Republicans and the Deficit Reduction Tragedy

     Since President Reagan's days, Republicans have capitalized on the disasters they've created, and our national debt disaster will be no different. Reagan laid the groundwork for our collective bankruptcy with his "starve the beast" tax cuts, and leveraged-buyout, manufacturing job off-shoring, pro-sweatshop, tariff cutting, import-everything, union-breaking, pseudo-free-trade initiatives. Through these means, Reagan managed to blithely foster the sell off of our proud, thriving industrial base that was built with the blood, sweat, and tears of union labor. These venal initiative enriched bankers a hundred times over, but shattered unions, wage-growth, and future prospects for the middle-class. This was trickle down economics.
     Now, Republicans will trot out the same old, tired war horses: more tax cuts for the capitalized rich, and more off-shoring of the anemic remains of our manufacturing infrastructure (private equity funds, anyone?), while singing the praises of a free-market economy that never existed, and the virtues of free-trade that depends on the silent complicity of overseas, penny-a-day, wage-slaves working amidst environmental degradation that recklessly afflicts the entire planet with deadly toxins.
     As long as Republican campaign contributors can make a quick buck in the sell out of our hard won middle-class avenues of prosperity -- manufacturing jobs and fair home mortgages; and as long as bought and paid for Republican politicians can secure the promise of bonus-padded sinecures when they bail out of politics, it's all good to them. They'll be safe in their gated communities, right?