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Here's an email I sent tonight to my beloved brother and his wife after receiving one more forwarded email from them which blames the Democrats for the economy today. The email they sent basically said that the first 7.5 years of Bush's presidency was just hunky dory and everything has gone to hell in the last year and a half, since the Democrats took the majority in Congress. I first responded to them with a measured, non-emotional response, citing links to try and educate them, but I have decided that I could not bear to receive anymore of this crap from them. The email below is my last attempt to maintain some connection with a mutual understanding that politics is now off-limits for the duration.
I love these people and try not to regard them as completely ignorant, just uninformed. It's tough sometimes. If you find yourself in the same situation, maybe something below can help?
Dear ..........
I haven't initiated any email exchanges that list Democrat positions, though I have responded to Republican slanted mail I have received from you, as well as some Republican viral email spreading actual lies about Obama, etc. that you have forwarded to distribution lists which included my email address.
I haven't sent those to you because I knew a mere email would not be enough to get you to question some of your beliefs, and would only cause friction.
Tonight, I'm asking you not to send any more of the "Republican" mail to me. I truly believe that the situation we find ourselves in today, with the shattered economy, this useless war, the stripping of freedoms and the attacks on the constitution are the direct result of 8 years of an administration that is Republican in name only. All of us have been negatively impacted by their policies. Most of the Republicans I know and love, whether family or friends, tell me they have to vote Republican because of a single issue. It's usually abortion, fear of terrorism, gun control, or small government. Sometimes it is a misguided belief that because Bush says he's a Christian, he really is a Christian, regardless of the evidence of his behavior. The single issue seems to override all the truly destructive policies the Republicans have shoved down our throats. I.E., "I'm broke, and homeless, but Jeff and Bill down the street can't get married, thank God."
I've worked in large American corporations for 30 plus years and I've watched them systemically destroy the economy in the name of continued growth, continued unholy profit, and continued corporate executive greed. In 1995 it didn't make sense to me what I was seeing. They kept destroying jobs, outsourcing manufacturing, trading with China and it didn't make sense. Without jobs, how does the American consumer continue to consume, which is the great "engine" of the American economy? Now, we are being hit with the accumulated damage of all those years of raping and pillaging the economy and the Treasury. The middle class is nearly bankrupt and that is NOT just a sound bite. Their great Plan to privatize and trickle down the resulting wealth has fallen apart, and the taxpayer has to save their asses.
Think about this: If Bush had succeeded in privatizing Social Security and convinced America to take their retirement dollars and invest in the stock market, there would be nothing left of your benefits today. You both would be working until you dropped, as would I and your children and my child would have even less in their future than they have now, which is pretty limited.
My salary today buys me less than I could buy in 1982, even though it is now more than twice the annual amount of the income I earned then. My health insurance costs a fortune, my co-pays and deductibles have gone through the roof, and it costs me twice the monthly amount it did 20 years ago. My son has very little future opportunity, cannot afford higher education even at the low-cost state colleges, and he cannot afford health insurance at all.
This party you cling to so tightly is not the Republican Party of 20 or 30 years ago. In fact, they most resemble fascists, which is of course, corporate control of government.
Anyway, to my point. I love you both and do not want this crap to come between us, killing any future relationship we might still be able to maintain.
I'll make a promise. I won't talk about this shit anymore to you if you give me the same consideration. Deal?
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