Democrats, You Are Wrong About the Republicans
By: Shelly Fagan
Tags: Morality, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Politics, Policy

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The cruelty of the Republican Party is not an unintended consequence. It is not a “bug.” It is a feature of almost all members who self-identify as right-wing.

Every day, liberals wallow in the misguided notion that the GOP is failing miserably at protecting the country. This is not their goal.

To Americans on the left, politics is like belonging to an opposing team with differing views on how best to lead a nation, how to protect the public, and enact legislation for the future.

Democrats are stuck in the 1950s

It isn’t the Republicans who are trapped in the past. It’s Democrats who think there are still philosophical differences surrounding public policy. The GOP changed decades ago, but our understanding of them did not.

When talking about what voters seek to accomplish when they cast their ballot for a Republican versus a Democrat, you might as well be comparing apples to puppies. One is concerned about maintaining personal power, the other seeks social justice through the election process.

Republicans are playing an entirely different game – one where they do not give a shit about the rules. And this is a contest Democrats are losing because they do not understand this one point. Aligning with the GOP is not about politics, but the voter’s moral stance.

Attempting to appeal to a sense of humanity is a waste of time. If this worked, impassioned pleas by family members would have won their hearts long ago. As anyone who has argued with hardcore right-wing family member knows, these people are not interested in preventing the suffering of others – whether they are children, disabled, immigrants, or poor.

Not only will they use that suffering to their advantage if at all possible, but they will congratulate themselves for being smart for doing so.

Hell, that’s the point. It’s not that they are unaware that cops are shooting black folks. They relish it.

People do not join the Republican Party because they think trickle-down economics works. They are not fighting for smaller government. They do not care about abortion. They didn’t read a thought-provoking article by William F. Buckley and think, “I agree.” These are political footballs they trot out to justify their desire to elevate themselves above another.

They seek to punish others – especially those they perceive as beneath them, even if it means they lose, too.

They redefine the motivations for their hateful desires as something beneficial for the nation. Make no mistake, the flag-waving patriotic act is nothing more than a clever disguise for their cruelty.

Voting GOP means corporations can further exploit workers. They say “protecting job creators” because they know “anti-labor” sounds bad.

When enacting bullshit laws so that minorities are prevented from voting doesn’t work, they stack the courts with judges sympathetic to their cause. They call it “redistricting” because “voter suppression through gerrymandering” is illegal.

They want to cut social safety nets by limiting “entitlement programs” because they truly don’t believe the other guy deserves a break.

A right-winger will support legislation that harms himself if it means punishing his enemies.

If these policies result in your death, just don’t do it on their street because it will drive down their property values.

Right-wingers are too dishonest to admit their black hearts drive them to hurt their fellow man.

They self-identity as GOP because they are more closely aligned with the moral stance of their like-minded brethren who seek to do the same.

Republicans don’t care

Nothing demonstrates this better than the anti-mask movement. This isn’t an issue of not believing the science. It certainly isn’t about freedom. Those are excuses. They fully understand the need to wear a mask during a deadly pandemic. It’s that they don’t give a shit if 300,000 or 3 million other people die. They don’t care about front line medical workers. They don’t care about the elderly.

Republicans don’t care.

Democrats should stop screaming as if this is a situation that the other party just doesn’t get it.

The GOP members care more about being comfortable, dining at restaurants, or supporting their politicians than anyone’s life or the safety of their community.

This isn’t a political party, it’s a moral stance – and one based on cruelty and punishing others.

While the left wing worries about immigrant children locked in cages, the Republicans honestly don’t care if every one of them dies. While liberals are concerned with education, climate change, or racism, the right-wingers are not moved to make the world a better place for anyone other than themselves.

Stop expecting the Republicans in Washington to do what is right for the nation. They don’t care.

Y’all must stop thinking these are mistakes they are making. They are not ignorant about the misery they leave in their wake. People don’t join the Republican Party because the agree with their policy. They aren’t fighting for smaller government or fiscal responsibility. They don’t give a shit about aborted embryos.

They are GOP because they are selfish assholes.