War: The luxury Republicans can afford

The Tea Party is getting its way, jamming their Know Nothing philosophy into the very heart of our representative democracy with a budget out of the House cutting $61 billion from every life-affirming program they could slash. Widows, children, impoverished elders, people with disabilities--every vulnerable class of people we've struggled to protect from ravening marketplace cruelty over the pasts 75 years--the Republicans tell us they are forfeit to the God of War. Congress was kinder to Americans during World War II. The Republicans in control now, for the most part, have never known much but privilege, and have for the most part not lived in a society without at least a minimal safety net. So these brave free marketeers are perfectly prepared to sacrifice an old woman who cannot afford to heat her room or a child who has no health insurance. Who needs Consumer Products Safety? They are sanctimonious about the money that goes to their overlords who profit from war, however. Defense? Can't touch that.

Education for our children? Zap. Protection for our water, air, land and food? Poof. Not to mention the little frills like seeking peaceful methods of conflict management and trying to develop an informed public--the United States Institute of Peace and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are zeroed out with this batch of warmongers who never met a weapons system they wouldn't fund.

Where is the outrage? We need a Gandhi to call a general strike. The shutdown of the government is a great start and it's looking somewhat likely. Shutting down Madison is a fine response to that merciless governor's attack on working people. Let the model spread to the cities with representatives who vote for a budget that doesn't feature massive Pentagon cuts.