Thread by @MontyBoa99

@CanadianReports @navgirl63 Clearly, there are many aspects to the turmoil in the US right now.
But it's a system of causes & effects.
I argue that while inequality & racism are certainly serious threats, they are promoted by a greed- and power-mad political party w/ no scruples, funded by rich shirkers.

@CanadianReports @navgirl63 Here is a view of the effect of Republicans' refusal to fund government, and instead simply borrowing to pay expenses. For decades.

That has left future taxpayers stuck with the debt of the last 4 decades' wealthy Americans. That's the definition of a Ponzi scheme.

@CanadianReports @navgirl63 Republican policies have led to the decline of the middle class in the U.S. Canada has now surpassed us in standard of living.

Although we still lead in a few areas, primarily some areas of high tech and the military, it's difficult to find measures at which the US excels.

@CanadianReports @navgirl63 Under Nixon, the struggling Republican Party quietly embraced racism to lure the Dixiecrats (racist Democrats from the South) to change sides.

Under Reagan, the party openly acknowledged racism as a problem in the U.S., but continued to tolerate it, for the votes it brought.

@CanadianReports @navgirl63 The Republican Party hired Steve Bannon, the editor of right-wing Breitbart to run the campaign of the novice Dave Brat in 2014.

Using racism (anti-immigrant) & greed (anti-taxes) themes, Brat defeated incumbent Maj Ldr Eric Cantor (R-VA), dragging the party to the right.

@CanadianReports @navgirl63 Dave Brat was once taped saying that Republicans "lie all the time".

The party had discarded any commitment to tell the truth under Newt Gingrich's strategy in the 1990's, when they were being pasted by Democrats across the country.
bluevirginia.us/2018/11/leaked…

@CanadianReports @navgirl63 The nutshell version:

- GOP fears demographic shifts portend extinction

- They recruit:
. Racists via anti-immigrant policies
. Megachurch Evangelicals w/ anti-abortion pipe dream
. Profiteers via tax cuts, dereg'n

- They spread hoaxes (Fox)

And here we are.

(photo: Reuters)