America's Misguided Political Right Wing

As the mid-term election season winds to a close, America has had the opportunity to observe the political right wing in all of its glory.  There's very little subtlety in their approach -- usually they more closely resemble a mob than a political faction.

"We need to return to the original intent of the Founding Fathers" is a statement the right wing is fond of making.  But they fail to recognize that, while the spirit of the original intent may have been heart felt, the reality was that three-fourths of the nation (women and Blacks) was excluded, resulting in ramifications for later generations.  Once everyone was allowed to participate, the demands and consequences changed.  Things are never going to be the way they once were (thank God) and the right wing's nostalgia is myopic, at best.

In addition, their economic solution of tax cuts for the rich as a panacea for everything has no basis in reality and works against any chance our nation has for a prosperous future.  There are some tasks for the common good that only the government can perform.  The interstate highway system, the semiconductor and, yes, even the Internet, were all innovations that were funded with government dollars.  Investors of private and corporate money require a return on investment within a relatively short period of time.  Projects like those listed above take years, sometimes decades, before the benefits and/or profits are realized.  Yet, can any of us imagine a world without them? 

The right wing seems to be more concerned about who benefits from new programs and they would rather throw out the baby with the bath water -- keep "those people" from benefiting -- even if it means that they too lose in the process.  That's why any solutions to health care, energy or even jobs are so elusive.

The political left has its problems too, but the right wing is so out of touch that it's hard to take them seriously if you believe that all American citizens have equal rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.