Why are Americans tolerating government more befitting of Henry VIII’s court or Putin’s Palace?
Over the centuries, people threw over monarchs, corrupt representatives, and dictators so they wouldn’t have to pay for their leader’s personal enrichment and vendettas with their lives and assets. When you look at all the times people removed monarchs and dictators, they usually had a list of grievances, including unjust or onerous taxation to fill personal coffers, wars fought over personal vendettas or for personal gain, law enforcement and censorship used for personal gain, and hoarding of resources. But, lately, people have forgotten the destruction and grief that self-dealing leaders can cause. We have two self-dealing political parties in the USA, but House Republicans have taken it to a new level — using their offices to settle personal scores.
House Republicans' first act in the 118th Congress was to air their dirty laundry in front of the world, even resorting to some pushing and shoving and raised fists to send Kevin McCarthy their message, on behalf of their corporate contributors, that they were in charge. One would think after that, they'd want to commence with their agenda and sell it to the American people, but no. They’re still settling scores.
Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert fought over Greene sitting with her new McCarthy fan friends on the first day of s̶c̶h̶o̶o̶l̶ Congress. The Congressional women’s bathroom is the Chilton bathroom from Gilmore Girls. Greene called Nancy Mace of South Carolina “trash.” They all got together to call Ilhan Omar of Minnesota many bad names, and someone connected to Boebert sent her a toxic and threatening email after Omar sought an apology. Republicans claim they’re mad at Omar over some comments she made about Israel, but many American Jewish people aren’t mad at her over it and many agree with her. Jewish people aren’t all that excited about AIPAC. Jewish people are more concerned over real anti-semitism in the USA, all of it coming from Republicans, particularly the Trump supporters and Trump.
And let’s be clear. It’s not just the women. Matt Gaetz and Mike Rogers went at it when trying to hold up the speakership. Mitt Romney decided to use the historic occasion of the President’s State of the Union address to say nasty things to George Santos but has shown no intention of doing anything about Santos’ lies and potential criminal activity. The rest of the time, Republicans jeered and heckled Biden just to put on a show, and when the cameras are off, they’re fighting over whether to kill veterans or old grandmas first in cuts so they have enough money for more tax cuts for the rich. They’ll turn the cameras back on to use our time and money to hold hit-hearings, and they’re fighting over who gets to be on which panel to attack one person or another. Republicans in the US legislature are turning our Capitol hill into Henry VIII’s Tower Green, famous for his famous personal grudge beheadings. Republicans work their pals on the Supreme Court for favorable rulings.
The next big fight in Congress will be over a manufactured problem — the debt ceiling. There is no reason for the country to default on its loans, but Republicans want to create a crisis to force cuts that will affect veterans, old people, sick people, and children. Tax cuts for the rich are safe.
As Republican states are dealing with water problems, Republicans fight EPA regulation changes to alleviate the shortages and untimely abundance with no suggestions for alternative action.
Why are Americans putting up with this nonsense more fitting in a historic monarch’s court or a dictator’s palace?