2012 - The End of the world?

No, I'm not talking about the Mayan calendar. I'm talking about a month before that ,when the United States has its next elections. Honestly I'm scared for my future and the future of my fellow citizens. If Republicans take the presidency and the senate we're going to be in for a world of hurt.


Republicans recently blocked a bill that would rescind tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs overseas and reward companies with breaks that bring their jobs back to the United States. That's just the latest in a long series of toxic policy the Republicans have been spewing. I feel it's long past due for our politicians (on both sides) to stop working for the rich and powerful and start working for "we the people".


You can't keep sending jobs overseas, you can't keep buying oil from foreign companies, you can't keep letting American economic sectors run amok (think oil and coal), you can't ignore the paramount importance of developing renewable energy sources, you can't play one group off another, you can't shovel buckets of money into the hands of people who are already wealthy and expect a majority of Americans to do well. It isn't going to happen. But that's where we're headed if Republicans get back into power. They have no ideas except old ideas that have never worked.

Then of course we have Health Insurance. Our health care costs are on a run away train ever higher with more limitations than ever. Republicans want to repeal the Affordable Care Act that ensures you can't be denied health insurance for preexisting conditions but even that law isn't enough. Anyone who says they are satisfied with their health insurance hasn’t been sick yet. Once you are sick and labeled, branded really, then  talk about how satisfied you are with insurance that could evaporate if you lose your job, get too sick or blow through your plan's cap. And, by the way, losing your job becomes much more likely when you are sick.

Satisfaction is the wrong question asked the wrong way. The real issue is control and believe me you ”satisfied with our current health plan” people you have none. Like all of us, you have insurance under our current system until you don't. If you can make it to 65, or whatever the age becomes, you will receive the only insurance that can’t be revoked – Medicare - a government plan (with limits of its own) that Republicans have been trying to dismantle for decades and if Romney wins and we lose the senate they may well finally succeed. This affects me personally since medicare is my only source of medical coverage. If Republicans win in November it could literally be the beginning of the end of my life.


My personal fears aside, there's also the world at large. Republican efforts to deregulate everything has led to Wall Street speculators going to town with oil futures and inflating the price of oil and thus gas. For the past 4 years Republicans have obstructed every effort the President and Democrats have made to create jobs. In addition they support their corporate buddies in shipping jobs overseas for cheap labor and abusing immigration law to import cheap labor from out of the country. This leads to less jobs in the U.S. and several jobs being given to non U.S. residents. Unless you are part of the 1% the future for our children is bleak. Republican deregulation will lead to future generations growing up in a polluted environment where their opportunities will be limited, their quality of life will be substandard and their health will constantly be at risk. Our children's lifespans will be less than our own right now and their standard of living will be much lower than what we enjoy in 2012... and yes I realize that standard isn't exactly high right now especially considering the economy.

If the Republicans do win in November, I hope the whole Mayan end of the world thing actually happens in December, so I don't have to watch them destroy our country. If you've managed to read all of this remember it when you go out to vote in November. Don't let Republicans end the world.