MINNESOTA´S GOVERNOR PAWLENTY IS LIKE MOST REPUBLICANS, HE JUST DOESN´T GET IT!

The governor´s idea about American public versus private business is beyond bizarre.

...Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty

While listening to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty on CNN´s, State of the Union show with John King on Sunday morning, the difference between the GOP and the Democratic Party was clearly demonstrated once again. And the bizarre case of what the Republicans say regarding how American Capitalism should work versus how it actually does work, was also stated loud and clear by the governor.

I was also very disappointed with John King´s lack of follow up questions on the governor´s comments. But the governor did make his statements with such commitment and belief, (and with such a straight face), it appeared that Mr. King didn´t let the governor's comment sink in and he then just let it pass.

Here is one of the governor´s comments about a potential future American public health care plan to demonstrate what I´m referring to:

Governor Pawlenty:

"Well, what's wrong with it [a public health care plan] is, you have a government option in a market that is supposed to be driven by private choices."

"So it would be equivalent to say, you know, John, you're a corn farmer and the government is going to put up a row of corn or a farm next to you and compete with you. "

"We don't do that in the United States."

Yes, as the governor of a large state in the United States, he actually made this statement with strong commitment and a very straight face.

First, Governor Pawlenty, where did you go to school and did you ever take any classes on how America´s state and federal governments actually work and are currently structured? Apparently not.

Please show me where it is in America that regarding the government competing with private businesses, you can truthfully demonstrate, that: "We don't do that in the United States."

Based on the governor´s comment, he apparently doesn´t believe that the following examples actually exist in the United States:

TODAY´S PUBLIC BUSINESSES THAT COMPETE WITH PRIVATE BUSINESS:

>>> The US Post Office competing with UPS & FedEx.

>>> Private Schools competing with Public Schools

>>> Private Colleges & Universities competing with Public, State & Community Colleges

>>> City Police Depts. competing with Private Security companies.

>>> Public Highways & Bridges versus private Toll Roads & Toll Bridges

>>> Amtrak trains competing with the private Airlines

>>> Medicare users having Supplemental Private Insurance Policies

>>> US Corp of Engineers competing with Private Construction Companies

>>> And unfortunately in Iraq: Private mercenary soldiers competing with the US Military

When will the Republican party finally come to the realization that there are some areas, besides providing a standing army and navy, that need to be provided by the government for the benefit of all the citizens?

This has been part of the magic of a country like America. This country has proven that if the basics are available for every citizen to pursue their own; "life, liberty and happiness", (i.e.: education, police, mail, military, dams, levees, clean water, minimum housing & food stamps, etc), then each individual can be in a position to compete with anyone by building their own "private entities".

"Health care for all", is now one of those areas that is being added to the public list because the "private entities" of health care insurance have become so greedy that they have priced themselves out of the market. They have done this solely for increasing their corporate profits by increasing their premiums and denying coverage for "pre-existing conditions".

This is evidenced by the fact that prior to the recent mortgage crisis, the number one reason for America´s increases in personal bankruptcies and mortgage foreclosures was due to high medical bills from many Americans having lost their health care coverage. This was usually from losing their jobs due to having a catastrophic illness.

Even with the recent catastrophes on Wall Street and within the US Real Estate Market, which were basically caused by the failed, GOP´s unregulated "free market approach". The Republicans are still trying to say that the US still has the "best health care in the world". They however, fail to add that this great health care is only available for those that are already healthy, have a job and can afford to pay the new, higher insurance premiums.

The reason that the Republican party is in its worst condition since the original Republican party started with Abraham Lincoln, is that they have forgotten what this country is all about. Their "free market approach" has never worked for any country in the history of the world (including most of America´s history). This is because, just as it was in the past, with every American community today, if each community member doesn´t contribute for taking care of the whole, the community will eventually fail.

Today, every successful democratic country in the world works hard at providing free or affordable education and they protect their citizens jobs instead of increasing school tuitions and outsourcing jobs to other countries. These well educated citizens, by their later efforts of working within their communities, will then return "many fold", the costs of the educational investments made by their country.

And today, all major industrialized countries also provide some level of universal health care for all of their citizens.

So why not in America?

Governor Pawlenty and his political party are so far away from what the people in this country actually want and need, without their awakening, the GOP may just eventually disappear. And that is unfortunate, as every democratic country needs a strong two party (or more) political system in order to keep all the parties as honest as possible.

I just hope that the GOP finally does wake up to the understanding that they are on the wrong side of the equation. Without understanding where they are today, they will eventually be replaced, just as they had replaced the Whig Party, back in the middle of the 1800´s.

And you really know your party is in very big trouble when your chief spokesperson is the conservative right-winger; Rush Limbaugh. This un-elected, prescription drug-addict talk show host, apparently does speak for the party. And this is happening while the clueless, elected GOP officials are embarrassingly just being ignored.

In any case, the coming years are going to be very interesting and possibly very scary for the GOP.

Copyright G.Ater 2009

Follow me on Twitter: gater01