The conventional wisdom in this country is all wrong.
The current breed of Republicans operate on a belief system so wrong and warped that it continues to drive this country into deadends. It all stems from the theory that downsizing and deregulating government will create less burden on the taxpayer and business people, and, like magic, everyone will thrive in a country with easy access to clean water, affordable energy, housing etc.
Where they go wrong: Money is an incentive. It has always been an incentive. And you would think that people who promote Capitalism would know this. But consider for a moment that Republicans originated from the business sector before they infested and poisoned the government process -- you follow that trail and it becomes clear that their own true specialty is blaming everyone else but themselves when everything goes south.
Let's start by looking closely at what has happened to the labor force in fifty years. Today, all baby boomer-aged managers are blaming Millennials for poor work ethics, when in reality, the Millennials are the workforce that a degraded and imbalanced Capitalist system inspired and created. Money was always used an incentive. When did we forget that fact? Did everyone suddenly forget that our labor force remained loyal to their corporations until they retired at an old, ripe age. The allure was job security that helped everyone plan their lives; and pensions that would pad the retirement years.
The Millennials don't have those incentives. They know the truth about today's workforce. If they want to advance in promotion and salaries, they have to be prepared to jump ship often. And they are responsible for their own retirement plans. There is no point in remaining loyal as a cog in a wheel, because there's no huge pay-off at the end of their careers. Loyalty only turns them into an exploited victim of these economic times. And shame on their baby-boomer aged managers for blaming them for responding to a system that the boomers helped to create, each time they voted for Republican policies.
As long as they continue to ignore this connection between salaries, pensions and a stable workforce, we're just going to end up with two sides that are not listening to each other.
And in light of that lesson unlearned, we have Republicans now saying they're going after military benefits and pensions. Yeah, because the lesson of Putin's underpaid army defecting at the front lines isn't a strong enough message.
Well, I always wondered how many conservatives would stop flocking to the military if there was no money in it. I guess I'm going to find out. I never worried about the Democrats. I met enough good public servants to know they would continue to enlist for all the right reasons. Which, sadly, will only make them a target for further exploitation.
= new reply since forum marked as read
If I had B dollars, after I buy everything I want, still at B, hmmm what to do.
How much to convert... into affordable housing? [Still income, don't corporatize it]
How much to convert... into affordable daycare right next to that affordable housing? [Still income, don't corporatize it]
Too much is lowest bidder in this country and not taking stock of the quality?
LOOKING AT YOU FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE, some of which 100+ years old?
Desalinization, some best effort here? [Still income, don't corporatize it]
Obscenely rich assholes taking people for joy rides in space for profit, yeah how about other priorities?
OINK! OINK!
Human flaws exposed.
Thanks to the flaws, looks like Mother Earth is going to clear us out sooner rather than later?
But instead of hedonism, some get: NO YOU MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A PRIVATE, SAFE, AND EASY ABORTION!
Meanwhile which party has the actual: FAMILY VALUES deficit?
I would kick in some on a kickstarter to buy the Republicans: SOME SHAME!
I'm a Democrat. I'm a Democratic boomer.
I'm against almost anything that the current manifestation of the (r)epuglicon party is espousing.
I think any decent (R)epublicans have died or fled. The rest are living in fear of the various forms of tea-parties, maggats, trumpers, RWNJs, racists, putin-loving anti-democracy scum.
There - hope this works. 
Reagan told many private jokes about it, and none of his people ever believed a word of it. BUT they all got super-mega-wealthy because of it. We paid our taxes and made them rich, and they never even thanked us for it.
