SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
GOP Leaders: 56 Years of Devolution
From Rick Perry to Rick Santorum, many Republican sparklies reject the science of evolution. Georgia Rep. Paul Broun (who ironically serves on the science committee), even calls evolution "lies straight from the pit of hell."
But while they diss evolutionary progression, the GOP as a whole seems firmly committed to "devolution" as its own operating principle. Webster's dictionary explains that to devolve is to degenerate through a gradual change - synonyms include to crumble, decline, regress, sink... worsen.
Mar 10, 2013
From Rick Perry to Rick Santorum, many Republican sparklies reject the science of evolution. Georgia Rep. Paul Broun (who ironically serves on the science committee), even calls evolution "lies straight from the pit of hell."
But while they diss evolutionary progression, the GOP as a whole seems firmly committed to "devolution" as its own operating principle. Webster's dictionary explains that to devolve is to degenerate through a gradual change - synonyms include to crumble, decline, regress, sink... worsen.
The party's leaders are presently in an intramural tussle over how they should cope with last year's electoral drubbing, especially by women, Latinos, and young voters. Tea party Republicans argue for going deeper into the right-wing weeds by promoting a new McCarthyism focused on the bugaboo of a United Nations takeover of America. Others insist the party simply has a packaging problem, so they're seeking softer ways to say "kill Medicare," and studying how to say "cut taxes for the rich" in Espanol.
But few, if any, are saying such things as this: "Government must have a heart as well as a head." Or this: We must conserve and safeguard "our natural resources for the greatest good of all, now and in the future." Or this: "The purpose of the Republican Party is to [build] a dynamic prosperity in which every citizen fairly shares."
Fifty-six years ago, under the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, Republicans not only said sensible things like that - they put them in their national party platform as pledges to the American people. How far they've devolved, huh?
Of course, the last thing Republican leaders want is advice from someone like me, but I'm happy to give it anyway, free of charge: If you ever hope to evolve politically, ponder going back to the future. You're welcome.
"Republican congressman Paul Broun dismisses evolution and other theories," www.rawstory.com, October 6, 2012.
"2012 Election: Where GOP Presidential Candidates Stand On Evolution," October 24, 2011.
"Reaganism After Reagan," The New York Times, February 18, 2013.
"Republican Party Platform of 1956," www.presidency.uscb.edu, August 20, 1956.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
© 2023 Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
From Rick Perry to Rick Santorum, many Republican sparklies reject the science of evolution. Georgia Rep. Paul Broun (who ironically serves on the science committee), even calls evolution "lies straight from the pit of hell."
But while they diss evolutionary progression, the GOP as a whole seems firmly committed to "devolution" as its own operating principle. Webster's dictionary explains that to devolve is to degenerate through a gradual change - synonyms include to crumble, decline, regress, sink... worsen.
The party's leaders are presently in an intramural tussle over how they should cope with last year's electoral drubbing, especially by women, Latinos, and young voters. Tea party Republicans argue for going deeper into the right-wing weeds by promoting a new McCarthyism focused on the bugaboo of a United Nations takeover of America. Others insist the party simply has a packaging problem, so they're seeking softer ways to say "kill Medicare," and studying how to say "cut taxes for the rich" in Espanol.
But few, if any, are saying such things as this: "Government must have a heart as well as a head." Or this: We must conserve and safeguard "our natural resources for the greatest good of all, now and in the future." Or this: "The purpose of the Republican Party is to [build] a dynamic prosperity in which every citizen fairly shares."
Fifty-six years ago, under the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, Republicans not only said sensible things like that - they put them in their national party platform as pledges to the American people. How far they've devolved, huh?
Of course, the last thing Republican leaders want is advice from someone like me, but I'm happy to give it anyway, free of charge: If you ever hope to evolve politically, ponder going back to the future. You're welcome.
"Republican congressman Paul Broun dismisses evolution and other theories," www.rawstory.com, October 6, 2012.
"2012 Election: Where GOP Presidential Candidates Stand On Evolution," October 24, 2011.
"Reaganism After Reagan," The New York Times, February 18, 2013.
"Republican Party Platform of 1956," www.presidency.uscb.edu, August 20, 1956.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
From Rick Perry to Rick Santorum, many Republican sparklies reject the science of evolution. Georgia Rep. Paul Broun (who ironically serves on the science committee), even calls evolution "lies straight from the pit of hell."
But while they diss evolutionary progression, the GOP as a whole seems firmly committed to "devolution" as its own operating principle. Webster's dictionary explains that to devolve is to degenerate through a gradual change - synonyms include to crumble, decline, regress, sink... worsen.
The party's leaders are presently in an intramural tussle over how they should cope with last year's electoral drubbing, especially by women, Latinos, and young voters. Tea party Republicans argue for going deeper into the right-wing weeds by promoting a new McCarthyism focused on the bugaboo of a United Nations takeover of America. Others insist the party simply has a packaging problem, so they're seeking softer ways to say "kill Medicare," and studying how to say "cut taxes for the rich" in Espanol.
But few, if any, are saying such things as this: "Government must have a heart as well as a head." Or this: We must conserve and safeguard "our natural resources for the greatest good of all, now and in the future." Or this: "The purpose of the Republican Party is to [build] a dynamic prosperity in which every citizen fairly shares."
Fifty-six years ago, under the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, Republicans not only said sensible things like that - they put them in their national party platform as pledges to the American people. How far they've devolved, huh?
Of course, the last thing Republican leaders want is advice from someone like me, but I'm happy to give it anyway, free of charge: If you ever hope to evolve politically, ponder going back to the future. You're welcome.
"Republican congressman Paul Broun dismisses evolution and other theories," www.rawstory.com, October 6, 2012.
"2012 Election: Where GOP Presidential Candidates Stand On Evolution," October 24, 2011.
"Reaganism After Reagan," The New York Times, February 18, 2013.
"Republican Party Platform of 1956," www.presidency.uscb.edu, August 20, 1956.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy