Is Greg Abbott Really Small Government?

Continuing from the last article, one is exposed to a lot of hypocrisy from the respective party running the state. Often times, phrases like "Big Government/Small Government" are abused to the point of becoming empty platitudes with no meaning. At the end of the day, one wonders what those phrases even mean. There arbitrary terms that one can't measure and only have meaning for those using them. What about those who proclaim themselves as small government while using the power of the state to suppress ordinariness passed and supported by local governments. Local governments that are directly elected by the people and serve the local interest of the community. Their ordnances are overridden by those who claim to support “small government”. The actions that those who claim to embrace "small government" are similar to the actions of those that they demonize, just directed in different causes and interest. How is that different at the end of the day?

As mentioned in the previous article, blind support of party is one of the most reckless actions one can partake in. It's the action embraced by those excusing reckless behavior for the sake of being "part of the team". The reason why there are so many problems in politics today is because politics has been reduced to a two-sided football game where the fans just accepted whatever candidate at face-value without demanding any better from the team.

For Texas, that failed candidate is Greg Abbott. While he claims to be the champion of "small government", he used the power of the state to force local school districts not to enforce mask mandates. How is it "small government" when the power of the state is used to override local interest? The people who typically serve on these boards got there position because of the local support of the community. Who else is going to best represent the interest of the school district than those who actually live in that district. Certain parts of Texas have been much more affected by the Covid outbreak than others. South Texas became the first hotspot outside of New York that was affected by the virus. We know all too well about how deadly this virus is. Greg Abbott has no idea about how horrible Covid effected South Texas, and that's even after contracting the virus himself. 

This person who screams "small government" at the top of his lungs is quick to use the power of the state in an attempt to override and suppress the will and interest of local leaders who have a much better understanding of the issues around them than he does. How is overriding the will of local interest "small government"? At this point, I'm convinced that he, and many around him, only proclaim themselves as such only when it comes to protecting there own interest. 

Party affiliation doesn't mean anything to me. If he was a Democrat making the same mistakes, I would be roasting him in the same manner as now. Democrats are not beyond criticism. Neither is Greg Abbott.

I know that outlets like Fox News and OAN will paint Greg Abbott as this hero who is unfairly being assaulted by quote "them", but he is anything but a hero. Greg Abbott isn't some unfortunate victim either. At this point, Greg Abbott isn't a governor for all Texans, but only among his supporters (doesn't that sound familiar). He only wants the songs of praise and nothing more. If your an Independent or Democrat, you might as well not exist in his eyes. He will not represent you. Greg Abbott forgot that he is the governor for ALL Texans, and not just his supporters.

Abortion

The hypocrisy just doesn't end with mask mandates though. How can one claim to be "small government" when they use the power of the state to tell women that they can and can't do with their bodies. I hate abortion. However, abortion is a private and personal issue that isn't up to me, anybody else, or the state to dictate. Pro-choice isn't a byword for "Pro-abortion". What the word simply means is that the decision is one that's up for the one affected by the choice, not for others (especially the state) to dictate. It doesn't reflect one's approval or disapproval of abortion. That is the private decision of those affected. 

If one wants to stop abortion, then adopted a child, promote safe-sex education in high school, and make access to contraceptives and other safe-sex measures universal so one doesn't have to encounter that hard decision down the road. That is how you stop abortion. And lastly, stop treating women as criminals. That should be a given though. Provide healthy alternates and proper education to those who want children down the road and are prepared to take care of them when ready.

I'm not going to use the term "slippery slope" because that phrase in itself has been abused all the way to Hell and back by sensationalist commentators. However, when the state gets into a position to dictate what a woman does with her body, where does it end? The anti-abortion laws or not something to celebrate.

Voting Restrictions

I can only get behind an idea if there is merit and facts to justify it. There is none with the new voting laws. The only reason why the Republicans in this state rallied behind such laws is because of there beliefs in the false claims that the 2020 election was rigged and they want to prevent it from happening again. This means disenfranchising legitimate voters as a way to stop this from occurring. As much as I dislike Biden, there is no evidence to support the idea that the election was rigged. And no, sensationalist claims from Tucker Carlson, Breitbart, or OAN don't count either. As such, to justify the voting laws based around such false claims is absurd. 

The other reason why such laws were passed was because of the claims behind illegal votes. On one hand, there have been false votes that have been cast in elections of decades past. However, the total number of illegal votes cast in all national elections in this country in the last 20 years is about somewhere between 80-200. Not 80-200 thousand, but somewhere between 80 and 200. Our voting system is already one of the most secured in the world, and that was before the 2020 election. The voting laws are addressing a problems that simply don't exist. Also, simply because Trump makes a random claim doesn't make it true. Next time one hears one of his baseless claims, ask for the evidence to support it. Empty banter isn't evidence.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, there is no such thing as "big government" or "small government", just government. Local government is essentially the representation of the community spirit and the civic interest. When state governments move against the will of local governments, the state is essentially going against the local will of those who directly elected that government. Despite the corrupting influences of big money, in a Democratic society, the politicians representing both state and the national government are still elected by the people. As such, when one looks at the government with disdain, that person is actually holding the will of the people with such contempt. Where else does our government get its power from? The government is simply a reflection of the people who make up that society. If people don’t like how things are, then they need to look at themselves in the mirror, since they are essentially the government. We assume the faults and shortcomings of whatever happens, since at the end of the day, the government is simply the personification of "We The People" (ie. us).

Lastly, while Greg Abbott has been busy restricting voter rights, restricting decisions about choices that are up to individuals, and not the state, forcing school districts not to implement mask mandates, and making it easier than ever to put guns even in more hands of the trigger happy; what has he done about the power grid that millions rely on? You know, the power grid that is facing even more pressure during the summer heat wave. A power grind that is going to face even more pressure now that bitcoin miners are going to overload it with their environmentally destructive habits? A power grid that we can't afford to go down. Will wishful thinking prevent another energy crisis?

Articles Of Interest 

The Texas Tribune - Gov. Greg Abbott and local officials are fighting several legal battles over mask mandates. Here’s what you need to know. : https://www.texastribune.org/2021/09/21/texas-school-mask-mandates/

The Texas Tribune - Gov. Greg. Abbott says no public schools or government entities will be allowed to require masks : https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/18/greg-abbott-texas-mask-mandate/

The Texas Tribune - 50% of Texans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but rate of shots administered has slowed : https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2020/texas-coronavirus-cases-map/

Articles Of Interest - Abortion

BBC - Texas abortion clinics will be protected, Justice Department says : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58470259

BBC - Texas abortion law: What women make of six-week abortion ban : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58416037

NPR - Abstinence-Only Education Is Ineffective And Unethical, Report Argues :  https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/08/23/545289168/abstinence-education-is-ineffective-and-unethical-report-argues

NPR - In Texas, Abstinence-Only Programs May Contribute To Teen Pregnancies : https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/06/05/530922642/in-texas-abstinence-only-programs-may-contribute-to-teen-pregnancies

Forbes - Research Confirms That Abstinence-Only Education Hurts Kids : https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2017/08/23/research-confirms-the-obvious-that-abstinence-only-education-hurts-kids/?sh=21f1d36d6615

UPWORTHY - It is possible to be morally pro-life and politically pro-choice at the same time. :  https://www.upworthy.com/it-is-possible-to-be-morally-pro-life-and-politically-pro-choice-at-the-same-time

PATHEOS - Capital Punishment For Abortion Is Not Pro-Life :  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/suspendedinherjar/2019/04/capital-punishment-for-abortion/

TIME - The Surprising Role of Clergy in the Abortion Fight Before Roe v. Wade : https://time.com/4758285/clergy-consultation-abortion/

PATHEOS - Better Way To End Abortion In America : https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/2019/01/a-better-way-to-end-abortion-in-america/

Slate - Why Do Poor Women Have More Abortions? : https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/03/poor-women-have-more-abortions-even-though-middle-class-women-abort-more-of-their-pregnancies.html

Articles Of Interest - Voting Fraud (More Like Lack Thereoff)

BBC - Texas enacts controversial voting rights overhaul : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58404050

FactCheck.org - Trump’s Wild, Baseless Claims of Illegal Voting : https://www.factcheck.org/2020/11/trumps-wild-baseless-claims-of-illegal-voting/

FiveThirtyEight - Americans Were Primed To Believe The Current Onslaught Of Disinformation: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-were-primed-to-believe-the-current-onslaught-of-disin...

PolitiFact - No, receiving multiple ballot applications doesn’t let you vote more than once: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/aug/13/facebook-posts/no-receiving-multiple-ballot-applic...

PolitiFact - Donald Trump says Joe Biden can only win by a 'rigged election.' That's wrong in several ways : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/aug/24/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-joe-biden-can-only-...

FactCheck -Trump Campaign Exaggerates Potential for Mail-In Voting Fraud After Election : https://www.factcheck.org/2020/08/trump-campaign-exaggerates-potential-for-mail-in-voting-fraud-afte...

Snopes - Did 50K Ballots Suspiciously Appear at Polls Overnight in Georgia Senate Runoffs? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ballots-georgia-senate/

Georgia election: Trump voter fraud claims and others fact-checked (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/55561877

BBC -  US election: Trump camp's lawsuit struck down in Pennsylvania : https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55030617

BBC - US election 2020: Fact-checking Trump team's main fraud claims : https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55016029

BBC - US Election 2020: The 'dead voters' in Michigan who are still alive : https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54874120

BBC - Michigan votes to certify Biden's win over Trump : https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55052640

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA : https://pacer-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/147/127057/15517440654.pdf 

PolitiFact - Donald Trump’s Pants on Fire claim about illegal votes : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/nov/06/donald-trump/donald-trumps-pants-fire-claim-about-...

Snopes - RUMOR ALERT: Dominion Voting Systems Fraud Claims : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/rumor-alert-dominion-voting-systems-fraud-claims/

Snopes - Fraud Claims Aimed in Part at Keeping Trump Base Loyal : https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/11/08/fraud-claims-aimed-in-part-at-keeping-trump-base-loyal/

Snopes - Did a Fox 2 Detroit Report Expose Voter Fraud in the 2020 Election? :

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/detroit-voter-roll-lawsuit/

Snopes - Do Hundreds of Counties Have 1.8 Million ‘Ghost Voters’ in the US? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ghost-voters-in-29-states/

Snopes - Did Libertarian Candidate Jo Jorgensen Lose 40K Votes in 10 Minutes in Pennsylvania? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/jorgensen-40k/

Snopes - Georgia Poll Worker in Hiding After False Claims Online : https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/11/07/georgia-poll-worker-in-hiding-after-false-claims-online/

Snopes - Was the Ballot of Deceased Man Named William Bradley Counted in Michigan? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/william-bradley-voted-dead/

BBC News - RNC 2020: Trump warns Republican convention of ‘rigged election’ - https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-53898142 

Articles Of Interest: Conclusion (2021 Freeze)

BBC - Why China's bitcoin miners are moving to Texas : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58414555

2021 Texas power crisis (Wikipedia) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Texas_power_crisis

Should We Blame Wind Turbines for Texas' Power Outages? (The Science Times) : https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/29778/20210221/should-we-blame-wind-turbines-for-texas-power-o...

What Went Wrong With Texas’s Main Electric Grid and Could It Have Been Prevented? (Texas Monthly) : https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/what-went-wrong-with-texass-main-electric-grid-and-could-...

Texas leaders failed to heed warnings that left the state's power grid vulnerable to winter extremes, experts say (The Texas Tribune) - https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/17/texas-power-grid-failures/

Report on Outages and Curtailments During the Southwest Cold Weather Event of February 1-5, 2011 ( Prepared by the Staffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation - PDF) - https://www.ferc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/08-16-11-report.pdf

A Guide to the 2011 Texas Blackouts (StateImpact - A reporting project of NPR member stations) - https://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/tag/2011-blackouts/

The Rolling Chain of Events Behind Texas Blackouts (The Texas Tribune) - https://www.texastribune.org/2011/02/03/the-rolling-chain-of-events-behind-texas-blackouts/

Austin Energy Faces Questions Over Blackouts (KUT.org Experience Austin Texas) (Archive.org's Wayback Machine) - https://web.archive.org/web/20120322033138/http://kut.org/2011/02/austin-energy-faces-questions-over...

WEATHER: Hard freeze warning issued for Bastrop County (Statesman) - https://www.statesman.com/news/20180118/weather-hard-freeze-warning-issued-for-bastrop-county

ERCOT requesting energy conservation, may enter emergency conditions - https://www.krgv.com/news/ercot-requesting-energy-conservation-may-enter-emergency-conditions

Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Wikipedia) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_of_Texas