Credit Where Credit Is Due

The theme of the Republican Convention is "I Did Build It." As I listened to speaker after speaker talk (and where did they find all those folks with accents?) about what they built all alone, Miss Liberty is reminded that yes, they did build it. They built this rotten depression. They built this enormous debt burden. They created this divisive rhetoric that passes for "civil discourse." They built this war machine that is draining us of our youth and our treasure. They built this wealth divide that threatens our core value of equal opportunity. They designed "No Child Left Behind" that undermines public education. They built a war against women, immigrants, minorities, labor unions, and low income Americans. They built a defense industry that siphons billions of tax dollars and keeps us from investing in America for long term prosperity. They built a resentment toward anyone who is different or disadvantaged. They developed a entitlement mentality that says only "achievers" have worth, and therefore should be treated differently from everyone else. They built a media machine that is an echo chamber for their drumbeat of criticism against real 21st century progress and allows a steady reiteration of suspect facts, that with the beauty of repetition, become truth.They built an attack machine against science, new technology opportunities, intellectualism, shared prosperity, and investment in our people. They did build it, and we should give them full credit.