Friday, April 4, 2014

A Political Sickness of the Highest Order


The condition medical science calls Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior Disorder must be a prerequisite to running for office as a Republican.

Sufferers have far stronger and more frequent obsessions than normal folk, and their obsessions trigger uncontrollable actions that are aggressive, irrational and socially inappropriate. They can’t help themselves.

For example, House Republicans yesterday made their 52nd attempt to repeal or emasculate the Affordable Care Act, which they derisively call “Obamacare.”  Like their previous attempts it was doomed even before it was written.  Still, at the mere mention of Obamacare, a right-wing Republican is likely to melt down, compulsively shouting “death panels,” “socialism,” and other nonsense slogans.  Both the AMA and the APA reportedly are considering making Obamacare Obsession a separate and extreme subform of OCBD.

Another extreme form of the disorder that is rampant among Republicans is Benghazi Obsession. Whenever a Republican gets a whiff of a nearby progressive idea, he is likely to begin trembling and compulsively shouting “Benghazi! Benghazi!”  At our local Congressman’s office the other day, a constituent asked him about incentives for development of wind power, and he turned crimson, leaped atop his desk and yelled “Benghazi” so loud that his plastic Jesus shattered.

No amount of truth can wean an OCBD sufferer from his or her favorite obsessions.  No wonder the so-called “birthers” are being compared to the “flat-earth society.”  An acquaintance of mine developed a clean-house obsession that was so strong she ultimately stopped living in her house after it had been cleaned, so as not to muss it up. The political equivalent is the Republican governors who refuse to let their aged citizens reap the benefit of expanded Medicaid under . . . the O-word.

Some historians believe the Tax-and-Spend obsession was the earliest form  of OCBD among Republicans.  An archivist says “Tax-and-Spend Democrats” was scrawled on the walls of Lafayette Hall in Pittsburgh at the first Republican national convention in 1856. “Tax-and-Spend Democrats” ranks third behind Momma and Dada as the most frequent first words spoken by Republican infants.. To this day it ranks with “Cut the Deficit” as the most compulsive Republican response to the mere mention of Social Security.

Doctors say OCBD isn’t contagious, but as the disorder becomes more and more extreme among Republicans, it has spread across the aisles of Congress. One of the first manifestations of this was the WMD syndrome.  Under its influence, most Democrats in Congress supported the authorization to invade Iraq.  Democratic immunity to Republicans’ Endless War Obsession had been weakened by the national endemic of Terrorism Obsession, which began on Sept. 11, 2001, and still rages throughout the population.

OCBD Democrats have a Compromise Obsession that causes them to compulsively accept defeat before the battle has even begun.  That’s why President Obama capitulated to Big Pharma and Big Insurance even before the Affordable Care Act was drafted.  

Republican Sex Obsession began during the Clinton Impeachment fiasco with Special Prosecutor Ken Starr’s intense fascination with the most lurid physical details of the Lewinski-Clinton relationship. It, too, has spread across the aisle to Democrats who join Republicans’ compulsive intrusion into the most intimate and private aspects of women’s lives.

While there are many obsessions that cause compulsive and bizarre behavior by our elected leaders, the most dangerous at this moment is the Iran Obsession.  An offshoot of the larger Arab Obsession, the Iran Obsession is a cousin of the WMD madness that put us into the disastrous Iraq war.  Its most seriously afflicted sufferers, like Dick Cheney and John McCain, compulsively attach “nuclear weapons program” to any mention of Iran. Even though that Muslim republic has no nuclear weapons program and doesn’t want to have one, the OCBD crowd wants to bomb-bomb-bomb it to smithereens.

Many OCBD sufferers fly into rages when their compulsive behavior is thwarted.  If that happens to one of the many rulers around the world who do have nuclear triggers, it doesn’t really matter which side they’re on.  The world’s toast either way.

2 comments:

  1. True progressivism does not exist anymore! Anarchy of the 60’s and 70’s has watered down the goal of positive movement forward for ALL. Factions now days have taken to their own agendas and political Super Pacts govern our government of both political parties.

    Mr. Pianist I agree with you as to the Pubes repetitive attempt to void Obamacare. In the immortal words of Chief Justice Roberts, The Affordable Care Act was constitutional only as a tax, and boy have we taxed those that work and future generations with unfathomable debt. Unfortunately we now live increasingly in a world of “what my government can do for me.”

    I steadfastly feel if we do not re-discover that turn of the century Progressive spirit that is for the good of all, that we will pay a huge price in our future. Much like the Progressive movement of the 1890’s we need to redefine our country from the ground up. We need to stop putting tax money in the hands of the ‘wasters’. Our country needs to be put to work for their income, not the free check, debit card, cell phone, and other forms of bribery by politicians that do not realize where the money truly comes from---those responsible taxpayers.

    With Obamacare as an example, it needs to be totally stripped. It needs to be set up for the original intended purpose…. providing gap insurance for needs not wants for those that otherwise could not afford insurance and to provide competition for the private market. Most employer plans are better because they do not have the astronomical deductibles. Getting the name/stigma off Obamacare and reducing the impending future debt it will create due to millions of Americans not remotely putting funds in to the ‘market’ to cover costs. Insurance companies will still be making out like bandits because the designers of the ‘Plan’ set protective measures ‘Taxpayer Money’ in the event of cost over runs. Most senior citizens do not realize also that ‘The Plan’ robbed from Medicare, much like our government has robbed from Social Security for years.

    With buying down close to $18 Trillion in debt, we need to basically eliminate all support for those not working and plan for jobs and training. Taxing needs to be fair across the board via a Fair or Flat tax (eliminate loop holes for millionaires). Imports need to be taxed at higher rates to encourage corporations to produce in America. Those that choose not to work can learn ‘tough love’ and have no more financial support. The idiots that call government paying for contraception via taxes /insurance under the term ‘War on Women’s Rights’ can get a real job. Having sex is a personal choice, not an insurance issue…….PERIOD!

    So Mr. Pianist we have a lot of work to go backward where things worked better in order to move forward.
    1) Religion should not be forced on anyone, but by the same token the religious person has the same rights as the agnostic or the atheist. It is a proven fact that prayer is a form of a holistic approach that makes one more at peace in their life.
    2) Working for income needs to be a standard which will develop pride rather than entitlement
    3) The press needs to return to its investigative ways. To see CNN devote close to 90% of its programming to Malaysia Flight #370 shows the demise of the press.
    4) Government waste needs to end at all levels and those like Lois Lerner that told her story and then took the 5th should be prosecuted.
    5) Term limits need to be installed with the maximum of 2…. 6 year terms each for both houses of Congress.
    The list goes on and on……………………….

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  2. A quick note to fend off those to say the 60's were a period of Civil Rights for African-Americans....What is the unemployment rate for that sector now? What is the % of African American children that even have their biological father in their life? What is the crime rate of that sector?

    We have to create an environment for all Americans and eliminate the race, religion, etc. classification in our society including employment applications!

    That will mean civil rights......Equality.

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