By John Avlon, CNN Contributor
July 25, 2011 8:20 a.m. EDT
note: John Avlon is a CNN contributor and senior political columnist for Newsweek and The Daily Beast. He is the author of "Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America."
New York (CNN) -- Let me get this straight. The people who have been preaching the most about the dangers of American decline are right now helping to hasten American decline.
Because if America defaults on its debt, not only will we find ourselves in a far deeper fiscal hole, but the full faith and credit of the United States will be compromised. In our globalized era, that means America will be considered an unpredictable partner and a second-class power.
Worst of all, this will be a self-inflicted wound. It is a direct result of the hyper-partisanship that has been hijacking America's political debates. Now it is compromising our ability to govern ourselves effectively.
Today, by 0715 I had called in prescriptions for renewal, tried to contact circulation about a missing newspaper, tried to call Rep Phil Roe’s office in D.C. twice, and faxed a demand for sanity to his (Roe’s) office.
The VA renewal normally has a 20-30 minute hold time. Today, there was perhaps a 2-minute delay. The newspaper circulation desk failed to answer until after 0800.
Roe’s office “was not open” but asked me to leave a message. Of course, his voice mailbox was full and not accepting new messages.
I put my suggestion that he should remove himself from the teavangelist camp in to a document and faxed it. The fax went through.
The political mood is grim as the nation is dragged ever more closely to default by the teavangelists. I fail to understand how anyone can believe that economic default could be politically or financially acceptable. The political future of the United States is at stake and is being threatened by personal greed and political incompetency. Both stem from the GOP, with the ultra-wealthy and corporations opposing taxation and the teavangelists believing that they can bring about a political overthrow of the New Deal and the Great Society by demolishing social safety nets.
The very people who bemoan a national downfall are pushing the nation onto the skids. We note that illegal immigration over the Mexican border has decreased. The Right Wing credits oppressive, Draconian, and stupidly written immigration policies enacted by red states. More likely, it is due to our apparent political and social decline. Why leave one 3rd world nation for another 3rd world nation.
There is a feeling of grim inability to alter the slide into default. I’ve written countless letters to legislators, newspapers, and individuals. I’ve posted articles and blog entries in an attempt to involve other people in unseating the teavangelists and pointing out their lack of competence to run a government.
But the voter base is so badly polarized that there is little cohesion among the left and utter idiocy on the right. The GOP/teavangelist base is poorly educated and believes everything spewed on talk radio by demagogues who rake in millions per month for spreading the lies and propaganda which further misinform the right’s voter base.
I, and others, can see the inevitable disaster that the teavangelists will create. I don’t know how to halt the process. And the people who can halt it are too stupid to understand why it must be halted.
Time, now, to call some more D.C. and local offices.
Phil Roe lies!
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