama stated in the debates that, despite the law, sequestration will not happen. He also said he wouldn’t raise taxes except on “millionaires making over $250,000;” that lets most of us off the hook. Life is good! And even if some taxes do go up, as California voted to do – that’s apparently OK as well. Even without a corresponding decrease in spending.
Americans are apparently good with big government, and are in favor of making it bigger. After all, government jobs are jobs, right? Good jobs too – nice pensions, job security, good pay, and a Union to protect you - who could ask for more?
Despite protestations to the contrary, Americans are OK with Obamacare. After all, the dire predictions have not yet come to pass. And who can pass up free colonoscopies; particularly old folks in Florida. It’s only the greedy doctors and insurance companies that are upset – “special interest” groups, you know.
Women apparently voted “with their female parts,” as instructed. What more, besides free contraceptive care of all kinds, including third trimester abortion on demand, could today’s liberated female desire?
We have awoken to an America with an apparent appetite for Marijuana; not just “medical Marijuana”, but full-blown recreational use. Why not? Everything else is coming out of the closet, and the whole “medical use” meme was just maskirovka for recreational use anyway. Of course, it remains to be seen what the federal government will say about that – but then again, we have Mr. Obama back at the helm, and he’s hip, right?
We have awoken to an America that is embracing gay marriage. Oh sure, there are those religious prudes who still disapprove. But as was shown in this election, they are rapidly becoming irrelevant; swamped by those who might hold the same view but can't, for one reason or the other, be bothered to vote, or by those who simply don't care. My prediction is that gay marriage will become the de facto “law of the land” from coast to coast; if not by federal law, then by federal regulation.
We now live in an America that apparently embraces European-style Socialism and eschews Capitalism. Unfortunately, what we are really going to get is a Fascist America, where the government controls private business through regulation, and the Congress is increasingly superfluous; a side-show to keep the voters happy and unaware of their true status as subjects of the executive branch. It is useful to maintain the illusion of choice; don’t mind the man behind the curtain, who is really running things. Of course the left won’t care, because for the most part, they don’t understand the definition of fascism anyway; they think such things are part and parcel of the right!
We live now in an America where Chris Matthews is “so glad we had that storm last week” (the tingle is back) where people died and millions were left without power, because of course, it helped sweep President Obama back into the White House. Every cloud has a silver lining apparently. And not because FEMA or the President did such a superb job managing the disaster – ask the people who still don’t have power, but because the media painted quite a different picture between the disaster that was Katrina and the continuing disaster that is Sandy.
And the death toll is likely to go even higher, as those without electricity will be facing a new storm, bringing with it cold weather, snow, and more coastal flooding. Likely, many of those who have had electricity restored will lose it again as structures already weakened by Sandy succumb to this new storm, bringing power lines down again. But that’s ok with Chris, because Obama has four more years! Those on the left would gladly trade a few more deaths and some additional misery for a few, for the cementing of progressive gains 100 years in the making. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, right?
We live in an America where CNBC speculates that Republicans lost because “there just weren’t enough angry ‘white guys’” to vote him into office. Because, you know, the Republican Party is the party of the “angry white guys.” Like me, I suppose.
And what of the Republican Party? A party that just the night before the election thought it was united; that thought it was going to win the presidency, make gains in the House, and possibly even take the Senate? A party that looked at the huge turnouts for Romney Ryan rallies and the paltry turnout for Obama Biden rallies and thought “it’s going to be a landslide; the polls can’t be right.” A party whose worst fear was that Obama would eke out a win in the Electoral College while Romney won the popular vote? (Note: vote tallies in the popular vote now stand at 64,902,198 for Obama and 60,439,038 for Romney – not even close)
What of those predictions of a 300+ electoral victory for Romney? What of the analysis by Karl Rove pointing to a Romney victory? We won’t even mention Dick Morris’s colossal “misunderestimate”; I haven’t seen Morris correct in so long that I don’t understand why anyone pays him money to be an analyst. It almost makes me wonder if he isn’t secretly still working for the Democrats.
Well, if wishes were horses then beggars would ride. The Republican Party is in complete disarray. Everyone is blaming everyone else, and the bloodletting is beginning in earnest. On the way into work today, I heard the inevitable “weak candidate” complaints against Mitt Romney, even though yesterday people were calling him “Reaganesque.” Yesterday, he was a “good and moral man,” today he is a “RINO loser.” How quickly the knives come out!
People were blaming folks like Rubio, and Jindal for “not stepping forward” and allowing another weak-kneed, moderate Republican to capture the nomination instead. People were blaming Christy for his embrace of President Obama following the Hurricane Sandy disaster. I even heard people saying that the party needs to jettison “divisive” figures like Sarah Palin, and divest ourselves of Republican “leadership” like Karl Rove. Apparently we should now let the mainstream media and the Democratic Party decide who our leadership and representation should be. I am waiting now to hear that it was “God’s judgment” on the Republican Party for selecting a Mormon as its candidate. If it hasn’t been said yet, it certainly will be – probably from the pulpits of evangelical pastors this Sunday.
What about our commitments overseas?
We live in an America where the President of the United States, the head of our country and commander-in-chief regularly bows to foreign leaders. And the majority of voting Americans are good with that.
We live in an America where our newly reelected president now has the “flexibility” to give Vladimir Putin of Russia everything he is asking for; and the majority of voting Americans are good with that.
We live in an America where our president welcomes President Ahmadinejad of Iran to the US with open arms, but refuses to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. And the majority of voting Americans, including the majority of America’s Jews I should add, are good with that.
We now live in an America in decline. We live in an America at the same point in her history as Great Britain was at the end of the second world war; exhausted, no longer a world power, and in the process of becoming a second world nation. That is where America is headed now; our military facing severe cuts due to sequestration; our navy falling to its lowest levels since 1917; an Air Force flying fewer aircraft, many of which are over 50 years old; an army that desperately needs to replace equipment worn out by 10 years of fighting that it will never see. A nation with a stated policy of being able to fight two simultaneous wars anywhere in the world, that now cannot (or will not) even protect its embassy in Libya.
And the majority of voting Americans are, it seems, not only good with that, but are giddy with delight that their guy won four more years of the same.
To America’s “allies” – it’s time to look elsewhere for support. We have a president who is dedicated to reducing America’s military forces significantly; who now has the “flexibility” to “deal” with Vladimir Putin. We can no longer honor our commitments to you nor do we desire to any longer. You after all, hold no special place; you, like us, are simply one nation amongst many, undistinguished, and no different than any other. Japan, are you worried about the growing might in the Pacific that is China? Best start building your own nuclear deterrent; our President has committed himself and this nation to the goal of zero nuclear weapons and reducing the size of our navy. Perhaps you can ally with South Korea and Taiwan – they are going to need some help too in the future and are likely as worried as you. Then again, you probably poisoned that particular rice bowl during WW II; so good luck!
And what about South Korea? It’s been good doing business with you guys, but hey, your cars are getting just a bit too competitive here in the US. And you are building them here with non-union labor. Sorry, but we have to look out for American UAW jobs around here. Sink or swim buddy – you are on your own.
Taiwan? Well, we have been calling you “Taiwan, Province of China for years now.” And China holds a ton of our debt, and is willing, at least for now, to continue extending us credit and selling us cheap goods. Explain again exactly why we would honor some moldy old treaty you have with us, negotiated with some other administration?
Britain? Well, we told you early on during Obama’s first term that you had “no special relationship” with us. Expect that to continue. Israel? Pound sand!
Iran? Hey, what can I say, bro! We’ll rattle our saber’s a bit, but you know how it is. You want that nuke? No problem! We have them, so I can’t see why you shouldn’t. Saudi Arabia? The Caliphate is coming my friend – which side of history do you want to be on? Hugo my buddy! You are going to have to tell me how you managed that “president for life” gig you have going down there. Might come in handy four years from now!
But hey, it’s all good, right? This is America, where democracy flourishes, and foreign observers are amazed at the trust we have in our elections; no ID needed in most states, voting by mail and online OK in some locations; little control over voting equipment or procedures. Why in their countries, it would be a recipe for disaster; extreme measures are taken to prevent voter fraud, but here in the US, no problem! After all, our officials assure us that while voter fraud may occur, it is minimal at best and never affects the outcome of any election. Could it be that the international observers know something about voting that we perhaps have forgotten, or chosen to ignore?
That’s the America I woke up in today; no longer a center-right country, but more of a center-left one.
Four more years. Might as well be eternity.