Power and Plantations

Power. The word itself makes some people’s mouth water like Pavlov’s dog waiting on a morsel of meat.  El Jefe. Numero Uno. Power allows a person to make the biggest decision and reap the largest speaking fees. The Big Cheese.  Power allows the person to answer to no one, to cover up mistakes and misdeeds without remorse, to accept overseas trips, money for services rendered or expected, and promises for future security in case the unthinkable happens. And finally, power allows the person to assuage any semblance of remaining conscious by feigning humility as a public servant. That’s correct. I’m referring to our elected federal politicians. To use the terms “public servant” and “politician” in the same breath should be akin to the public breaking of wind.

Just so all of you understand, I am referring to both Democrats and Republicans. I believe there has come to pass a sort of unwritten yet unholy alliance between these two assumed adversaries. It has not been planned and probably was never actually thought out, since I give neither party member the capability for long-term thought processes. It just kind of happened, and to them, it seems to work. And they keep the maximum amount of power that is available to them.

As an example of this fortunate circumstance, over the last year or two, there have been a number of black conservative speakers who have used the phrase, “still living on the plantation” when talking about the unswerving loyalty of Black Americans to the Democrat Party. It started with LBJ, continues today, and follows the tried and true formula of the Democrats promising Black Americans that their lives are bad due to Republicans, and that Democrats are the only ones who can and will help them. The Black Americans respond by voting overwhelmingly for democrats and things go back to normal. In two or four years they repeat the process. (Republicans read this synopsis and nod their heads in sad, but total agreement.) Democrat power is assured.

I believe the “plantation theory” also applies to conservatives, except we live on the Republican plantation. No matter how many seats in Congress the Republicans win, no matter the size of the Senate Republican majority, the Republicans still can’t seem to find a way to implement conservative laws and repeal the liberal ones. For two sessions, Speaker Boehner can’t seem to overrun the House Democrats. As soon as the Senate was delivered into Republican hands, Senator McConnell has proved both reluctant and outwitted in his dealings with the President and with Senator Reid.  Before taking the gavel in the Senate, McConnell caved and said there would be no funding issues for leverage, the only means at Republican disposals. The defunding or even fighting the complete implementation of Obamacare appears to be off the table. As a matter of fact, the only time the Republicans get their hackles up is when reelection rolls around, and then it’s a no holds barred fistfight with the challenger over the office. 

I believe the Republicans have become content being in opposition and fighting for conservative programs. They just don’t appear to care about winning. The answer is always more money. More money to fight Obama, more money to ensure the Republican majority is increased, more money to keep the right people in Washington, which is a code-word for not electing some fanatic that might rock the boat and erode their personal power. As long as conservatives allow their money to repeat the same failures, our plantation is in effect and yet the gates are wide open.