What Republican Party?

The Republican Party was formed in 1853, mainly to oppose the spread of slavery and the states’ rights argument that allowed for it. But since the Civil War was fought and the Union restored, the party has drifted away from being anything like an organization espousing small-r republican values. So much so, that by now one could ask, literally, “who do they think they are?”

If they were to ask me (and they wouldn’t), I would define them as the party of corporate feudalism, or the party of greed, or the party of criminal indifference to human suffering. But what each epithet possesses in accuracy, it lacks in marketing pizzazz. Most likely they’ll just stick with “Republican” because they are uncomfortable with change, but very comfortable with living a lie.

There was a time, though, when Republicans could sum up their philosophy in a bumper sticker: small government, balanced budgets, less crime. How is that going? The party of small government is micro-managing women’s bodies, voters’ rights, and immigrants’ speech. The party of balanced budgets is crushing future generations with debt that can never be repaid so that billionaires can be spared any responsibility to the society from which they profit so handsomely. And the party of less crime is on a crime wave of massive proportions, excluded from punishment by judicial fiat, presidential pardon, or simple refusal to prosecute.  The rule now is that it’s okay if Republicans do it.

The republic that was our charge to keep could not matter less to the so-called Republican Party. So call them what you will, just don’t expect them to fight for anybody but themselves.

JEFFREY HOBBS, Springfield, Ill.