It is clear that Joe Manchin, the senator from West Virginia, is really a Republican although he continues to claim to be a Democrat. He has voted against almost everything that Biden has put forth on his agenda and most recently voted with the Republicans to defeat the bill on abortion 51 to 49. Had Manchin voted with the Democrats, that he claims to align with, the vote would have been 50 to 50 and Vice President Kamala Harris would have cast the deciding vote to essentially codify Roe v. Wade into law. I, personally, am tired of this charade by Senator Manchin and his cohort in crime, Kristen Sinema, of Arizona.
It will come as no surprise to me when some time in the future, Joe Manchin actually switches parties probably followed by Sinema. This will probably happen sometime after the 2022 elections if the Republicans retake control of the House and the Senate. If so, they will have perpetrated one of the biggest scams in Congressional history, i.e., posing as Democrats and, at the same time, doing everything they can to undermine the Democratic legislative agenda. I have zero respect for either of these people.
Susan Collins (R – Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R – Alaska) are two Republicans who support abortion rights but who voted against the bill today because ‘it went too far.’ That is the same argument Manchin used. The bill ‘went too far’? I wonder how they will feel when Roe v. Wade is overturned and the emboldened far-right continues down that path with prohibitions against birth control and/or IV procedures for couples having trouble conceiving? The only thing that is ‘going too far,’ is a decision to overturn 50 years of legal precedent that the three most recently appointed Trump justices said was ‘settled law’ during their confirmation hearings. Susan Collins cast a deciding vote to get Brett Cavanaugh confirmed. Doesn’t she think that he has ‘gone too far’ by essentially reversing what he said under oath?
I have to believe that the other members of NATO are extremely worried about what they see going on in the United States with regard to this backsliding on women’s rights and rights in general. You may recall that the United States, in the past, has often used ‘human rights’ as a bit of a cudgel against other countries during various negotiations. How the hell will we have any credibility on the world stage to discuss ‘human rights’ when we are in the process of rolling back rights that United States citizens have had for decades?
Perhaps as we move farther down this path, the new slogan will be ‘Make America Irrelevant’. Military might will only allow the United States to maintain its throne on the world stage for so long. Respect is not something that can be forced by military power. Military power might induce fear but it cannot force respect. And the United States is rapidly losing respect on the world stage in every area except military power (and the Chinese are in rapid pursuit).
The healthcare system in the United States is worse than most of the other industrialized countries. There are several other countries in which the K-12 education system is far superior to that in the U.S. The wealth gap in the United States is greater than in many other industrialized nations and continues to widen. The gun violence in this country far exceeds that in virtually every other country. And now, the country that was once a beacon of freedom and democracy is busy stripping away rights of its citizens based upon the wishes of a minority of the electorate. This does not paint a pretty picture looking toward the future.
When I was laid up with my knee, I read a book, Principles for Dealing with The Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail, by Ray Dalio. I hate to say it, but what he wrote seems right on point. Unless there are radical changes in this country, I frankly see a pretty bleak future. When I am talking about radical changes, I am not talking about abortion, that is but a symptom. I am talking about the continued and deepening polarization in the current political environment driven in part by the fundamentalist religious right, which has led to a complete breakdown in the ability of Congress to function and deal with real substantive issues as opposed to these ridiculous culture wars.
If there is not a radical change in the direction we are going as a country, we will begin to look more and more like Hungary and Belarus and less and less like the country envisioned by the Founding Fathers. I know that sounds terrible, but I believe it is the truth. And sometimes the truth is really ugly – but it’s still the truth. I hope I am wrong.