Remember back in 2013 when a bunch of Republicans (excuse me, Tea Partiers parading around as orderly Republicans) threw a tantrum that shut down our government for sixteen days because they refused to pass legislation that did not include measures to take apart and/or delay the Affordable Healthcare Act? There were no debates about how much money should go to education and how much to the military… it really was just a big show, spearheaded by GOP presidential-candidate Ted Cruz (TX). Now two years later, it looks like it is happening all over again. And… it just… blows my mind.
This time the tantrum is the hardcore right trying to defund Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit that serves both men and women, primarily those who are uninsured or low-income. The Babies (yep, it’s the nicest thing I am able to call them) are all aflutter because of abortion (cause you know Planned Parenthood does those too, though many are acting like that is all the organization performs). There are a bunch of bogus videos out there accusing the nonprofit of selling aborted fetal tissue. But the thing about that is the video has already been proven as a fake. The video featured actors hired by an anti-abortion organization (The Center for Medical Progress). Everything down to the “purchasers” was made up, fabricated – I don’t understand the confusion on this.
But it gets better, because the GOP (which is all about saving money in theory) has made such a fuss, even after the videos were debunked, most states have launched their own investigations – on top of three congressional committees. Guess what they’ve found so far? Nada. Several states have officially cleared Planned Parenthood of any illegal activity or wrongdoing. That’s where your taxes are going to – dozens of special committees to investigate an established nonprofit based on a few videos that have already been proven works of fiction. Awesome sauce. But because the GOP is anti-abortion this is just the fuel they need. It doesn’t matter if it stinks.
Everyone in Washington is in a tizzy. The Senate blocked a bill to keep the government going because the Babies included a provision to defund Planned Parenthood based on FAKE videos which is the only foundation for the baseless accusations the organization faces. Wtf. I mean fine, some people are going to be pro-life – they are entitled to those beliefs. But the Constitution and Supreme Court disagree. This country is founded on freedom and freedom means that people have choices. Be pro-life, be passionately pro-life. Try to defund Planned Parenthood because you don’t like abortions. Let that be your argument… Don’t waste all this money investigating the disproven and using that as your argument to bring this country down to its knees. Again!
See this isn’t about taking a moral stance – this is about how these tantrums affect the country and its overall economy. The 2013 government shutdown cost this country between 12 billion and 24 billion dollars. That’s a lot of fucking money! And what made it even better, the politicians that let it happen, including those that actually pushed for it to happen, were still collecting their paychecks while more than one million people were not able to go to work (and therefore were could not pick up a paycheck). Small businesses were affected – hell, everyone was. It all trickles down. This country is up to its eyeballs in debt and we’re actually thinking about promoting something that will cost the country and its people billions more? I’ve said this before, but seriously… Wtf.
I just don’t understand it. I don’t understand how such idiots can be in positions of power. I don’t understand how they were elected/reelected. I don’t understand how they are getting away with trying to defund an organization based on disproven material and baseless allegations. I don’t understand how this is even a conversation. I don’t understand how anyone, even someone as far gone as Ted Cruz, can think that a shutdown is the answer. I don’t understand why people don’t stand up to these extremists. Because while I am not Republican, I know that these extremists do not stand for all Republicans, or even the majority. But the problem is the majority stays silent, afraid of confronting the very loud minority. It’s a hostage situation!
I don’t understand how, if the government does shut down (again) these extremists will remain in office and fail to be impeached. (Yes, members of congress can be impeached – any elected official can.) I mean I know they won’t be, but that knowledge boggles my mind.
But I am trying to look at the positive. While I still hope these Babies get some sense knocked into them and the government does not shutdown (Senate will approve the bill they have been given with the only exemption being defunding Planned Parenthood). But if that doesn’t happen, once again the GOP will look like a bunch of asses and lose momentum for the upcoming 2016 elections. I don’t hope it happens, but if it does at least there is that – a reason to smile. 😛
-DMW
Links:
- http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/30/cnn-david-daleiden-producer-doctored-planned-parenthood-videos-admits-fraud.html
- http://www.factcheck.org/2013/10/democrats-exaggerate-shutdown-costs/
- http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/us/politics/john-boehner-says-there-wont-be-a-government-shutdown.html?_r=2
- http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/another-government-shutdown-next-week-what-watch
- http://swampland.time.com/2013/10/17/heres-what-the-government-shutdown-cost-the-economy/
