Call B.S. on the Hoodwinkers

Stop Congressional Republicans from Breaking OUR Social Contract

Sen. Robin Hoodwink, R-U.S., is at it again.

Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate majority leader, errand boy for the rich and entitled, and Hoodwink’s primary spokesperson (a.k.a., misdirector), stood up last week and declared, with gusto, “Entitlements are the reason the federal debt is running wild!”

He shouted something like this throughout the great halls – and to Bloomberg News – mere months after his party handed a $1.5 trillion tax cut to the wealthiest among us.

The federal debt, a.k.a., the national debt or public debt, “…is the result of the federal government borrowing money to cover years and years of budget deficits.” * According to the Congressional Budget Office, the U.S. debt is on track to grow to the highest level in U.S. History, by far.

The U.S. budget deficit has hit $779 billion, by the way. That’s the difference between what the federal government spends and what it takes in. *

One doesn’t need to be especially astute to have noticed $779 billion is less than that $1.5 trillion tax cut that President Donald Trump and the Republican majority in Congress recently handed to the rich.

The duplicity and hypocrisy would be astounding if we weren’t so used to it.

“No! No!” shouts Hoodwink. “Look over here, instead. See? Those damn poor and elderly people working the system are to blame, not us!”

So obvious. Right?

As reported in Newsweek and other reputable news outlets, Chief Hoodwink Misdirector (CHM) McConnell says, “…the only way to lower the record-high federal deficit would be to cut entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.”

Steal from the poor, give to the rich. That’s the Hoodwinker ticket.

Screw those old folks who need to choose between medication that their lives depend on and getting a couple of good meals a day. Single parents who can’t afford health insurance? They should have thought of that before everything they did wrong. Same with the families of four and five, where the parents are working three, four, even five jobs to keep their heads above water. Or millions of other people who struggle for millions of other reasons.

In other words, screw anyone who relies on the safety net of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, or might rely on it in the future.

Label, Relabel and Unlabel

“Entitlements!” Hoodwink screeches. “They’ve got to go!”

You’ve got to hand the Republicans this – they’re excellent labelers and redefiners.

They’ve labeled and redefined so many things in our society, in negative ways that serve their purposes, that it’s hard to keep track. “Entitlement” is just one of a thousand examples.

The word “entitlement” is innocuous, but the GOP has successfully poisoned it. They’ve made it sound like it’s something a spoiled brat thinks he deserves no matter what. (Which, ironically, describes many of them to a “T”). They spit the word at the rest of us like it’s a curse – “Entitlements! They’re terrible. We need to reign them in!”

An entitlement is something that provides for the well-being of us all, especially the least able. As a group, they are programs that constitute a crucial social contract between the citizens of the United States of America and our government. Because we are U.S. citizens, we should have an expectation of food to eat, a roof over our heads, decent healthcare and a retirement that is not lived in destitution.

Yes, “entitlements” is a misnomer. Call them what they are collectively:  a safety net for the poor and working classes.

Social Contracts

Social contract. That sounds serious. Important. At the least, binding.

There are many definitions:

• “An implicit agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits.”
• “The voluntary agreement among individuals by which… organized society is brought into being and invested with the right to secure mutual protection and welfare….”
• “Government is the vehicle for governance of society, which is the establishment and enforcement of rules and provisioning of basic services which society requires but which would otherwise not be available….”

All the definitions contain similar elements, such as mutual protection, social benefits, well-being and cooperation for the benefit of society. In other words, the safety net programs constitute a promise that, when worse comes to worse, we won’t be on our own.

All the definitions mention the role of government in providing that much, at least, for the citizenry. In short, the role of government is to protect and ensure the safety and security of its people.

The Hoodwinks of the world – Trump, McConnell, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and their minions – want to pull them out from under us, instead, so they can keep giving their rich buddies sweet deals.

This Stinks

We knew this B.S. was coming; the GOP has made no secret of its desire to go after the safety net.

But the putridity still doth offend.

It’s interesting that so many politicians who claim to want, above all else, to adhere strictly to the language of the U.S. Constitution push for the severe limitation of something that is enshrined in its preamble: “…promote the general welfare.” Without even a smidgeon of a doubt, our safety net programs – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – promote the general welfare of U.S. citizens.

“But, c’mon,” Hoodwink whines hysterically, “the tax break will result in new investment and jobs for the people you’re moaning about. What’s your problem?”

The problem, Hoodwink, is trickle-down simply doesn’t work. Does. Not. Work. Been there, done that.

Fact is, there is no definition of altruism that includes further enriching the rich by gouging into the little held by the poor and working classes.

No More Hoods, No More Winks

Enough with the bait-and-switch.

Let’s not be hoodwinked again. Let’s fight back.

Tell the GOP to honor the social contract we have with OUR government. Tell them to keep their sweaty hands off of our safety net.

Trump, McConnell, Ryan and their ilk need to find some other way to fund their tax-break giveaway to their rich benefactors. Better yet, they need to cancel it. Focus on finding reasonable solutions to the problems regular citizens face every day, instead.

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* How Stuff Works, Money – “What’s the difference between the U.S. deficit and the national debt?”