2 posts tagged “conservatives”

Ok, Ellie and Snowy, I'll try!  Here goes:

Yes, the right-wing radio nutjobs spout out claims that Obama is "Socialist" because he wants to provide (gasp!) health care for all Americans...  yet you can bet Rush Limbaugh and all the other crazies will be the first to complain if they don't get their SOCIAL security checks...

Look, everyone.  Socialism is not achieved by government taxing people and then implementing FUNDING programs that benefit everyone.

Socialism is achieved by governments ACTUALLY RUNNING the hospitals.

If Obama were socialist, he'd be telling us the the US Federal Gov't was going to take over the hospitals with government doctors and government nurses and government administrators.

He's not saying that.  So he's not a socialist.

He's saying that there are people in the US without ANY HEALTH CARE and that the US, of all places on earth, should be able to provide health care to every person.  He's saying that with some form of Universal health care, we can have a healthier population.  Which means more productive workers, and kick-start to our economy.

Now, I confess, I am not decided about Universal Health Care.  But it's a good touch stone for the debate on whether Obama is a socialist.

Put simply, a Socialist Government runs things for you.  For everyone.  For the common good.  The collective interest is foremost, but first, before the interest of the individual.

In a Democratic Republic Government, such as ours, the government sometimes nudges the economy, or businesses, or people, in the direction that seems needed.  With incentives, ideally, with funding, if it seems to make sense.  We use the process of democracy to replace leaders who no longer seem to make sense.

Now that we know the difference between  a SOCIALIST government and a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC in which the government can facilitate directions in the economy and in the health care with strategic investment and spending, could we PLEASE drop the meaningless rhetoric and vacuous claims of fascism and socialism and communism?

Any level-headed conservative knows the difference between socialism and social programs.

We have had social programs before, like Pell Grants for qualified college students; federal guarantee of student loans; oh, and let's not forget that SOCIALIST program called the Department of Defense (GASP!!!  WE ALL SHARE THE BENEFIT FROM A COMMON (= communal) DEFENSE??? HEAVENS!!!); or how about that SOCIALIST Department of Homeland Security!!!  OH MY!!!

Oh Wait!! DON'T WE ALSO ALL SHARE A COMMON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE?  AND A COMMON SENATE?  AND A COMMON CONGRESS???

Wait, here I discovered a link to a comprehensive listing of government agencies IN EVERY STATE!!!

EACH OF THESE AGENCIES EXIST FOR THE COMMON GOOD!!!!

OMG, WHEN DID THE US BECOME A FASCIST COMMUNIST STATE???  THE EXISTENCE OF GOVERNMENT IS PROOF THAT OBAMA IS A SOCIALIST!!!

Under the conservative ideal, we would all provide all of our own individual needs, right?  No regulation.  No street signs.  No street lights.  Everyone does their own surgery on themselves, like REAL MEN. who saw their own arms off with a swiss army knife after being trapped for 10 minutes.  Now THERE is a RIGHTEOUS dude.

Cause we don't want ANY OF OUR MONEY TO GO TO HELP ANYONE ELSE. EVER.  FOR ANYTHING. I'M A DUPE IF ANYONE USES MY MONEY TO HELP ANYONE ELSE.  Cause I can't see how it helps me.

I mean, it's MY MONEY.  I earned it.

WAIT... WHO PRINTED THIS MONEY??? THE US COMMON DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY????  OMG I CAN'T ESCAPE!!! A COMMON CURRENCY FOR ALL 50 STATES???

AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

I'm moving to Montana.  Just me and the big sky.  And some cows.  Grazing. On Federal Lands.   FOR FREE.. PAID FOR BY OTHER TAXPAYERS.. OH GEEZ I guess I better just admit that I want government.  Something.  But not too much.  Just a little.  And anyone who wants more government than me, is EVIL.  PURE EVIL SCUM WHO MUST BE ERADICATED FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Or they should move to Canada.  Or Cuba.  Whatever, they are not real Americans anyway because they want more government than I do.

They want my guns.  Yes, I mean the ones that fire safely because the US Government imposes quality control regulations so they don't blow up in my face.  OMG WHEN WILL THE NIGHTMARE END???

Ok, ok,  At least I can vote for republicans next time.  Party line.  In this voting booth.  Paid for by MY TAXES.  But you can't vote in MY BOOTH.  In fact, I'd rather build my own voting booth, thank you.  And you should build your own, too. It's the American way.  Mine will only have buttons for republicans.

Well, whatever SOCIALISM is, I hate it, because I don't understand it.  And I hate things I don't understand.  They are intrinsically a threat, because I don't understand it.  And I kill anything that I don't understand.  I need simple, straightforward things like sticks, and rocks.  Those, I get.  I throw them at things I don't understand.  They hurt when they hit people.  That, I understand.  Pain.  I like that.  Yeah. He-he.

Ed Rollins, a veteran conservative politico and commentator, recently wrote a palliative commentary on CNNPolitics.com that sounds good, but misses the mark.  Ed pulls all punches and almost - ALMOST becomes and apologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney commented on former Secretary of State Colin Powell's Republican credentials on "Face the Nation."

Ed outlines how Mr. Cheney probably saw Powell's support of President Obama as betrayal by a man who Cheney had supported.  Cheney basically disinvited Powell to the party (as if he had the power to do so!).  Rollins then goes on to assuage readers how

"We are a party that has a large constituent group that believes in a social agenda and we will not abandon them. We are a party that believes in the Second Amendment -- and every other amendment for that matter -- and don't feel they need to be altered by the Supreme Court or the Congress.

The need to find a new generation of leaders is an ongoing challenge that falls to both parties on an ongoing basis. Equally important, we as a party have to become more technologically competent in our campaign tactics -- and our message has to relate better to young voters.

We also need to reach out to constituency groups that have not been traditional Republicans. The Democrats have their leader in Obama and we will find ours.

We now have a serious challenge in the battle for the direction of the country, and the future of our children. In one sense the country is blessed to have two divergent views and two distinct parties. That's what makes our democracy strong."

A couple of points are sticking in Get Real's craw.

(1) Mr. Rollins, did you not hear Mr. Cheney?  The former Republican Vice President also stated, without equivocation, that  he would "go with Limbaugh" on dis inviting Powell.  The same Limbaugh who would have McCain and his daughter leave the party.  The same Limbaugh who wished failure on a sitting US President.

The fact is, the unescapable truth is out there. The Cheney's and Limbaugh's of the world put party before country.  That stings, I bet, for conservatives to hear.  The country, and the moderate constituency in the GOP, has learned the hard to way to watch what the GOP leaders DO, instead of merely listening to what they SAY.  More and more Moderate Republicans are beginning to question whether they are being handed a pack of just-so-stories in a party platform on what's important to the leadership of the Republican party.  It's supposed to be for small government.  Hard to swallow that given Bush's explosion.  It's supposed to be against Socialism.  Yet there is, as Rollins points out, a large consituency in the Republican party who wants a progession social agenda.

(2) Which constituency groups can the GOP 'reach out to' when Cheney so stupidly defines the party as an unwelcome and hostile environment for people who dare think for themselves?  Who does Cheney think he's zooming? We all recall very well how Powell was hung out to dry, forced to testify at the UN on false evidence, false intelligence, intelligence the Bush administration knew was false.

Why is anyone even interested in what Cheney has to say about party or country?  What does he have to offer that is worthy of our attention?  His administration was based on lies and secrecy.  The hubris of this man is ridiculously ginormous; he thinks that the country is stupid enough to sit pat and wait for 50 years to reveal the details of his secre energy plan meeting in which many believe they discussed how to secure oil fields in Iraq during an invasion.... well before 9/11.

Now he thinks his party is stupid enough to believe that he should have a say in the party's future.

Mr. Rollins, Get Real.  Your party has conundrum wrapped in a quagmire soured by the stain of torture and death, deficit and depression, and the American people are not all that interested in the party's future contributions.

So, my take on it? There is no room for NeoCons in a viable future GOP.