[duped from dKos]
Lower taxes, smaller government, stronger military, better values. The Republican Creed. What do they all have in common, besides being diametrically opposed to the real-world effects of Republican policies?
None of these goals are finally attainable. You can always lower taxes further, shrink the government more, discover new ways to attack gays. The struggle never ends.
(flip the flop)
There are other benefits, too. You know exactly what to blame for all the evil in the world: high taxes, big government, anti-military sentiment, bad values. You force political opponents into insupportable positions: ‘They’re for high taxes! They’re for a weak military! They’re for bad values!’ Finally, this ‘creed’ appeals to ‘common sense’ and base emotions: the drive to be richer and stronger and better. What kinda freak doesn’t want that?
Not me. I wanna be better, stronger, and richer, and I want my country to be better, stronger, and richer too. This Administration, for all its incompetence, cronyism, and dangerous naivete, has done one wonderful thing for me: I’m more patriotic now than I’ve ever been.
Watching these people loot my country infuriates me. Watching them destroy our reputation, undermine our military, endander our children, poison our rivers, destroy our forests, attack our schools … they’re fucking with America here. They’re sending my brothers and sisters to die for a pipe-dream, they’re selling my children into debt-servitude, stealing from my parents, destroying my economy and playing politics as my cities crumble.
They’re an insult to a great nation, a danger to the best country on earth. That’s right: the best country on earth.
Screw anything else. Screw policies and programs. What do Democrats stand for? American First. American Number One. USA! USA! USA!
This is the best country on earth, and anything less than Number One is unacceptable. Anything less than first is shameful. Anything less than the best is a crime.
Right now, where do we stand?
- 22nd among developed nations on childhood poverty.
- 41st in the world in infant mortality.
- 49th in the world in literacy.
- 37th in terms of overall health performance, and 54th in fairness of health care.
- 13th in total quality of life.
- 8th on the United Nations Human Development Index–in 1990 we were ranked 1st.
- 27th in percentage of population in poverty.
- 15th in women’s reproductive health.
- 27th of 28 countries in life expectancy at birth.
- 51st of 142 nations in environmental sustainability.
- And Europe surpassed the US in the mid-1990s as the largest producer of scientific literature.
Blame America First? Are you kidding? How about we make America first? We’re THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, we must be the best by every measure, because we are the best.
Number one on quality of life, women’s reproductive health, education and poverty and environmental sustainability and health care and science. Democrats shouldn’t accept one single silver medal. We want gold, down the line.
America First. Biggest military? You bet. Most money? Without a doubt. But we already win those events. Time we focus on the shameful areas where we’re losing. We need to win the highest percentage of citizens covered by the finest health care system, the best schools for all our children, the cleanest air and water, the most opportunity for every single demographic, the lowest poverty, the best-paid workers.
Anything less is an insult to this great nation. Figure the specific policies and programs later, crunch the numbers, evaluate the feedback later: those are vitally important … but just details. First we need a goal. A unifying ideal. A simple heartfelt message. America First. America Number One.
