Drowning America in a Bathtub: The Republican Doctrine

The Republican party is killing Americans. And I don't just mean our soldiers in their useless war in Iraq. I mean regular American civilians, and the killing of Americans, though unintended, is a direct result of Republican policy. Let me say that again. A direct, if unintended, result of Republican domestic policy is the needless death of American citizens.

Grover Norquist, one of the darlings of the extreme rightwing, Gingrich/Bush/McCain branch of the Republican party, once said, "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub." This statement has been the basis of Republican policy. Norquist went into more detail:

"Cutting the government in half in one generation is both an ambitious and reasonable goal," Norquist stated in May 2000. "If we work hard we will accomplish this and more by 2025. Then the conservative movement can set a new goal. I have a recommendation: To cut government in half again by 2050"

What are the consequences of this extreme right-wing "Drown Government in a Bathtub" doctrine? You drown AMERICA along with it.

We started to see dramatic consequences of this irresponsible doctrine when Katrina hit. The government had been warned what would happen to those levees, but government had been drowned in Gingrich's bathtub, so while Bush and McCain were partying down...

New Orleans was also drowned in Norquist's bathtub...

(U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle Niemi)

Do you remember how it felt to see that? I do. I remember thinking to myself when Katrina was in the Gulf that it was going to be a HUGE disaster and I'm no expert. When it actually happened though, and Condaleeza Rice went shoe shopping and McCain and Bush were partying, and Cheney was in whatever undisclosed location they keep his preservation vat, Americans died. THAT was the consequences of the Republican vision for America...a government so weak that it could do nothing to save American lives.

Now we are seeing another consequence as we realize that contaminated products from China aren't just poisoning our pets. Yep...all those pet foods being recalled because of melamine contamination. Well it is most likely in our food as well. If you eat homegrown, organic stuff, you're probably okay. If you eat the processed food that is the staple diet of most Americans, you are probably at risk. From the Congressional Energy and Commerce Committee:

Reps. John D. Dingell, the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak, Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee today dispatched Committee investigators to the west coast to pursue reports of extensive melamine contamination of wheat gluten, rice protein, and other vegetable protein.

The Committee’s investigation of contaminated pet food and the discovery of melamine contamination of wheat gluten imported from China were examined in a hearing on food safety held by the committee last week. The hearing brought to light serious shortcomings in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) inspection and regulation of food imported from China.

Last week’s hearing brought immediate action from the FDA:

• On April 25th, the FDA determined that Chinese wheat gluten had been contaminated with cyanuric acid, in addition to melamine.

• On April 26th, the FDA opened a criminal investigation focusing on the contaminated Chinese wheat gluten and rice protein, and searched importers’ offices and warehouses.

• On April 27th, the FDA issued an import alert (IA #99-29) ordering the immediate embargo of all vegetable protein from China, whether intended for human or animal food.

“The FDA’s embargo of Chinese vegetable protein is a good first step toward forcing proper control of these food products at their source,” said Dingell. “We are dispatching investigators to the west coast immediately to examine the extent and depth of the FDA’s commitment to inspection of these products from China.”

Stupak emphasized that this is just the beginning of the Committee’s investigation. “The FDA should have taken this action weeks ago. Our Committee will continue to monitor this situation and will continue to pressure the FDA to properly address the food safety problems that have plagued our country in recent months.”

The Committee is holding a second hearing on food safety on May 17th, at which the FDA’s food safety activities will be examined.

More details on how the government, following Republican policy, abdicated all responsibility can be found in this Dialy Kos article.

This is what happens when you drown government in the Norquist's bathtub: you put American lives at risk. This is a very predictable consequence of the Republican Doctrine. You weaken government until it can no longer do its job. But wait...Republicans AREN'T against all government. After all, they LOVE spying on you, interfering in the ability of a doctor to treat women, and subsidizing big oil interests.

Here is my prediction. After the Katrina fiasco, what did Bush do? Give Halliburton a no-bid contract to rebuild New Orleans. We should expect Halliburton to get a no-bid contract to inspect food imports. Mark my words!

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