The only problem with lies is that truth eventually wins out. P.T. Barnum was fond of saying “you can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.”

Case in point: After the ‘grown-ups’ sat around for nine months bravely ignoring the early warning bells of imminent al Qaeda attack, they lied us into making war on a nation that had NOTHING to do with the attack. Since then, this ‘war on terror’ has served as a smoke screen to hide the machinations of a neo-conservative cancer. What else did the ‘grown-ups’ do for us?

Well, they embarked on a fiscal program designed to funnel wealth up from the poorest in our society to the richest. On top of that, they embarked on a reckless ‘tax and waste’ program that funnels untold billions of dollars into the coffers of Republican Party supporters and their shell corporations. They dismantled corporate accounting regulations, which encouraged corporate malfeasance and cost millions of Americans their pensions and 401ks.

The ‘grown-ups’ have encouraged the rape of the planet by removing environmental and species protection laws, selling off public lands and allowing wholesale resource extraction from common lands, national and state parks. They have limited the redress of the powerless against the powerful by enacting ‘tort reform, appointing industry hacks in positions of oversight and packing courts with pro-corporate extremists.

By considering loyalty to the Bush Administration as the main proof of qualification, they have removed thousands of competent, caring and committed professionals from responsible government positions. The result is a less qualified, biased and often hopelessly incompetent corps of government agencies and intelligence services. The Katrina debacle was a shocking wake up call as to what happens when a government values loyalty over professional competence. Sadly, nothing has changed since.

The ‘grown-ups’ have ignored science when it conflicted with corporate profits and funneled billions of dollars from social service programs into ‘faith based initiatives’. The result is an ineffective safety net that places higher priority on promoting fundamentalist Christian beliefs over helping American citizens.

They have dismantled or ignored federal and state laws, as well as the Constitutional systems of checks and balances. They have broken international treaties, ignored responsibilities and obligations, promoted such unthinkable policies as the unjustified invasion of another sovereign nation, torture, rendition, suspension of Habeas Corpus, and spying on American citizens. At every turn, they have shown utter contempt for the very concept of law.

The ‘grown-ups’ accomplished all of these things against a steady drone of fear, intolerance, corruption and divisiveness.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, these are not the actions of grown-ups. These are the actions of spoiled, selfish and insecure children.

The pundits cast about, attempting to understand exactly what happened in November. Iraq, Iraq, Iraq is the reason they claim that the Republicans were given a good swat across their collective backsides. Whereas it is true that the illegal, nonsensical, immoral and foolish war in Iraq was a big part of the Democratic landslide, I suspect the real reason is that America is finally catching on.

A party that prides itself on its disdain for government has no business governing. To a point, Republicans have no understanding or appreciation of what a democratic government is even supposed to do.

Every time modern Republicans attain power, they immediately get busy destroying protections and limiting the rights of the citizenry (i.e. destroying the government they just swore to uphold). Government becomes a giant club where if you can pay to get inside, you have the run of the place. Laws exist merely to keep the rabble in line while Club Fed members gorge at the national trough.

These modern Republicans believe that all men are corrupt, so there’s nothing wrong with stealing. They trust no one, because they know themselves to be unworthy of trust. They fear everyone outside their tiny worlds so they feel justified in hating, persecuting and making war, pursuing policies that ensure negative reaction from the people who are harmed by said policies. This tail wagging the dog dynamic serves to justify their fear and rationalize more hatred, persecution and war.

The modern Republican belief system is sociopathic in nature. It is a belief system common to autocrats, monarchists, and fascists. It is NOT the belief system of anyone remotely interested in democratic government.

Americans are democrats by nature. We believe in helping. We believe in sharing. We believe in looking out for each other. We love the underdog and we stand with the little guy. We are optimistic and hard working. We would rather help a man up than keep a man down. We are brave enough to face our fears because we trust our fellow man and know that most people are okay once you get to know them. We believe in the goodness of humanity and that faith sustains us, even when our fellow men occasionally let us down. That’s life and life cannot be controlled.

America didn’t just vote against George Bush in November, it didn’t just vote against Iraq, Abu Ghraib, torture or unending war. It didn’t just vote against the creepy, cowardly, corrupt and callow Republican Party. America voted to reclaim its heritage and regain its honor. The spoiled, naughty children were soundly spanked and sent to their rooms without supper.

The grown ups …. are back.