Right wing is not the problem

Nicholas P. Gartner, Henderson

Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 | 2 a.m.

I have to wonder what rock Thomas Friedman has been hiding under. In a recent column, he was absolutely correct that there are members of the Republican Party who have taken on a far-right position. I can only speak for myself, but I suspect that they have taken that position because they are sick of where the nation is going and are sick and tired of watching Republicans acting like Democrats.

I am a registered Republican only because that party used to most closely represent my views. I watched in horror as the nation was taken over by big-spending, big-government representatives from both parties. The problem is not the unwillingness to compromise; rather it is the willingness to sell the nation out by compromising on values too many times.

The issues that Friedman brings up could and should have been dealt with decades ago. Look at the results: more people collecting from the government than not, a health care program that would not have been needed had we kept our unemployment levels low and wages high, and the shrinking of the tax base so the income tax has no chance to work. Illegal immigrants also are lowering the standard of living, costing billions in education and health care, and the nation is importing more goods than we export, which just adds to the lowering of our standard of living. Refusing to address waste in our government spending just exacerbates the deficit spending, and because of the loss of so many jobs and the lost taxes, it adds to a huge and climbing national debt.

Blaming a lack of willingness to compromise on the part of the right for our troubles is complete and utter ignorance.