Has GOP really changed?

The core agenda of GOP is still the same

It’s said that MAGA has taken over and subverted Republican party. It’s true to some extent that GOP has changed and radicalized under Trump but the core agenda of the party remains the same although the strategy & tactics of pursuing that agenda has modified.

What is Republican party’s core agenda since several decades? It’s austerity, destruction of New Deal America, unbridled privatization and deregulation - It’s basically Class War against bottom 80%-90% of American society. It’s redistribution of wealth upwards. This agenda of GOP emerged starting from Reaganomics and has continued since decades. GOP has pursued this agenda relentlessly but with limited success.

When in political opposition, GOP takes the country hostage over debt ceiling and budget financing to extort concessions for austerity and mindless budget cuts. That’s what happened which lead to establishment of 2011 bipartisan austerity commission. GOP State governments also sabotage federal programs in their States. The sabotage of ACA and Medicaid funding in Red States is notorious example of this menace.

When in office, the Republicans exercise their malignant power more freely. Note the interesting phenomenon. When in opposition, the GOP blackmails Democrats over excessive fiscal deficits and national debt to extort austerity (and Dems often surrender). When in power, the GOP forgets about their moral principles on debts & deficits and pass giant tax cuts for the rich. This has been going on since decades. And in this regard, Trump is actually a continuation of decades of Republican agenda but with more fervor and a more effective strategy. In fact, Trump is the most effective Republican. How so?

The old Republicans were also scoundrels who had contempt for American society but they pursued the party agenda while maintaining political decorum and etiquette. People like Bushes, Cheneys, McCain, Gingrich, Paul Ryan, Boehner etc - they all worked to ruin American society. The futile middle east wars by Bush & Cheney wasted trillions of dollars of American resources. The de-supervision and deregulation of US economy caused great recession - all under tenure of Bush and Cheney Neocons.

Recall the Bush tax cuts which gave bonanza to the rich while he tried to privatize social security. Recall that Paul Ryan was the poster child of Republican attack on social welfare. Republicans were always obstructionist. In 90s, Newt Gingrich made partisan politics a bloodsport which reduced Congress to a useless political organ where nothing gets done. In 2011, Republicans paralyzed Congress over extending debt ceiling, which resulted in first downgrading of US sovereign ratings. And i don’t need to go back to the era of Reagan which started the trickle down nonsense with his policies of tax cuts for rich, destruction of unions and deindustrialization of America.

Republicans were always scoundrels and obstructionists with contempt for American society but they maintained political etiquette. For example, they didn’t blew dog whistles against immigrants and Mexicans, they didn’t promote political violence and they didn’t refuse to concede elections after electoral loss. The policy making and governance style of Republicans was also predictable unlike the daily whims of Donald Trump.

Now in comes Trump. He’s pursuing the age old agenda of Republican party but with more radical strategy. You see, Trump doesn’t believe in political decorum or any constitutional restraints. He exercise power shamelessly. Pay attention. The shamelessness and cruelty are great weapons of Trump. He has no qualms about legality of his actions or consequences of ruining millions of lives. The outrageous executive orders, blatant disregard to constitutional order and contempt for rule of law is a routine affair of Trump. He will do outrageously illegal and destructive things and claim that he’s doing it in interest of America - to Make America great again.

The old Republican machine was bound by certain political decorum and constitutional superficiality. They did all the sabotage and obstructionism but they at least tried to maintain legality. Remember, that to pursue Republican agenda, the GOP in the past had to build crackpot narratives to legitimize austerity and dismantling of New Deal America. The Republican politicians had hard time selling austerity to American people so they tried various tactics to soften them first. Various conservative think tanks worked to invent why austerity is necessary, why so & so government programs were bad & unsustainable, how growth can be achieved and more jobs can be created by reducing the government etc - supply side nonsense.

Trump works more efficiently. He doesn’t have to rely on any economic narratives or logical reasoning to justify dismantling of America, imposing Austerity on American society and cutting their standards of living. Trump is an expert Reality TV star who sells his policies more directly by duping Americans. All in the name of making America great again. Trump is master manipulator, an expert gaslighter who has created an emotional bond with large section of electorate. They believe Trump even when everything he says is complete falsehood.

There is still a large Democratic base which doesn’t buy into Trump’s lies. But they don’t matter as Trump exercises power without any legal consideration. So much so that if Trump loses elections, he may even refuse to step down. Trump is removing legal boundaries of political operation which makes him more dangerous and formidable character.

Trump’s policy is chaotic, his rhetoric is dangerous and polarizing. While Trump hypnotizes American people with his erratic governance style, the core agenda of GOP is accelerating at great pace. Who could’ve imagined that a government can adopt a policy which throws 15 million people off healthcare? That’s Trump’s latest ‘One big beautiful’ legislation. While people are too distracted, shocked or anxious with Trump’s political theater, the dismantling of American State is happening.

Have you seen a Stoat hunting a rabbit? It acts crazy, do flips and rolls while slowly getting closer to the rabbit. The rabbit continues to look at Stoat with amazement and confusion. When Stoat gets too close to rabbit, he attacks and kills the prey.

Trump has similarly hypnotized American people. He entertains them with Kayfabe acts, he does foolhardy things to ‘own the libs’ and his gaffes make him look like an innocent idiot. But underlying this charade, Trump regime is pursuing the age old agenda of Republican party and much more aggressively.