Will You Let Him Get Away With It?

Trey Smith

While the president is certainly subjected to overtly racist attacks, that does not mean he should be above scrutiny and criticism. He is planning a tour “beyond the beltway” to make his case for a so-called “grand bargain” of austerity measures which will weaken the economy, cause great human suffering, and move us closer to eliminating the threadbare safety net.

The case for the grand bargain consists of two very big lies. One, that austerity will bring the country out of recession, and two, that entitlement programs played a role in creating the federal deficit. It is government spending which can bring the economy out of recession, but conservatives want none of it. They want to starve the beast as it were and kill all government spending that is not related to defense. It is hard to believe the second fact, that entitlements are not responsible for the budget deficit, when we are constantly told otherwise. If a lie is told often enough without rebuttal it is treated as fact.

Years of Democratic accommodation to corporate interests has brought us to the point where we must fight a Democratic president in order to preserve programs which came into being because of the Democratic party. Not so long ago Social Security was called “the third rail of politics” because it was politically untouchable. It was inconceivable that a Democratic president would take his entitlement cutting show on the road, loudly and publicly demanding support for making right wing fantasies come true. Steadfast support for Social Security was always the lowest hanging fruit for Democrats. Now we can’t count on the party that markets itself as protecting our interests to make even the smallest effort on our behalf.
~ from Freedom Rider: Grand Bargain is the Satan Sandwich by Margaret Kimberley ~

If you fancy yourself as a Democrat or a liberal, will you stand by while the Democrats help to eviscerate the social safety net? This is no mere rhetorical question. Our Democratic Party President desperately wants to usher in austerity for the masses, while shielding the rich from as much pain as possible.

So, the big question facing all of you Obama supporters is: Will you let him get away with it without putting up any kind of a fight?

Sadly, if we look at the past 4 years, the answer is a resounding YES! You'll wring your hands and twist in your seats, but you'll tell anyone who will listen that since "Obama is our guy, we mustn't criticize him." You'll rationalize that he wants to do the right thing, but those nasty Republicans have forced his hand. You'll come up with one hundred and one excuses to say it's not his fault.

He KNOWS you will do this for him. In fact, he's counting on it. He is like an abusive husband with a wife of low self-esteem. Every time he hits you, all he has to do is murmur a few sweet nothings in your ear and you'll take him back in a heartbeat. You'll blame yourself for his abusive behavior and you will promise him that you will be more faithful in the future.

For all the great faith you put in him, he is not going to change. He will continue to kick, hit and slap you until you -- and the rest of us -- are nothing more than a bloody pulp. Once the final deed is done, you still won't blame him for choosing to be an abuser.

What does this say about you?