Four things are certain in life: death, taxes, the Harlem Globe Trotters will always beat the Washington Generals and our congress will always be mired in petty argument, holding up the valuable business of government.
On Sunday morning, I sat down to watch “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and was somewhat alarmed to find that the business of our government was still being held hostage by a certain fragment of our congress (cough…the Tea Party…cough).
This fragment of the Republican Party is engaging Democrats in a show-down over – sigh – Obamacare.
The not-so-veiled threat being that if Democrats do not vote to defund nationalized healthcare, then the Republicans will force a government shut-down which could result in the country defaulting on its loans as – with a government shut-down – there may not be time to vote on a budget to raise the debt ceiling.
Now, by the time this paper has gone to press and is in your hands the results of these threats – valid or invalid as they may be – will be known.
However, as I’m writing this column to make a deadline and I lack the psychic powers of Carnac the Magnificent (kids, ask your parents what that means) I cannot comment on the result of these actions, but rather the actions themselves.
I just don’t get it. Why can’t Republicans, specifically Tea Partyers, just admit that Obamacare is a law?
I understand that they don’t believe that the government should have that much involvement and there are a ton of other questions as to whether socialized healthcare actually creates more of a mess than it solves – there are countries that have both demonstrated great success with socialized healthcare and those who demonstrate what a cluttered beauracratic mess it can be.
But, what happened to standing by a law that was passed fairly, honestly and through the right processes of government?
Congress members should understand the principle of standing by good government more than anyone else.
They’ve volunteered to take part in that process of government with more relish than most others.
Shouldn’t they then stand behind a law that the government passed fairly? What sort of messages does that send when members of a governing body vehemently oppose a law that they passed years ago and that the Supreme Court has ruled fair and legal?
On “This Week” a multitude of the pundits speculated that Republicans were doing this to gain some sort of foothold in the 2016 Presidential election.
Personally, I don’t understand how they’re going to make this situation appeal to anyone other than diehard Republicans.
All they’ve done is slow-down the process of government and take our congress hostage. Sure, they’re fighting for some sort of principle that they still hold, but they lost that battle a long time ago.
This incident now has only highlighted the desperation that exists to get some sort of foothold in the next election.
And when I go into the polls in 2016, as I’m sure to do, I’m not going to vote for a party of sore losers who don’t respect the very process that they’ve sworn to uphold to the best of their abilities and when they lose hold our government hostage in order to stop a law that in certain sections of the country has already been enacted.
But, of course, the obvious joke to make in the face of a government shut down is… “Government shut-down? Since when have they actually been working?”
Do you think that our government is working in a right and civil manner? Do you agree with me or do you think that I’m just full of it?
Whatever your thoughts on the issue are, write to The Xavierite in a Letter to the Editor (consult this week’s editorials for rules and guidelines).
I want to know your thoughts on the matter. Plus, you’ll look really smart with a printed article in the paper. There’s no better way to meet hot guys/hot girls than by getting your name in the paper. Trust me….
Brian Laughran
Senior Viewpoints Editor
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