Ratification Demonstrates that the
Republicans have become Hostage-Takers Over Obamacare
Ratification: The People Debate the
Constitution 1787 – 1788 by the late Pauline Maier, the William Rand Kenan, Jr., Professor of American History at MIT, demonstrates
that one of the prime reasons for the failure of the Articles of Confederation
and their replacement with the Constitution was that the United States was
unable to pay its bills.
The central government
depended on import duties, but when these were insufficient, it had to ask the
states for funds. Many states refused to
pay, and so the United States was a deadbeat nation. So, one of the major changes wrought by the
Constitution was the power of direct taxation which many veterans of the revolution
saw as a return to the tyranny of the crown.
The pro-constitution
faction answered that because the government was selected by the people,
despotism was impossible. Tellingly, the
opponents of Constitution promised to fight against it peaceably if approved,
and not take up arms as was happening in the western part of some states with
rebellions like Shay’s in Massachusetts.
The current Republican attempt to shut down the government and to
force the government into default if the Affordable Health Care Act is not
repealed is nothing less than holding the country and the world hostage to
their partisan political position on a domestic issue. Although the Republicans
in the House agree that a government in needed, and also that the United States
should pay its bills (after all, aren’t the Republicans claiming to be the
party of fiscal responsibility?) they are willing to do the work of those out
to destroy America if the Affordable Health Care Act is not repealed.
Furthermore, it is rank hypocrisy
for someone like Eric Cantor to dig in his heels over Obamacare. After he has denied Americans the right to
affordable health care and left them at the mercy of private insurers, he can
move to Israel, live on land Israel occupies illegally, and participate in
Israel’s health care plan where participation is mandatory. The Republican members of the house ought to
have to relinquish their taxpayer supported health care plans.
Taking a position
against the United States paying its debts is really anti-constitutional. The
entire global economy is dependent on the reliability of the full faith and
credit of the United States. Al-Queda could not wish for better allies than the Republicans
who are willing to destroy the world economy if their partisan pique about
health care is not assuaged.
If
the United States defaults on its debts because the House of Representatives
refuses to raise the debt ceiling, the ensuing economic collapse is going to
make the recent recession look like prosperity.
To demonstrate the absurdity of the Republican House position,
when the Constitution was being debated in 1787 and 1788, Abolishionists
were enraged that slaves got to be counted as three-fifths of a person for the census
and representative allotment. Abolishionists saw this as rewarding evil people (slaveholders)
by increasing their voting power (slaves counted in the population but, of
course, were not allowed to vote [basically until 1964 in the South]).
The North, however, swallowed its moral scruples in the interest
of unity and union. The Affordable Health
Care Act isn’t even a moral issue. Yet,
the Republicans are proposing a new form of government; that any minority (and
the House majority is a minority in the government) ought to be able to get its
way if it is willing to shut down the government or threaten the world with
financial collapse. Absolutely
absurd.
The root problem is that the Republicans have become basically
racist and no longer believe in democracy.
They supported Bush stealing the election in 2000. Now, the party policy is to prevent or
inhibit people from voting by requiring picture ID’s, abolishing same day
registration and limit early voting hours and locations. This is because the Republican Party has
become a religious, not a political organization. Republicans believe they are right, no matter
what. And if the electorate is so
misguided as to elect people who implement policies with which it disagrees,
then the answer is either to change the electorate, shut down the government,
or precipitate a global collapse.
The Republican Party is going out of business,
the only question is whether it is going to do so with a bang or with a
whimper.