Republicans are no less enemies of freedom than Democrats…
It has been quite a while since I have written an article for OpsLens. I guess you could say that I found myself in an incredible funk lately. There are multiple reasons for this, but the politics of the day has been a major contributor. I heard once that there is only one party in Washington—the government party, and from there, you simply have Democratic and Republican leanings. At the time, I realized that there was some truth to this statement, but it never quite hit me with full force until the last few weeks. That is when I came to realize the horrible truth of the matter; Republicans are no less enemies of freedom than Democrats.
Republicans ran on the platform that they would bring a return to constitutionality to our nation. In order to do this, they would repeal and replace Obamacare with a healthcare program that was free from government intrusion. I was ecstatic about the election cycle. After decades of being confined to detention while the Democrats got to rule the playground, the Republican party had both houses of Congress and the presidency. Additionally, after eight full years of calling for the abolition of Obamacare, the Republicans were going to roll in and repeal it on day one and then return healthcare to the private market while putting safeguards in place to ensure a fair and open marketplace.
For example, I figured that Congress would immediately use the interstate commerce clause in the exact same way that it did with car insurance companies. In that case, the federal government stated that all states had to open car insurance to all companies as long as they met the minimum standards of coverage that were required by state law. This is such an obvious fix that it goes without stating.
Another fix that I figured was obvious was doing something to cease the rampant abuse from malpractice attorneys who drive up the insurance on doctors through constant lawsuits. This is not to say that there are not clear and obvious cases of malpractice that take place, or even more convoluted cases that are also legitimate. The problem is that the courts get filled up with malpractice lawsuits for things that are beyond absurd, and the doctors have to pay the legal costs, even if the case is thrown out. A prime example is the woman who claimed to be psychic, and because of a supposed allergic reaction to a CAT scan dye, was no longer able to contact the nether world or whatever such nonsense she claimed. The point is, she was originally awarded almost a million dollars before the court threw out the case. Finding a way to fix this broken cash cow would help alleviate costs immensely. I could go on, but the point is that government should only be there to protect the rights of the citizenry of this country, not run our healthcare.
So when the Republicans left this election cycle holding all the cards, I waited with bated breath for them to enact the incredibly thought-through, constitutionally sound, and conservative healthcare plan. They had eight years to develop and refine their plan, so clearly they were prepared for this moment. Yet time kept dragging on without the unveiling of any plan whatsoever. I was beyond shocked; I was enraged. What in the hell were these people doing while Obama was in office? Where was this plan they kept touting?
Finally, after what I consider to be an impeachable amount of time, they revealed Obamacare Lite. It was at this moment that I realized how truly corrupt my party had become. They are not conservative, not in any way. They simply repackaged Obamacare, changed the individual mandate, and got rid of some of the (ill-conceived and implemented) cost control measures. The few conservatives who actually care are equally aghast at what the Republicans are doing.
The question that I must ask is why. For years the party has been telling its loyal constituents that if we just gave them the chance they would return us to the principles our founders laid forth in the Constitution. For years, they told us that they had a plan ready to go that would reform healthcare while returning it to the free market. All of this was a lie. A lie born in their need to regain and maintain power.
This is the exact same garbage that the liberals attempted to push onto us. The problem is that the Republicans in office are cowards, both morally and intellectually. I for one am sick of them. The bill they attempted to push was more about ensuring that they keep as many special interest groups happy than about keeping their promise to repeal. The fact that it was labeled as some sort of change only reinforces my belief in their intellectual dishonesty.
I am at a loss. I feel betrayed by this party that once held in its ranks such great men as Lincoln and Reagan. I can only imagine the disdain they would have for the current leaders. Reagan once eloquently stated, “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” If he were still the president today, I have no doubt he too would turn on his supposed party.
The government cannot help anything. It is a Goliath that feeds on the hopes and aspirations of its citizenry in order to maintain its power. While there are exceptions, the Republicans in office clearly have no desire to rock the boat and return power to where it belongs—in the free market of capitalism.
So where do we go from here? Who do we turn toward to lead our nation? That is a simple answer; we look within. We abandon our elected officials and throw them out of office. We elect nonpoliticians who believe in personal freedom and limited terms in government. This should be a very clear and evident wakeup call to anyone who believes in our Constitution.
I served this nation for 20 years and love her dearly. She represents so much more than she can ever truly ascend to. Our government does not look at her with loving eyes, but instead as abusers hiding in the shadows. They are careful to hide their true colors, but every now and then they make it clear that nothing comes before their grab at power, even the very Constitution that they swore to protect and defend.
I understand the concept of sacrifice. I have seen it in my career—men and women who were willing to give their very lives for those of their fellow countrymen. This is the same level of devotion we should expect from our political leaders. It is for this reason that the party officials hate the tea party so fiercely. They look at them and see the party of the past. They see people who actually want change, regardless of how it affects their political careers. They recognize the devotion to values over the wisdom of pollsters. Too bad these men and women are addicted to the biggest government welfare system in the United States—the welfare of the elected office.
Matthew Wadler is a Senior OpsLens Contributor and U.S. Army veteran. Matt served in the Army for 20 years as both enlisted and officer before retiring. His service includes time as Military Police, Field Artillery, Adjutant General, and Recruiting. His deployments include Somalia and two tours to Afghanistan. His formal education includes a master’s degree in HR Management. He is a strong supporter of the constitution and advocate for the military and veteran communities. Follow Matthew on Twitter @MatthewWadler.
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