The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Will Wreck The Recovery

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Many of you have read "The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule," by Thomas Frank. If you have not read it, it is recommended reading.

Conservative economic policies have destroyed America's middle class, and nearly destroyed the world's financial system and economy with an economic meltdown in 2008. Efforts to recover from this economic catastrophe have been hampered or blocked by conservatives in Congress every step of the way.

The modest regulatory reforms that have been enacted have not been funded and Republicans are promising to reverse those reforms. They want to return to the unregulated shadow markets for speculative exotic investment devices in the casino capitalism of Wall Street that caused the economic meltdown.

Conservatives in Congress hampered or blocked every effort at economic recovery by opposing stimulus funding and unemployment benefits to prime the pump and get the economy moving again. Almost every credible economist has said that the stimulus was too small to address the size of the economic catastrophe, and most economists have argued that additional stimulus funding to the states is necessary to prevent a double-dip recession. That additional stimulus will not be forthcoming from the new Republican Congress.

Many writers have suggested that Republicans actually want the economy to fail as part of a political strategy for presidential politics in 2012. The nascent economic recovery underway is now threatened by this partisan political strategy. Republicans want to wreck the economy and blame it on the president — who has done his best to fight this conservative "wrecking crew."

In a must read article, Isaiah J. Poole in a post at truthout.org explains the Top Ten Ways the Right Will Wreck the Recovery:

1. Repeal of Health-Care Reform

2. Diminish the Federal Government's Ability to Support Job-Creation

3. Slash Federal Infrastructure Spending

4. Dismantle Medicare (and Give Seniors "Vouchers")

5. Undo Financial Reform, and Let the Predators Run

6. Support Big Oil and Kill Green Jobs

7. Don't Just Cut Government Waste; Cripple Government

8. Amp up the Insecurity in Social Security

9. Starve Public Education

10. Don't Ask the Rich to Help Reduce the Deficit; Ask Low-Income Americans Instead

In short, conservatives want to repeal the 20th Century. It is a disturbing read, but forewarned is forearmed.

h/t (Photo: Rhys's Piece Is Edited: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t)