GOING ROGUE: AN AMERICAN PROFILE

By

Joseph Chez

Just like the legendary phoenix, Sara Palin is rising from the ashes, after having suffered a major defeat in the last presidential election and was further eviscerated by the media, rightfully so, or not. But, even after her crucifixion, Sarah continues to raise enthusiasm and support by a great portion of the American population. Surprisingly, despite having taken head-butts, left hooks and near knock-outs, inexperienced Sarah Barracuda appears to be staying in the political arena and keeps on punching.

In what appears as her resurrection, Sarah Palin has begun her comeback through a barrage of media interviews as well as promoting her new book, “Going Rogue: An American Life.” Her new book is now a hot seller and conservatives welcome its release akin to the advent of a new gospel, while liberals chuckle and deride the entire spectacle. Nonetheless, Sarah uses her scripture as a means to shore up her image but also to spread the conservative message for the faithful. However, most in the media see Sarah Palin’s book simply as a tell-all book that points fingers at others for her seemingly amateurish political performance during the election. And yet, the gospel according to Sarah is without a doubt, an affirmation and determination to “fight for America.”

Still, to like Sarah Palin or not, she should not be discounted nor surreptitiously vilified, as she is unquestionably the darling of the conservative movement in the heartland and perhaps, the leading republican candidate for 2012 or the 2016 presidential election. Moreover, despite current polls showing her having low percentages in her support for the presidency, there is the fact that 67 per cent of conservative republicans support Sarah Palin and see her as the hope of the Grand Old Party. Furthermore, Sarah Palin excites the passion of many in the Christian fundamentalist movement, the strong national defense crowd, the Tea Party movement, anti-government militias, 2nd Amendment supporters, the state right’s movement, the pro-life movement, the anti-environmental movement, proponents for government deregulation in business and industry, immigrant haters, the Joe six-pac(s), Joe the plumbers, John Birchers, Glen Beckies, and every jingoistic scoundrel which purports to love the country. In essence, Sarah Palin is just the girl next door; she is not the consequence but the symptom of the American profile. What is disconcerting however, is that Sarah is making a comeback, and as her fathers says: “she is not retreating, she’s reloading!”

BORN AGAIN FISCAL CONSERVATIVES RISE FROM THE RUBBLE LEFT FROM THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

Out of the rubble, from a tattered and violated U.S. national economy, Republican legionnaires are once again becoming born-again fiscal conservative.

With the likes of Rush Limbaugh who has taken the helm of the Republican party -from the grip of Michael Steel (RNC Chairman); Joe the plumber who is now a book author with a ghost writer; Sara Paling who sees herself executive savvy and the future of the party; and Joe Six-pack who unabashedly waves the stars- and-stripes with blind devotion - these acolytes of corporate America are back once more, touting the virtues of the free-market forces vis-a-vis government oversight. However, these fellas conveniently forget that they were once blind to the free-market acts under the Bush Administration which led us to where we are.

Newt Gingrich, whose "Contract with America" was in reality, a contract on America, is on the speaking circuit damming the Democrats and President Obama's economic and social agenda. Sean Hannity, the Fox News show host and pundit, has asked his listeners, what kind of revolution they would like to see against the Democrats in control of government. His "let's take America back" message is becoming red meat for the intellectually-poor Joe six-pack crowd. In fact, the pompous Grand Old Party leader and dean for the center for conservative studies, Rush Limbaugh, has publicly announced that he wishes President Obama's agenda to fail, so the country will win.

Yes, these corporate-America apologist, are coming out of the economic rubble the Bush Administration left for President Obama, and they are fiercely joining the ranks of malcontent Republicans who want to start a ( fiscal conservative) revolution to take back America. Their rhetoric is so inflammatory, that many of the Joe six-pack crowd are confused with the message, and wait patiently for a call to arms. Glen Beck was so enamored with his pitch fork advocacy, that he left CNN and moved to Fox News where he could get a better feel of the grip.

Today, these Republican born-again fiscal conservatives, are denouncing President Obama's $787 billion dollar stimulus package designed to rescue the crumbling economy. An economy so severely damaged, that it may rival the 1930's great Depression. However, these individuals continue to argue that government over-spending is unnecessary, but propose, as they did before, that government should tax less and stay out of the private sector.
But excuse me? Do these nut-jobs not realize that the present economic situation is so dire? Do they not understand that our nation's economic state of affairs is, the result of the prior - Republican; get government off my back, let industry police itself, less taxes-less government, no bid-contracts, less paper work for less paper trail, and turn government over to the private sector by way of out-sourcing? Did they not raped and pillaged our economy?

In 2001, when former President George Bush took office, with a stroke of a pen, by Presidential Order, he ordered all government agencies under the executive branch, to immediately begin a transfer of government services and resources to the private sector. This became known as privatizing government or "outsourcing". In reality however, it was the beginning of ransacking public resources. In fact, the Bush Administration put in place a plan "to get to the green" for each federal agency. The plan was to privatize up to 50 per cent of services and resources for each federal agency. Yes, "green" as in money. Thus, each agency played the game to get to the green with incentives for the head of agencies receiving fat juicy bonuses.

But you know of course, that it was under the former Republican Bush Administration, that even part of the U.S. arm forces became out-sourced (private). Until recently, much of the Iraq war was in the hands of private security companies - under "no-bid contract" of course. Further, you should know that under the Bush Administration, mineral and oil claims were sold to the private sector for pennies on the dollar. You should also know that much of our industry became self-regulated. Peanuts anyone? In sum, industry pollution and profiteering became rampant.

But, what really sacked our kitty, was the investment banking industry. These necro-mongers lavishly lobbied the White House and Congress. Yet, the Bush Administration was the biggest capitulator or "the decider" and thus, the kitty went to bed as the rats ate the cheese. Where was government oversight you ask? Absent. Better yet, embedded with the enemy. In fact, the so called fiscally -conservative Republicans were so inebriated with the free market forces, that they made it possible for Wall Street to have an atmosphere of a free reign. A situation in which Wall Street become more of a gambling casino than an investment industry; Investment banking houses packaged mortgages into security schemes, hedge funds into derivatives and concocted monetary schemes such as credit-default-swaps (insurance for non-secure, non-existent investments).

And there is more; the gas and oil industry was well connected with the Bush Administration, and consequently - were allowed a free reign in the regulation of its own price controls and marketing. So free was the market forces, that the oil industry was putting billions of dollars into the commodities market, betting that the price of oil would be going up, knowing full well that they were controlling the rise and fall of the market. What a scheme. Consistently, oil companies enjoyed the historic billion(s) dollar profits. These oil fellas owe their fortune to their fellow Republican friends - George"W" and Darth Chaney.

But then, the casino free-market forces atmosphere came tumbling down. The American investor was once again beaten by the house, although the house also lost because, crooks within the casino were skimming the profits all along, until there was no more. And thus, the revered American economic model became the emperor with no clothes. Yet, believers of the GOP conservative doctrine are back again, preaching that "fiscal conservatism" is better and the only solution to the economic problem this country is having. They are sharpening their tongues and pitch forks. Sadly, their legion seems smaller and less credible.

So when Rush Limbaugh says, he wants President Obama's economic agenda to fail, I say, bite your tongue sir ! It is you and your like-minded that got us into this economic mess.

President Obama, god speed....
Joseph Chez