GOP to Voters: Can I sell you the Brooklyn Bridge (again)?

George Parker (1870–1936) was one of the most audacious con men in American history. He made his living selling New York's public landmarks to unwary tourists. His favorite object for sale was the Brooklyn Bridge, which he sold twice a week for years. He convinced his marks that they could make a fortune by controlling access to the roadway. More than once police had to roust naive buyers from the bridge as they tried to erect toll barriers. source

"And if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you"

Good-ole Georgie has nothing on the Republican party: Every election year cycle the GOP con-men repackage and then resell the same failed economic policy that has decimated the American middle-class. This Brooklyn Bridge is better know as supply-side economics.

President Ronald Reagan's controllers (Ronnie boy just read the script a la the B movie star he was) reinvented supply-side economics as Reaganomics in the 1980's and George W Bush revived Reaganomics -- on steroids -- in the 2000's. The theory: Prosperity and job growth will come if you give more tax breaks for the rich, deregulate the private sector (Wall Street), bust up Unions and let the so-called Free Market run the economy.

The result has been staggeringly catastrophic for the middle-class and conversely a huge windfall for the elite rich. The belief: we need to give huge tax cuts to the super rich to stimulate our economy; and, more cash in the bank for the rich, they will spend more and create more jobs -- hence the trickle down effect (the middle-class, working class and poor are still waiting on the trickle).

This Wall Street contrived con -- Papa Bush called it Voodoo Economics -- just shifted the tax burden to the hurting middle-class, busted up labor unions, lowered real wages, cut government investment in schools, cities, and infrastructural building. Under supply-side the fox was promoted to sheriff off the hen house.

As Malcolm X famously exclaimed:

You've been had! You've been took! Hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led astray! Run amok! This is what they do! 

And true to form: Reaganomics gave us the 1980's Wall Street scandal of Michael "Junk Bond King" Milkan and Ivan Boesky; the 1990's  S&L scandal and bail-out -- yea Main Street always picks up the tab -- involving Neil Bush (W's brother) and Charles Keating; the numerous Wall Street ponzi schemes -- uncle Bernie (Madoff) was not the only one; and the granddaddy of all, the Hedge Fund scandal that just about destroyed the American economy.

Yet and still...

But you know what? At least 50% of the country -- manipulated by corporate owned media -- show up to rallies, town hall meetings and yes the election polls, ready and willing to re-buy The Brooklyn Bridge.