This page was last updated on June 30, 2011.
Prematurely back in power; Lonzie Cox, Jr.; Beaver County Times; June 30, 2011. I am not related to Mr. Cox.
Most of Mr. Cox’s at least 67 letters since 2004 are tinged with race, and all take leftist positions. The most recent previous Cox letter I critiqued was “Liberty and justice for some.”
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“‘The Republicans are coming.’”
[RWC] Mr. Cox appears to be slipping; he forgot to inject a skin-color aspect to this letter.
“That’s how I ended my letter after the mid-term elections in which the Republicans regained power.
“Update: The Republicans are here, and they have been attacking workers rights, especially those of public employees.
“It is not surprising that right-wing politicians were happy to attack workers they perceive to be liberals or Democrats.”
[RWC] This is at least the second letter from Mr. Cox to mention this topic. As noted in my critique of the first letter, FDR (patron saint of lefties) opposed public sector labor unions, as did George Meany (first president of the AFL-CIO, 1955-1979).
Mr. Cox appears to believe “right-wing politicians” think most “public employees” are “liberals or Democrats.” While that’s likely 100% true for labor union management and activists, it’s not true for the rank-and-file.
“The surprise was when one realized that the margins of victory were provided by the teabaggers’ movement. They sabotaged the natural flow of U.S. politics by returning the GOP to power too quickly after their president, George W. Bush, had run the country off an economic cliff and escaped office in the nick of time before the bills for his wars and bailouts came due.”
[RWC] When Mr. Cox writes of “teabaggers,” could this be an example of projection? <g>
As for running “the country off an economic cliff,” Mr. Cox wants us to forget the collapse of a leftist program triggered the recession. Before the current recession began to kick in, tax revenue peaked at $2.6 trillion in 2007, an increase of $577 billion (29%) since 2001. By the end of fiscal year 2007 (the last before the recession), the deficit was down to $161 billion. Once again, tax revenue wasn’t the problem, spending was.
As for the “bailouts,” Mr. Cox would like us to forget Democrats supported them, including President Obama when he was a senator. Mr. Cox also seems to forget Democrats and Mr. Obama at least doubled down on the bailouts after Mr. Obama took office.
“Prematurely back in power, and without any answers, the Republicans have continued their vicious assault on workers’ rights. That’s all they know how to do.”
[RWC] In case you’re unfamiliar with Mr. Cox’s letter-writing body of work, I think it’s fair to conclude he would consider any return to “power” by Republicans “premature.” In fairness, that’s my position about leftists. By “without any answers,” Mr. Cox means leftist “answers” with which he agrees.
I suspect Mr. Cox’s real problem with the “vicious assault on [public employee] workers’ rights” is it reduces the money laundering that results in taxpayer dollars funding Democrat politicians via public sector labor union management. You may recall 93% of labor union management PAC contributions to federal candidates (over $62 million) went to Democrat candidates in 2010.
“If the mid-term Republican takeover proves to be the beginning of the long-term economic downfall of America, it can all be blamed on the Tea Party.”
[RWC] “[M]id-term Republican takeover?” Mr. Cox does know Democrats remain the majority in the Senate and President Obama is a Democrat, doesn’t he? Mr. Cox appears to want us to forget Democrats were the majority party in both houses of Congress for four years (including a short time with a filibuster-proof Senate) until January 2011 and held the White House for the last two-and-a-half years.
“[B]eginning of the long-term economic downfall of America?” When did we recover from the current mess?
As for blaming “the Tea Party” for a “long-term economic downfall of America,” you’ll note Mr. Cox isn’t bragging about the success of leftist policies/programs enacted since Mr. Obama took office.
© 2004-2011 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.