261 Men and Women in Washington Must Be Fired for Non-Performance

Once again, I find it necessary to offer a short civics lesson to all politicians sitting on the right side of the aisle. The government of the United States is not a “democracy” or “authoritarian” it is a “democratic republic.” The difference is simple but of great importance.

In a true democracy, every citizen would vote on every issue. Every bill put to a vote would require the approval of the majority of the American people.

In an authoritarian government, we would all be required to click our heels together, raise our right arms, and shout “heil Trump.”

The purpose of a democratic republic requires the election of 100 Senators and 435 members of the House, who are charged with casting their votes based on the needs and wishes of 331 million Americans.

The latter is not working, and it must be changed.

There are 261 men and women of 535 legislators the people elect to serve us in Washington who choose to ignore us and bow to the demands of special interests, all millionaires and billionaires.

The records of the last four Republican administrations prove that their party cannot and chooses not to govern. Each of these four white men placed our nation in greater debt and reduced the quality of life for the majority.

The government in Washington is a failure. Beginning with poor choices by the voting public, money stuffed into the pockets of candidates purchased by billionaires, and the end of the once Grand Old Party resulted in what is now a completely dysfunctional government. It cannot be repaired. A democratic republic requires constant and honest deliberation and compromise. None of this exists today. I don’t have any idea what to call the debacle, which wastes taxpayers’ time and money today.

We must start over. The idea created in 1789 has failed, and in the 21st century, America is divided between the part of a government that created and continues to serve the plutocracy and the other half that believes that people are more important than profits.

Whether you call yourself a Republican, Democrat, or Independent, we must all be progressives. Our nation either moves bravely forward into the 21st century or suffers a total demise as we move farther into our dark past when the quality of life for most Americans was filled with despair and abject poverty. A time when women and minorities were shunned by the old white men and a handful of women in our government. It is imperative that we, the American people, use our right to vote and elect women and men who align themselves with the ideals of other developed nations and place the needs of all 331 million people ahead of the wealth of the super-rich.

Although Democrats technically control the Senate, two fake Democrats continue to support the fascist plans of right-wing extremists and the unconstitutional existence of what is misnamed “the filibuster,” Moscow Mitch continues to order his “party of no” to do nothing. Eliminating victory by a simple majority and requiring 60 out of 100 votes to pass legislation is as un-democratic as anything can be. Their purpose is to obstruct every positive attempt by President Biden to improve the quality of life for everyone.

Real change takes courage, and over the last decade, courage to do the right thing has been rare. Do you have the will to save your country? Vote in November and in 2024, and rid our nation of incumbent politicians who are ruining our nation.

Op-ed by James Turnage, Novelist

Sources:

PBS  Newshour: With Senate split 50-50, here’s what Democrats can and can’t do; by Candice Norwood
US House of Representatives Press Gallery: Member Data

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of MrT HK’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Colin Lloyd Courtesy of Unsplash – Creative Commons License