Who are these Republicans, and why do we need them?

I am disgusted about the recent attempt by the Republican Senators to block the $15 billion bailout for the auto industry. Compared to the hundreds of billion dollars already pumped into the financial institutions, 15 billion dollars was a paltry sum to save the jobs of nearly three million people in the auto industry. But those Republicans did not care. They just wanted to ‘bust’ the worker’s unions which tend to support Democrats in elections. They cared a damn about the prospect of their country plunging into a long economic depression with millions unemployed. The economic well-being of the common people is the last thing in the minds of these people.

I just cannot understand how the Republican Party can still hold on to a 48+% support in USA. This is a party which wants free markets, and less government. “Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem”, is a famous quote by President Ronald Reagan (which I think was an outrageous statement for a person who was elected to run the government to make!). Republicans believe that people can take care of themselves without government spending money on ‘social programs’ like universal healthcare, public transportation, and affordable education. I can understand the rich people supporting such an approach to governing their country, as it gives them a blank check to do whatever they want to make money, while paying low taxes. But what is with the middle class schmucks who support the Republican Party? Don’t they realize they are just a job loss or major health crisis away from becoming homeless? Why don’t they appreciate the need for a support system provided by the government to make lives easier for everyone? Why can’t they understand that without proper government controls, they will be the ones who will be exploited by the rich and powerful? I can think of two explanations for the stupidity of these people. One is that a lot of them believe that they will also ‘make it big’ one day, as they live in a country of opportunities for all. They do not want the government to hinder their progress to wealth, with more taxes and regulations. The second one, which is more plausible, is that people do not find any significant difference between Democratic and Republican administrations, as both do a poor job while in power. Hence they support a party based on their ‘values’ like opposition to abortion, gay marriage etc. Here there is a marked contrast between the Democratic and Republican parties. (Ruthless Republican strategists like Karl Rove have exploited this differentiation to their benefits, wining votes).

The long economic depression in the 1930’s had showed the people of this country that the Republican model of governing will lead to a huge economic disaster. As a result, the Republicans were banished from office for almost 30 years. Over time people forgot this, and Republicans gradually got back into power, and started doing their damage. The downward spiral of the middle class in this country began with the Reagan years, and accelerated under George W. Bush when by hook or crook the Republicans got control of both the executive and legislative branches of the government. (President Clinton is also guilty here. To win his reelection, he veered into the ‘middle’ appeasing the Republicans). Now look where they have gotten us! I hope that the American people have now learned their lesson, and will banish the Republicans from office for years to come.