Readers: this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about the Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.

Note: most entries are formatted as conversations.  Characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters (see link at top of page).  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Coffee shop near Jordan’s office Washington, DC.  JC, Greenie and Jordan continuing conversation from previous day.  Series starts Entry #265.

Jordan:  “Just before the break, we were discussing how members of political parties seem to be brainwashed.”

Greenie:  “Let me add something.  Before the Revenge Revolution, I think many elected representatives were brainwashed.”

JC:  “You talking about state and local elected reps?  Some of those guys have always been off in the weeds.  Or you talking about reps to the Federal House and Senate…or both?”

Greenie:  “Both but especially the national reps.  The House had….and maybe still has some…a bunch of wackos from both parties.  And at times the behavior of these wackos is very strange.”

JC:  “Like during the Obama Administration, the Republican-led House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act what 50-60 times?  It was some ridiculous number I remember that.”

Greenie:  “Exactly my point.  But to me what really went haywire was the Senate…at least before the Revenge Revolution.”

JC:  “You think many of the Senators were brainwashed?”

Greenie:  “Unfortunately, yes.  What still sticks in my mind is how the Senate drafted the so-called tax reform legislation.  Virtually every major claim the Republicans made about the plan was a bold-faced lie.”

Jordan:  “Greenie, did you smoke some funny weed when we were on break?  All lies….well, almost all lies?”

Greenie:  “You know I’m right Jordan.  Hey, you’ve studied this stuff a lot more than I have.”

Jordan:  “OK, what’s on your list of lies?”

Greenie:  “First, the idea that corporations would pass along money saved on taxes to employees was laughable.  What an absolutely sick joke.  The second big lie was that corporations would expand their businesses and hire more people because of the tax cut.  That’s the trickle-down economics BS theory.”

Jordan:  “You’re right and so was George Bush senior.  It really is voodoo economics.  Read my lips, there is no, zero, nada empirical evidence supporting the trickle-down theory.  In fact, the empirical evidence indicates what actually happens when trickle-down plans are implemented is exactly the opposite of what the Republicans claimed.

Greenie:  “It seems so simple to understand.  If you’re a business owner, the only time you spend money to expand the business and hire more employees is when you expect demand to increase.  The tax cut might increase demand for Tiffany’s jewelry but companies selling to the average Joe, what part of the tax plan was going to give them more money?  If workers don’t get much extra cash, where’s the demand going to come from?  Duh, folks.  This is not rocket science.”

JC:  “You know who did understand…and more than 100 years ago?  Henry Ford.  One of America’s greatest industrialists and a one-tenth of one percenter if there ever were one.  He understood more about what creates demand than the Republican clowns in Congress who passed the give-to-the-wealthy act disguised as a tax reform.  Ford increased wages to $5/day for two reasons: (i) stabilize the work force; (ii) increase worker take-home pay so they could afford to buy his cars.  Did he benefit?  Yep.  He made even more money.  I agree with you Greenie, what is so hard to understand about basic economics?”

Jordan:  “Greenie, what about taxes for individuals?  Weren’t the tax rates for middle class wage earners lowered?”

Greenie:  “Technically, yes, some taxes for individuals were scheduled to go down for a couple of years.  But then lower-wage earners got the finger.  Cuts for individuals were temporary…unlike the cuts for corporations which were permanent.  You want me to continue with the list of lies?  It’s a very long list.”

Jordan:  “I know we could be here all day.  Just a couple more.”

Greenie:  “The claim that the tax revenue associated with the additional growth in GDP would offset the deficit caused by the wealthy welfare program.  Another big, fat horse-pucky lie.”

Jordan:  “I know you’re on a roll but just one more on your list of lies and then I have an idea.”

Greenie:  “What do I think was the biggest lie of all?”

JC:  “You mean aside from Trump claiming he would be hurt by the so-called tax plan and actually pay more taxes?”

Greenie:  “Wasn’t that another crock of you know what.  The biggest lie of all was the real reason for the tax give away to the wealthy.”

Jordan:  “You don’t expect politicians to be truthful, do you?  I mean, c’mon.”

Greenie:  “I do expect people, and especially those in the Senate, to at least have some moral character.  The biggest pants-on-fire lie was the intent to not offset the added deficit…even the Tooth Fairy knew the deficit was going to happen…to not offset the deficits with reductions to Social Security and Medicare.”

JC:  “You’re painting a picture that the Republicans knew all along the tax plan would screw the people who voted for Trump…and in many cases the very people that could least afford the cuts in support.”

Jordan:  “What Republicans overlooked with their goal of cutting so-called entitlements was one very big and unintended consequence…the Revenge Revolution.  The Republican leadership, especially Pinocchio…I mean Mitch McConnell, was so beholden to key supporters…Koch brothers, Adelson and the boys…that he and the other Republiocan senators forgot a fundamental rule.”

Greenie:  “You mean, if you’re going to steal from the masses, make sure the peon’s bellies are full before you start stealing?  Otherwise they get pissed.  And they did get pissed.”

Jordan:  “What also struck me about Republican’s arrogance when drafting the tax bill was how contrary their actions were to fundamental religious principles.  I’m not naïve enough to think these guys were all religious zealots, despite some of their claims.  But just look at what the tax bill did.”

JC:  “You mean like the Republicans forgot about some basics…like don’t steal, don’t lie, and care for the disadvantaged?  Where were all the evangelicals?  Why weren’t they up in arms?  I don’t recall any kind of protest from so-called religious-right senators.”

Jordan:  “And then these same a-hole Senators claimed to be members of the party of Lincoln.  Party of Lincoln, my ass.  Lincoln Republicans were a whole lot more ethical than McConnell’s crop of Republican bandits.”

Greenie:  “Gee, Jordan, you still seem to be a bit upset.  That fiasco was not too many years ago…but still.  Anyway, in the end it worked out.  The greedy Republican Senators were too blind or too stupid to see it coming.  As much as disruption as it caused, I thought the Revenge Revolution was the perfect retort to the self-centered SOB’s.  Now, I’m upset.  Let’s break.”