“Green New Deal is Raw New Deal for CO”
Subhead: “Congress is a place where bold ideas are developed and debated, rejected or approved.”
This headline and subhead turned up in my local paper, written by my state’s Republican senator. However, the article itself is more global than local and its implications are clear. The headline is descriptive of the writer’s opinion and the subhead is a statement of fact by the paper.
This headline is absolutely characteristic of the Republican’s attitude in general. In the article, in accordance with strict Republican orthodoxy, the writer says, “It takes a socialist economic agenda and puts it under the umbrella of environmentalism.” The word here that is key to Republican orthodoxy is “socialist” and the orthodoxy it has been cemented into is “fear.” Republicans do not sell ideas to America, they sell fear; their usual campaign mantra is “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” We are to be afraid of MS13 invading our homes, South Americans invading our borders and swamping our country, Democrats voting illegally, the Electoral College cudgeling Republicans even though it put Trump in office despite 3.4 million fewer votes; and Socialism, egad, Socialism!
“The country is a mess,” Trump said, “and only I can fix it.” Two years of total Republican control and they have fixed nothing. Mass shootings after mass shootings and the best Republicans are able to do is “hearts and prayers” and the Democrats want to confiscate your guns. Two years of complaining about infrastructure and no infrastructure bills. A trillion dollar tax giveaway and eying Medicare and Social Security to fill the tax income gap. Why is this? Because Republicans apparently are not aware that “Congress is a place where bold ideas are developed and debated, rejected or approved.”
Democrats have proposed some ideas for congressional consideration, calling it “the Green New Deal.” After careful consideration, the Republican response has been, “It will cost $93 trillion! Be afraid, be very afraid.” Having given it somber thinking McConnell said, “It’s a Democratic power grab.” On weighing all sides of the question, a fellow house Republican declared, “Ocasio-Cortez is a moron.”
The other day Fox news interviewed a person in a diner asking about the Green New Deal; the interviewer was only interested in talking about socialism and the expense of the Green New Deal. This interviewer was apparently frustrated that the interviewee insisted on making the point that WWII America, Republicans and Democrats, rose to the occasion and found the fortitude and financial wherewithal to confront the dire worldwide Nazi threat and to marshal the will and the ideas to confront and defeat it.
America needs a Republican Party that is willing to rise to consider the worldwide threat of global warming and climate change with all of its implications. America needs a Republican Party, but a rational one, a party relying on intelligence, not fear, and ideas not based on unlimited outside money from the likes of the oil industry and the NRA.
America desperately needs a Congress where bold ideas are developed and debated, rejected or approved.
Cohen is a former Fayston resident who now lives in Durango, CO.
