SHAME IN THE USA: 46.2 MILLION AMERICANS LIVE IN POVERTY

To understand the shameful dimensions of this social, economic, and political catastrophe, consider these factoids:

• This is equivalent of the entire populations of SPAIN or of America's largest state, California, and Colorado combined.

• At the same time, the U.S. poverty rate is among the highest in the so-called "First World" of developed industrialized nations — our historical ally France, the Republican and Teabaggers' favorite foreign punching bag, has a poverty rate in the single digits.

But for me, the most damning comparative statistic for this nation is that the number of people living in poverty in America — 46.2 million — is 5 million more than all of the votes cast in the 2010 midterm elections for Republicans in the House of Representatives, 41,128,504. This isn't just an indictment of the Democratic Party and its titular leader, President "I reject the argument that says for the economy to grow, we have to roll back ... rules that keep our kids from being exposed to mercury " Obama, but of all Americans eligible to vote who, for want of performing the simplest but most profound duty of every citizen in a democracy, voting, have by their anti-civic inaction brought us to the brink of catastrophic change, with far-reaching consequences for all of us.

Who the hell are these Teabaggers, this blood-lusting rabble screaming for the denial of life-saving health care to a 30-year old everyman who happens not to have medical insurance, that he should D-I-E, DIE instead? Or the sanguine mob at the Ronald Reagan Library lustily applauding Texas governor Rick Perry for his record 235 executions — some of those executed more than likely innocent of the crimes for which the state killed them? Or Michele Bachmann, a serial liar spreading dastardly lies about a cancer prevention vaccine? Or the anti-education, anti-science posture of this abominable cesspool of anti-American values known as the Republican Party? Why does the corporate media certify fringe views as mainstream, and barely bat an eyelash at right wing Republicans who would be president (while others with perhaps different views cower in fear) — Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry — with ties to a fringe fundamentalist Christian cult of zealots who aspire to Dominionism, an authoritarian Christian theocracy for America?

The Republican leadership in Congress refers to all of this, with the media's complicity and collaboration, as the mainstream "values" of the American people. And yet of the 41.1 million incredibly SUPER MAJORITY minority within a minority of voters who put these extremist Republicans in power, about 25 million or so represent the true lunatic fringe — anti-government Teabaggers, racists, and religious zealots. The remaining 16.1 million are the morons who watch too much reality TV and "America's Got Talent" — impulse voters who haven't a clue how a ballot choice can have profound implications for them and who go through life blithely voting against their own self-interest.

The 30 million Democratic voters who stayed home, not to speak of the millions upon millions who never even bother to vote, are most responsible for our dire straits. They are responsible for this abominable minority that is dictating its extremist anti-government, anti-science, religious fundamentalist agenda on the rest of us. We, The People get the government we deserve. And by not taking ONE DAY out of 365 days in a year to do one's civic duty and vote, we are the Dr. Frankenstein who created this MONSTER called the Tea Party — aka, the Republican Party.

If you don't vote, stop casting about for someone to blame when your lives and prosperity fall apart. Don't blame President Obama. Yes, he's flawed but his hands are, ultimately, tied. If you don't vote, STFU and take a look in the mirror. You might as well do the honorable thing and renounce your citizenship as an American. There are plenty of honest, hard-working people just across our southern border who would love to take your place.