Part Two: The Job Descriptions
Dear Senators and Representatives,
It has come to my attention that production has declined and there is an inordinate amount of dissention within your ranks. It is time that we cleared the air on both our continuing employment arrangement and your job descriptions. I will address the latter issue first. For ease of understanding, I am going to present this in a party by party manner. That said, do not misconstrue that you should only read the part that pertains to you. Know thine enemy, know thyself.
The Emerging Third Party with the Terrible Name:
First, mount an ad campaign to change your name. Good God, Tea Baggers? Really? I think you can do better.
Second, distance yourselves from the other two. Neither will ever adopt your ideology. They are not built that way. As far as I can see, you appear to be Libertarian Conservatives and the new party of the religious right evangelical crowd. Nothing wrong with that since they were very influential once and directly influenced quite a bit of legislation. It could be argued that there is still some pull there given that issues like gay marriage continue to be defeated at the polls.
Go your own way. The Republicans are trying to use your fear and energy even as they continue to protect your greatest enemies. The Democrats are scaring the hell out of you and you’re not really sure why. It all sounds so complicated and confusing. But you really need to broaden your views, be more inclusive, shed the radical fringe, and become a solid third party contender. You could continue to scream and wave scary signs, or you could become part of the solution by rationally presenting your case to the American people. We will always ignore the ignorant and unfortunately, that’s how you are behaving. Simply put, stop it.
The Republicans
The most glaring and obvious mistake that you have made so far is in not realizing that the Project Manager, Mr. Obama, is not a Democrat but is actually a Social Republican. (By the way, it’s the same mistake the Democrats made). The health care bill is an absolutely perfect example of social republicanism. Your client, the health insurance industry (although I cannot figure out why they’re called an industry since they make nothing unless you consider misery a product), was a dying entity and it knew it. It had a completely unsustainable business model and, left alone, would have imploded and given us the public option whether we wanted it or not. In a fit of pure genius, he saved a completely useless corporate money whore and provided it with a sustainable business model. At the same time, he solved the Democrats need for social justice.
(Health care and access to it should never have become a profit center, but it has and we now have new life for this completely vile business. But I digress).
The reforms that are built into this legislation are what create the sustainable future of the industry. The reforms make it impossible for the insurance companies to destroy themselves. It saves tens of thousands of jobs and potentially creates millions more both in the private and public sectors. This bill is the most bipartisan piece of legislation to come out of your houses in probably forever. Recognize the good parts of it for all sides and realize that what Mr. Obama did was bring you back to your roots as a party. Simply put, work with him instead of against him and you’ll get a lot more of what you want. Just make sure that what you want is what we want as well.
Stop railing against the parts of it that were your idea in the first place. There is nothing wrong with the mandate that can’t be fixed and please tell your people that end of life counseling was also your idea and is not a death panel. And when you vote against something that contains many of your own ideas, you look foolish. When your tirade centers around a procedure that you have used more often than anyone else, you look foolish. When you endorse crowds of people who wave placards and banners that depict your Project Manager as the most despicable characters in history, you become despicable. Simply put, stop it.
You need to remember that the “C” you are supposed to represent is Capitalism, not Christianity. I would like to suggest that you all get a copy of the original doctrine that outlined your responsibilities. Your number one priority is the consistent flow of the economy by managing the ebbs and flows. Employment, credit, the stock market, the banks, manufacturing, and trade are under your direct purview. And you’re doing a lousy job. Capital is the engine that keeps everything else running. Social policy is not your problem. Your job is to make sure that the economy functions successfully.
You have rules that you must adhere to within your respective houses. Some of them are certainly arcane, still others ridiculous, and some downright stupid. The majority have a sound logical reason for being. And as you must operate under rules, so must the corporations and entities that cause our economy to work properly. We have all witnessed what happens when we leave these greed-based gluttons to their own devices. It is the private sector that fuels the public one, not the other way around.
Energy is where you must concentrate your efforts. Alternative fuels development, obvious natural resource technologies. These are where the new money and jobs will come from. Jobs create tax revenues and the greater the revenues, the quicker we start eliminating the debt and deficit. Having a job and an income that allows people to live instead of survive eliminates their desire to throw bricks through your windows and scaring your kids. People who are content are much easier to get along with.
The economic impact of this is great for America and terrible for our enemies. A strong, patriotic, and energy independent America bankrupts and scares the bejeesus out of our enemies. They have only one commodity to offer, and it is becoming obsolete. They know this; they may live on a fence between the 15th and 21st centuries but they know that most of the rest of the world is moving away from fossil fuels. They have nothing to fall back on and without money, they pose no threat to anyone. You cannot throw a rock across the ocean and you can’t buy bombs with sand.
But you like war, you say? Well, for a little while longer it will be necessary to maintain the upward mobility of the economy. When you can pull money out of the defense budget to help create more jobs, higher wages, debt and deficit reduction you will reap the rewards. You will also have coming out of the service a whole new group of young, highly trained and capable people to help create new technologies and strategies. Spending less for something bad and more for something good will benefit you both professionally and personally. Killing, like illness, should not be profitable.
Trust me, the Democrats will help you with this for it is in their best interest to do so. I’ll explain why in their section. They are going to need your help as well. Don’t be afraid, what I will be asking of you will not hurt, will not damage your credibility, nor will it stray from your original manifesto…assuming you return to it. Simply put, do it.
Democrats
The yelling across the aisle that your counterparts are nothing more than obstructionists may be factually correct, but it is also ignores your own brand of the same thing. While I have stated that the Project Manager is a Social Republican, he identifies as a Democrat and, as such, is your guide. The efforts of some to contradict the “Smartest Man in the Room” proved futile and a complete waste of time. All he did was give everyone what they wanted whether they knew they wanted it or supported wanting it. He took you all to school, so learn from his lessons.
Your group is divided too many times. Blue Dog Democrats are not Democrats and should either move into the party or out of it. Anti-abortion Democrats are not Democrats and should either move into the party of out of it. Liberal and Progressive Democrats are Democrats but there cannot be degrees of Democrat-ness. It’s time to declare your Party. Everyone pull out that dog-eared credo of the Party and follow it.
There are a couple of major issues coming to your side of the room between now and midterms. I will go into more detail on those in the next letter. The one thing you have to hand to the Republicans is that they stood by their strategy, come hell, high water, or defeat. And they almost beat you. Organize and decide what you want your priorities to be and act according to the principals or your party on the issues that are your responsibility and in a positive manner to those that are not.
You are the Socialist side of the founding fathers’ equation, and before you get all puckered about being called a Socialist, look it up. Your responsibility is the health, education, and welfare of the people. If you assist the Republicans with the Capitalist issues, they in turn are more likely to allow you the social programs that follow the flow of money. It is mutually beneficial to do so. There are those that worry about a single party system, and I am not advocating that. What I am saying is that while it is true that both parties have specific ideological paths, they are not mutually exclusive.
Two quick fixes that will eliminate them as distractions: Repeal DADT and DoMA now. There is no need to wait and you really don’t need them hanging over your heads. They are offensive and unnecessary and wrong. Just do it.
Summary
Pull yourselves together and get on the same page. Concentrate on the issues that are yours to focus on and assist with those that aren’t. The two party system works best when it works together. The Republicans will not go far enough with reform and you will go too far with social programming. The system is designed so that both sides can achieve their own ideals while at the same time ensuring that the country is fiscally sound and our people are secure in all aspects of life.
And try to remember that, for now at least, you work for us, not the other way around.
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