Cruel and Usual

GOP: Cruel and Usual, 2018

Washington Post conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin called the GOP "mean spirited, nasty, and cruel." This is not the party she joined decades ago, one that believed in “free trade, robust immigration, a values based leadership, respect for facts, a certain dignity, a certain humility, [and] a certain style of governance,” she said on MSNBC in October 2018.

The Republican Party has tried repeatedly to take away Americans' health care by gutting the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). They have voted numerous times to eliminate protections to those with pre-existing conditions. But, suddenly, with only three weeks before the 2018 midterms, they did a complete turnaround, saying they would protect those with these conditions from losing their insurance. As of 2020, they have not backed up their assurances with legislation.

The 2017 GOP tax cut gave large deductions to the rich and corporations (as recently as the 2020 Republican National Convention, they still refer to it as a "middle class tax cut"). The party knew this tax revenue reduction would increase the deficit, yet they ignored what had become a signature tenet of the party and voted for the tax cut anyway. As of the end of the 2018 fiscal year, the deficit rose to $21.7B, a 17% rise since Trump took office. Trump promised to eliminate that deficit within 8 years. This will not happen.

Because of this ballooning deficit, Republicans decided they must reduce so-called entitlements like Social Security and Medicare. Only the middle class and poor will suffer from their plan.

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The posters in this series reflect the conflicts the American political system has been experiencing during the turbulent period between 2010-2020. They are meant to encourage an exploration and a dialogue about the cultural minefield we now find ourselves in.