George Graham

Panderers and Manipulators

Who does today’s Republican Party represent?  They give Big Business massive tax cuts while stiffing the working guy. And their Dear Leader announces devastating tariffs on imported steel and aluminum – just as Big Labor would have him do.

Then we hear that Georgia’s Republican legislature quashed a tax break on airline fuel to punish Delta Airlines for canceling NRA discounts.

Obviously, there’s no coherent political philosophy at work here.  No concept of the common good. The party seems to do whatever some special interest group demands – as long as they get something in return.

And since we the people have nothing to offer but our votes, we can expect to be left out as the goodies are distributed.

The poor and minorities are especially at risk.  Social programs like Medicare and food stamps are being hammered.  Congress is fixing to pass legislation that would shut down non-white immigration and favor English-speaking elites.

You might be wondering how the Republicans stay in power. After all, we the people do have our votes.

But, apparently, we the people haven’t had the will. We have been distracted by our day-to-day concerns and brainwashed by PR pros who use psychological tricks to manipulate us.

With the huge payoffs they get from pandering to the rich and powerful, the Republicans buy massive media blitzes scientifically designed to sway public opinion. And they flood social media with fake populism.

Meanwhile, a ferocious right-wing echo chamber spreads often-fictitious propaganda in return for the party’s support of pet issues like anti-abortion, gun rights and white privilege.

With pitifully inadequate campaign finance regulations, this psychological assault on our consciousness has left us at the mercy of the panderers and their special-interest donors.

But there are signs the public is catching on. The horrific school shooting tragedies, for example, have triggered a vigorous protest movement fueled by young voters and soon-to-be voters. Trump’s crazy tweeting and blatant vulgarity have antagonized respectable Americans. And the myriad abuses of privilege by his family and cabinet have raised widespread resentment.

Perhaps we the people are finally gotting the message. We’ll see in November.

Tax cuts for the rich

Trump’s tariffs

Georgia’s attack on Delta

Manipulating public opinion

About the author

gwgraeme

I am a Jamaican-born writer who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States. I live in Lakeland, Florida with my wife, Sandra, our three cats and two dogs. I like to play golf and enjoy our garden, even though it's a lot of work. Since retiring from newspaper reporting I've written a few books. I also write a monthly column for Jamaicans.com