Recessional
Et tu, Brute?
Conservatives created Barack Obama and his vision of the Europeanization of America, and so have themselves to blame for the current recessional, as the present as we have known it fades into the past..
Let me explain. Yes, I know that the 2000-01 recession, Hurricane Katrina, two wars, and a $1 trillion hit after 9/11 made fiscal discipline hard. But being a conservative in America these days is hard—and one gets very little leeway or second chances. Not disowning a Ted Stevens and instead pointing to a Charles Rangel or John Murtha or William Jefferson is fatal for a conservative. We expect such things from a promiscuous spender, but cannot tolerate it from a professed budget hawk.
Pillars of Wisdom
The pillar of conservatism is fiscal responsibility.
Why? Balancing budgets and saying no to always expanding government, first, is a moral issue. Just as the individual does not borrow from others to satisfy his own appetite, does not consume what he does not earn, so too government should not spend what the nation has not produced. The conservative, as the custodian of ancient morality, must remind the populace of the thriftiness of our ancestors that explains the bounty we inherited. If not he, who will say that life is not fair, that human nature is predictable and thus tragic, that in our brief corporal lives we can guarantee an equality of rough opportunity but hardly mandate an equality of absolute result—since we are mere mortals, not gods?
Political Suicide
Second, there are crass political concerns as well. The greater government grows, the larger the number of those receiving and expecting entitlements, and the more expansive the public work force becomes, so likewise the more permanent is the recipient constituency for high taxes, big government, and perpetual largess. The tragedy of the present disaster is that the Democrats are forming dependencies—cf. the President’s promises to provide new proposals for guaranteed cradle-to-grave education, health care, jobs, etc.—through these massive outlays that will last almost indefinitely—until the system collapses from its own weight and we start over again
Hypocrisy.
Third, there is the question of hypocrisy. The liberal philosophy maintains that government, better than thousands of informed and self-interested individuals, can direct and guide our lives and national purpose. It has more confidence in the tenured bureuacrat than it does the small businessman, whose unpredictability and autonomy prove too disruptive to the common vision. If conservatives borrow and spend, then liberals quite naturally sense there are no longer any fiscal auditors left, and they can—and must—trump their newfound competitors for dependent constituents. For the liberal Democrat it is a liberating experience to see a free-spending Republican conservative run up deficits in hopes of providing largess and earmarks to his constituents—the proverbial mouse swallowed by the python, or the strutting hawk trapped under the eagle’s talon.
It Wasn’t Yours to Begin With
Four, philosophically, conservatism hinges on rewarding the individual for his success, on the theory that such encouragement will eventually mean greater wealth for the common good, and reminds the citizenry that the individual, not government, owns his own wealth. But once spending spirals out of control, then naturally the government must take measures to raise revenue—and to accomplish that goal, it must educate the populace that the “rich” are greedy, and impoverish rather than enrich the commons; and, second, that wealth naturally belongs to the government. It taxes and thus merely takes back what is naturally its own, rather than lets be that which it has no intrinsic right to.
Conservative felonies
So the Republicans betrayed their own principles and allowed the Democrats in 2006 and 2008 to run against deficits in order that they could enlarge deficits, convinced that the natural opposition was long ago discredited.
Trashing Bush for spending and not spending enough
Note the irony. Liberals trashed George Bush for urging us to buy and consume after the shock of 9/11 in order to ward off a paralysis of fear and possible recession. Now in the present crisis they insist we buy and consume to ward off a paralysis of fear and further recession. It would have been better had they trashed Bush for not urging deficit spending and consumerism and risking a recession than ensuring a long-term unsustainable cycle of red-ink. Had Bush campaigned in 2005 with a surplus and reduced spending, and ran against Ted Stevens and Jack Abramoff, he might have made it far easier for conservatives to continue in power.
The squirrel-cage economy
Bush faced such hysterical opposition of matters of foreign policy, that to keep congressional support, on the domestic front he often gave into the fuzzy notion of ‘bipartisanship’ and ended up advocating massive entitlements like the prescription drug bill and No Child Left Behind, without detailing the source of funds to pay for them. So in fears of recession, and resulting political suicide, each new President now urges more borrowing and spending that allows him reelection and us yet another reprieve. No one dares tell the heroin addict that his habit is unsustainable, and that while each new fix brings temporary relief, in aggregate the injections are destroying the user himself. So it should have fallen to conservatives to yell, “Stop”, to risk recession and to change the ethos to ensure monies were not spent unless the source of additional revenue was assured. Such a readjustment might have been ugly, but not as ugly as the present mess.
Who will police the police?
The scariest thought is ‘who will police the police’. In a nation of government workers there is no higher auditor. I was reminded of that thrice this week: once while driving down the 41 freeway, I was passed by a municipal garbage truck, its trash spewing over the freeway (I remember being stopped once by a higway patrolman because the tarp over my brush in the pickup did not quite cover one corner of bed. ) What does that driver worry about? That his boss, the city of Fresno, will fire this unfirable unionized driver? Next, on a bike I was almost crushed at a crosswalk as a city busdriver did his rolling stop, one hand on his cigarette, the other illegally holding cell phone to the ear—whom do I call? (He surely does not fear another city-employee policeman to cite him.) Third, the radio just blared that the fifth California State University female sports coach is suing the university for sexual bias. We’ve had four over the last three years, and they have collected sixteen million dollars, so it is now open season on the local university treasury. Whom do you call? Fire the dean? There is no CEO who resigns, not with tenure. Plead with the litigant that being passed over for her coveted job does not justifying cutting 30 classes to pay for her anguish? There is no “they” to pay anymore when you sue a broke government—at least not until the judge’s check bounces.
A Reaganite Fallacy
One of the apologies for the Reagan-era deficits (besides the new emphasis in calibrating them in terms of more palatable percentages of GDP rather than in actual red-ink dollars) was the notion of “starving the beast”: cut taxes so that federal revenues shrank (but I thought that supply-side economics always ensured greater revenue?), and redundant and ineffective federal entitlements and bureaucracies were starved into oblivion.
Beat the beastly taxpayer
That, of course, did not quite work. And now we see the liberal corollary as something we should call, “starve the beastly taxpayer”, or the notion that if one spends profligately, the ensuing deficits will ensure eventual higher taxes and force a socialist redistributive scheme. And always higher taxes ipsis factis reflect the creed of the liberal mind that the well-compensated do not deserve their high incomes. (Remember, again, the key to progressive thought is that compensation is unfair, rigged, or arbitrary and the government alone through taxation can bring moral justice back to the equation by ensuring the gardener gets federal money and pays no taxes while the surgeon gets none and pays lots of taxes, since it was never fair to begin with that one worker gets little money for dirty hands and the other lots for clean gloved ones.). The redistributive government becomes as fair as the cruel market is not. I was reminded of this while being operated in Libya for a ruptured appendix, when the surgeon said he did the best he could to save my life, but offered he was by law paid about the same salary as the mopper who did a poor job cleaning the rather dirty floor of the clinic.
Is it sustainable?
In the natural yang and yang of politics, of course, the liberals in power will not be able to say no to more and more government and higher and higher taxes—witness California. And then two things will begin to happen. First, their alliance of elites and masses will unravel. The Obamians have declared war, recall, against those who make between $250,000 and $1 million—caps off FICA taxes, top rates back to near 40%, state taxes climbing, and higher capital gains and means-tested deductions. The multimillionaires of say $10 million a year (Obama’s jet-setters who fly for drinks to the Super Bowl) don’t much care whether they will pay $7 million in taxes rather than $5 million, since (a) $3 million net is pretty good anyway; (b) with $10 million in gross income it is easier to buy the mechanisms to pay zero taxes rather than even the $3 million. The Obama cabinet picks reflected that reality of creative cheating well enough.
Did he mean us?
But the trial lawyers, the progressive stock brokers, and sympathetic endowed professors and high-paid journalists will cry “nos quoque?”, and begin to resent that the messiah also had them in the cross hairs (FICA, Medicare, federal and state income taxes will now approach 70% of gross income, apart from property and sales taxes.). Remember, do the math: there are simply not enough of those horrendous 1%-ers, who now pay 40% of the nation’s taxes, left to gouge much more money out of to cover the entire debt. You must hit hard the $250,000 income earner, and then go back down to the real pot of gold—the millions who make between $100-200,000 if you finally must cover the massive transfers in capital.
Carterism—if we are lucky.
Second, we will get Jimmy Carter’s stagflation that will affect us all. Interest rates will have to rise to attract capital to sell debt paper. Inflation will rage as money will be printed to cover deficits not covered entirely by foreign investment. Unemployment will rise as high-taxed small businesses will not sense there are incentives to hire and expand since they know additional income will simply revert to the government. Revenues will sink as creative individuals who won’t waste time in cheating on 50% rates, will suddenly balk at local, payroll, state, and income taxes approaching 70%. From what I remember in the 1970s, they will seek shelters, engage in barter, traffic in cash off the books, or simply lie—and the result will be less, not more revenue, to pay for federal spending.
I get the feeling we are in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers and there are only a few of us screaming to the wind wandering around left not yet absorbed.
VDH, this reminds me of my younger days handling the defense of lawsuits wherein folks sued based upon traffic design defects. In dealing with the traffic engineers (I have a soft spot in my heart for the engineer’s personality, calm…rational..fact based)we would often go over some “remedies” to eliminate even the frivolous and “game the system” lawsuits.
I jokingly asked the Chief Traffic Engineer why we simply didn’t put a stoplight at every corner. He looked at me and without an ounce of irony in his voice, he told me it had been seriously studied and piloted. There arose a problem, however. People began to ignore ALL the lights…they simply made up their own rules to follow because the one implemented and imposed upon them was too draconian, too oppressive, too burdensome.
I can read a balance sheet and I simply do not see how $1.75 trillion dollars (with the spectre of substantially more and more and more thundering in the distance) can be borne on the backs of the “Two Percenters”.
First, the Audrey II element in this Little Debt of Horrors will kill off and thin out a substantial number of back of the herd…barely at the $250,000 mark. Second, anyone with a modicum of intelligence who approaches the number, but sees little benefit to getting to $260,000 or $270,000…when they can stop the year at $249,000…will limbo dance under the bar.
And, when the burden becomes impossible to meet as the fuzzy math evaporates and the $100,000 family (and the $75,000 family?)is called upon the “sacrifice” and “be patriotic” in a way that the trust fund liberals are not…we may see some folks looking at all those red stoplights on every corner with a slightly different eye.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this country is ready for nationalized banks, nationalized health care, nationalized food production, nationalized auto industry and nationalized education. We already have a de facto nationalized information stream. We seem to be no longer fighting off those who wish to “game the system”…because it seems the system has fully entered the stage where it is gaming itself.
No. Conservatives did not ‘creat’ Barack Obama and the vision of europeanized America.
If you would have said conservatives LET someone elses defined conservatism and what conservatives looked like, then yes. Basically conservatives do not feel less passionate about the principles, but the makeup of conservatives are just not like that of liberals.
It is a long process of more than 4 decades’ effort. You can not just trace back to 2000 and then stopped there.
How did the current situation get to be this perverse? First, because the concept of America had been changed gradually, what the Founding Fathers’ vision of citizens and government was twisted, symbolism was taught as more important and trumped everything else, and nobody changelled the ‘accepted’ wisdom from elite class.
Wiser people than me could diagnose the pervese problems better. But my layman’s view put it squarely on the whole education system, and parents ceded more responsibilities of their children to ‘authorities’.
One critical omitted Conservative fault is their efforts to insert religion into government.
In this, they have embraced the pagan Plato, while rejecting the separation between church and state advocated by St. Augustine and Martin Luther.
This corruption undermines the distinction between activities that should be performed by free association within the civil society instead of by government.
The masses not grave,
Could care less for higher teachings,
The masses not grave,
With minds set on low reachings.
Siphon off satisfaction,
And power from illegal breechings,
Having no real respect,
For man’s nor God’s legal briefings.
The masses not grave,
Discover illicit power available,
The masses not grave,
See not how hell is quite able,
To show acts unbecoming,
And precisely how untenable,
Mass thievery justified,
Becomes quickly unstable.
The Socialist dream might yet be realized for a period of time before it collapses yet I doubt that the length of that period will be too long. We Yankees seem too cankerous and ornery to be held in check for long.
Years ago, there was a so-called rumor about a most famous Swedish filmmaker who left his homeland because of onerous taxes; income over $100,00 was taxed at a rate of 101%. I can’t seem to locate information on that event now but recall the story very well.
That Swede went to Denmark, where will we move to?
Actually, Reagan was right that cutting tax rates increased revenues. It was SPENDING that wasn’t brought under control. And remember this: Reagan didn’t have a Republican-controlled House. He actually presented a balanced budget proposal every year. Maybe he should have paid whatever price it took to force Congress to keep spending in check, but I don’t know how politically possible that was.
Here’s the deal, and it’s been the deal since we agreed, as a nation, to the percentage-basis income tax. Our very basis for taxing ourselves satisfies not fiscal responsibility but social ideology. WE DO NOT TAX OURSELVES TO PAY FOR GOVERNMENT. WE TAX OURSELVES TO MAKE A SOCIAL POINT.
If we taxed ourselves to pay for government, we would tie taxes to expenditures. We would pay our taxes as we pay utility bills, and we would pay down national debt on an amortization schedule.
But we don’t. Regardless of what we plan to spend — even, in theory, if we planned to spend nothing — we tax people and businesses AS A PERCENTAGE OF INCOME. Think about the implications of this. We act, a priori, as if we owe government a percentage of what we earn and create. The focus is not on whether we need to spend, and what we need to spend on — the poltical focus of our fiscal policy is on the PERCENTAGE by which we tax ourselves.
Imagine a different system. Imagine we paid for what we actually spent, instead of paying a set percentage of our incomes. Imagine if citizens had to remit their taxes by check each month, and the amount depended on Congress’ most recent activities. (Instead, we have payroll withholding, and most people don’t even pay attention to what their federal income taxes come to in each pay period.)
That the individual citizen makes no connection between his tax obligations, and the course of the federal budget, is the biggest reason we have been unable to maintain any sort of fiscal accountability for the last 60+ years.
Since percentage-basis income tax and payroll withholding became our federal tax policies, we have increasingly been heaving our tax dollars, in boxcar lots, into a maelstrom. This will never change as long as we tax ourselves on a social policy, not a fiscal policy, basis.
As Republicans face the tarnishing of its brand, I don’t think the party should be abandoned as some suggest. The name has had proud moments and heros. The best of these should be restated as new people emerge. It’s down but not out.
Brands like APPLE came back. Republicans don’t have to go the way of the Oldsmobile.
The biggest problem is the tech savvy opposition. If they control the census, and if a fabulously wealthy ACORN gets away with registering cartoon characters, dead people and illegals, it will make the fight that much more tough.
And what about those people who sold billions of dollars in stocks in the first half of last September? If they truly did it for political gain, their power will be enormous now. And even as we see some newspapers fold, the big media, TV and Hollywood isn’t budging as far as their advocacy goes. People will believe them even if it only registers subconsciously.
AA uses a term called ‘bottom’. People come around after they hit ‘bottom’. Our professor uses the term ‘system collapses’. If that’s what it takes, fasten seatbelts. It’s going to be rough.
But like liberal Jews and their reaction to Mrs. Clinton’s recent statement, a realization of mistakes hopefully may be coming sooner rather than later. 2010 cannot come soon enough for me.
This very day, Dr. Hanson, there were stories in our morning paper and TV-news about the sudden spurt in the barter economy, which, now given the Internet, is expected to “blow up”–in the contemporary sense–while the rest of the system “blows up in our faces.”
We are witnessing the left-wing version of the Shock Doctrine.
I just received this in an email:
Norman Mattoon Thomas (Nov 20, 1884 to Dec 19, 1968) was a socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. He said this in a 1944 speech:
“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of “liberalism,” they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.! ” He went on to say: “I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.”
“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
~~Margaret Thatcher~~
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who are not.
- Thomas Jefferson-
VDH description of “Conservative” is right and if there were any conservatives left in Washington DC, I would be amazed. In a Wall Street Journal Editorial this week, there was a comment from the California Congressman, Jerry Lewis, Republican, and chairman of the congressional approtiations committee when the Republicans were in the majority. Lewis was the king of Pork Spending. The King.
Now, in the minority, he is shocked over the large spending earmarks of the Democrats. The Republicans in Washington, are NOT Conservatives, we may not see the Republican Party ever gain Majority. As a Conservative, I do not see but a few Politicans holding the Conservative Position. No senator and but a couple in the House. And, with Wall Street showing their displeasure with Obama and his new plans, we could be on for a long dark period. Until the Tax Payer takes to the street.
BTW, professor, I’m not upset with your very just comments about me-too, big-spending Republicans. They have much to answer for. Once you cede the principle of intrusive, big-spending government, you’re merely haggling over the price.
The fact that progressive Democrats gave us all the worst systemic features that promote reliance on this evil principle — the percentage-basis income tax, Social Security, Medicare, payroll withholding, “employer-funded” (read: consumer-funded) benefits — doesn’t mean that the GOP is not at fault for riding along.
I do think we have to recognize that we set our politicians a nearly impossible task, when we insist on continuing our morally hazardous system and our benefits, but merely demand that they operate it as if they were God Himself, with no human frailties or weaknesses.
All the wisest words were said a long time ago.
“That government is best which governs least.”
“The power to tax involves the power to destroy.”
Read I Samuel 8:4-22, on the inevitable consequences of demanding more government. It reflects commentary from more than 3000 years ago that seems almost humorously apposite today. Of course, the Athenian Greeks six centuries later had just such philosophical disputes over the reach and nature of their government.
It’s not like we didn’t know these things beforehand.
I fear that we are poised to once again watch Nero fiddle while Rome burns.
http://smokebreak.blogshevik.com/2009/02/27/mr-smith-goes-to-washington/
Conservatives created Obama? As if there were no precursors to the 9/11 events that Bush felt obliged to react to – The Cole attack, the first WTC bombing, Clinton’s unwillingness to strike Bin Laden when he had the chance, Reagan’s removal of troops from Beirut after the bombing, ad infinitum. I don’t think it is correct to assign blame for the presidency of Obama solely upon conservatives to the exclusion of all other groups.
But I suspect that the opening line of your piece, good Doctor, was a clever hook to draw us in. Not that I object, mind you. I think it is important to challenge our assumptions. I wish our opponents would engage in the same thing.
Ron Keen at #11 said it better than I, but just to focus on the classical analogy: once the Romans let the republic fall to corruption, and “the One” inaugurated the Empire, there was no turning back. Not long after, the barbarians overran the gates–no yeoman farmers were left to guard them–and the Dark Ages set in for a very, very long time.
Augustinian preachers of self-certain salvation, disdainful of that pagan Plato’s devotion to justice in the state, put hope in their invisible heaven; on the visible plane, change was unrestrained: even free men became slaves–or sold their children into bondage. Hosanna in the highest!
We should stop referring to enactment of “entitlements” and instead speak of those enactments as what they are,to-wit; “Obligation Enactments.”
Every “entitlement” requires that someone (or several) provide it.
So long as a great bulk of the electorate (that nebulous “middle class”) has sensed that their “entitlements” have balanced out their obligations, there has not been disruption. That balance is about to change as the functions of the enactments are taking over direction, then control (mandatory aspect)and displacing individual responses to their individual conditions.
If there is not a reaction to that course of events, adequate to turn the trend, this nation and its peoples will have surrendered our constitutional society for oligarchy of the academics and political classes – quasi technocracy.
Thereafter, the form of “revolt” will not be anything like what has been “feared” from today’s less advantaged. Much more will be destroyed and lost.
s24rrs@aol.com
Obama might be a god on earth and he may have clever advisers but I can’t see anything but disaster ahead. Most of the countries in western Europe are also trying to borrow money to “rescue” their systems. The Germans failed to find buyers for their bonds and have had to go back to square one. There’s no guarantee that we’ll find countries willing to loan us all the money we need either.
Some pundits predict China is about ready to cave in soon. With the price of oil being down, how long can Saudi Arabia continue to provide credit to the world?
I wonder how much more has to be piled on before there’s a complete global collapse? What happens after that? How do you “reset” the economies of the world?
I’m afraid that even if we are successful in finding a solution that we’d return to our prodigal ways.
I agree with poster 16. We are soon to see economic Darwinism at work.
So? You and I have this figured out; what’s next? You and I know what we will have to do to keep our families alive, perhaps happy as best able, and look into a future not as we had hoped. Ok, so we both have neighbors who don’t think anywhere like you and I. We just won’t see nor interact with them as much, nor will we try to present them with our views to argue against their views.
Yea, we will wait this game out, hope to survive with enough energies to be there after the crash, when the disillusionment comes into full bloom. Even Japan rebuilt after the war, so can we.
It’s just so sad. That may be the really hard part of all of this.
Education…maybe it really does begin with the man and woman, before the kids…
I need to wake up!
Ron Kean….can you tell me who Norman Thomas’ grandson is?
Hint: Take a peek at our entrenched media.
maybe if they change how we measure things, then it won’t show any stagflation at all!
*yay!* =D
Bush’s budgets were close to historic norms. He was less profligate than the liberal press has painted him.
Bush’s biggest problem was that he failed to communicate.
The problem now is that irreversable changes are being made with nothing close to a mandate.
It’s criminal and it’s insance. The country is in a daze.
Yeh, the groups vdh mentions will wake up soon enough, but it will be too late.
This is serious, people, extremely serious.
I remember working in Silicon Valley in the late 70′s and early 80′s, where the corporate zeitgeist was all about Japanese Style Management. Bill Ouchi wrote a book in 1981 titled Theory Z: How American Management Can Meet the Japanese Challenge. This book was the talk of the town as it basically posited the idea that American business must adopt a Japanese style of management in order for it to succeed and compete in the global economy. People really bought his idea(s) lock, stock and barrel. His theory Z had almost a cult like following among the Silicon Valley “Elites”. In the end, Japan’s economy tanked, Theory Z was discredited and the good old American model of entrepreneurship prevailed. I believe that the American people will wake up once again, realize that Obamania is an aberration rather than the norm, and eventually return us to the center, where we thrive best as a country.
20. cfbleachers
Evan Thomas – the current editor of Newsweek Magazine.
Newsweek ran that story about flushing the Koran. Newsweek lied. People died.
Essential vdh
Casual conversation about politics has always been part of the American scene.
Something new and bad is now going on and it seems casual conversation is still going on under the assumption that it is enough. Hopefully vdh will sharpen his mental “scalpel” more often.
The America founded out of the Revolutionary War and the thinking and the ideas that under-pinned that revolution has been lost and is now being dismantled by fear and demagoguery.
It has been lost in the cesspool of 40 years or more in a Union tainted and inept weak minded education system. The product of this weak minded education system feeds the growth of partisan non productive groups through a MSM laced with anti American idiots
These MSM idiots through ignorance and indoctrination promote a communist style of government and promotes and elevates their own sense of failure and malaise.
They eagerly participate in the destruction of America because they can see themselves now succeeding not as producers but as overseers.
Under it all they have nothing to offer America but destructive criticism. All based on ignorance. They are sawing away at the only place in the world where their ineptness can be employed.
When America finally collapses under the weight of all the government programs the idiots within the MSM will be some of the first casualties. They are incompetent.
They think of themselves with power and responsible for the transfer of other peoples money into the dark hole of “welfare” payments.
MSM has been indoctrinated with ideals and ideas easily due to being weak minded individuals in the Ivy League covered slimy halls of a communist driven journalism department that is essentially fascist.
This transfer of wealth in Welfare payments continue to fill and grow the ranks of under productive Americans. Unproductive Americans that now will begin to outnumber those that go about their business.
A typical communist style, currently bloodless revolution is taking place. Those that “have” and worked to get it are now having it taken away. Directly and indirectly. Why would any one now with real money invest in America? Those with stock in there 401ks will now begin to see what BHO meant by change.
In a free market goods are worth what people pay for them. The current and continuing slid in the Capital Markets since BHO took office is simple to explain.
It is the loss of capital due to the growing awareness that stocks and even bonds, any equity or savings in liquid assets will now have no place in America’s government run economy.
Contracts such as home lending mortgages once considered a safe place for capital will be and are now becoming meaningless.–just another result of BHO’s speeches justifying his actions of conscription.
If you have profits it will now be taken away through the tax structure to provide for the promises made to a growing voter block of non productive Americans who live a parasitic lifestyle.—but they vote.
There “class” as in class warfare, of nonproductive vindictive “victims” now can and are outvoting productive Americans.
An affirmative action president is one of “them”. Groups like Acorn that stuff ballet boxes without consequence will insure power stays within the Dems party. The party of Destruction of America.
Hear, hear.
The problem Republicans fell into was marketing themselves as “Better than the Democrats.” When a party is so far off the deep end as the Dems, there is a lot of room to be better than them but still no where near good enough. In 2006, twelve years after the Gingrich revolution put the Republicans in power in congress, too many people decided the party was headed in the wrong direction. Now, “out of the frying pan and into the fire” comes to mind, and the Obama administratin is proving to be one crackling pyre. But if you stay in the frying pan long enough, you’re cooked anyway.
I will also second VDH’s point about fiscal responsibility being the pillar of conservatism. Fiscal responsibility and limited government. No people can retain their morality for long if they lose their liberty to a leviathan government. Power corrupts, and a large government has great power. Today we are seeing that power spread corruption through our socieity.
And limited government also promotes better morality. Most great religions tell us we will be held accountable for our actions in the hereafter. But liberty means we have a pretty good chance of being help accountable for our actions in the here and now because there is no all-powerful government to subsidize our destructive behavior or require our fellow citizens to tolerate it. What world is more moral? One where drug use is technically illegal but firing someone you discover is a heroin addict opens you up to an employment lawsuit? Or one where heroin use is legal but those who use it are unlikely to find a job or charity until they give it up.
In his Farewell Address, Washington said “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports…And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained withoutreligion…reason and experiencle both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
Our religion speaks to the people and to the government, but the government is not by the church.
There’s no warm fuzzy, cuddly rainbow way around it. Repubs FAILED and now we are paying the price. It was inevitable…the more ‘middle’ repubs go the worse and Bush was a middle-player and John McSaddle was even more lefty pandering. BUT. John McMIDDLE is looking more and more sane as the lesser of too evils. Hindsight is bull pucky though. Onwards and upwards, chaps!
America and for which she stands has fightin’ words. We don’t take kindly to usurpers and law breakers in ‘charge’ of the booty.
The most UN-American thing we can be is to NOT bitch and make a stink. Where’s our backbone? We’re here! Posting our angry complaints is a surefire way of at least GETTING OUR MESSAGE OUT. You know? The VOICE OF THE PEOPLE?
Why do you think the Liberal trolls are scared? We are breaking ground on what the deem ‘their’ territory. They think the lot of us conservatives are a bunch of backwoods hillbillies living in trailer parks.
Time for the Liberal douchebags to wake up and smell the coffee…and it doesn’t smell like Starbuck$.
Mmmmmm.
Dear Dr. Hansen,
Barack Obama made his goals crystal clear during his campaign, and he also predicated those plans on redistributing the wealth held by the ultra rich Americans to the poorer Americans.
To some extent Mr. Obama has a point, the ultra rich in America hold a hugely disproportionate share of America’s wealth and this disparity has grown wildly over the past decade. Further, the almost criminal financial behavior of some of the ultra rich is what led to the very real and painful crisis we are now suffering.
However, I do not for a moment believe that Mr. Obama’s economic plans by which he expects to transfer this wealth to the lower and middle class will succeed, and yet as an American I hope and pray that his plans will succeed beyond his wildest expectations.
Even worse than the present economic mess we are now in, would be for the 2 trillion dollar socialist aid package to fail and lead to a real global depression.
Self-loathing on the part of any group has a very short half-life and isn’t much of a corrective to sloppy thinking.
I’m tired of being assigned “group blame” by others (with the expectation that self-loathing will then sustain it. Group blame is no more honest than group-think.
I’m tired of the “we” or “you” or “they” in public discourse that assumes that I’m in or out of any particular group and thus bear responsibility.
“We” did not elect Obama. “We” did not create Obama. I have been screaming about Obama and what he represents for years, even before I knew there was a Kenyan president in our future.
I may not be able to stop what’s happening. My elected representatives may have fatally failed this nation. But I will NOT accept responsibility for a fire that I neither started nor ignored nor fed, any more than I accept responsibility for the Katrina slum dwellers who are still sitting on the curb today waiting for their check.
There ARE two Americas: the one that didn’t see this coming and thought America was guaranteed safety from its own stupidity and the America that has been watching the storm form and couldn’t get the forecasters to read the radar and act on it. Don’t blame me for the storm deaths resulting from the malfeasance of the forecasters.
plz sign and distribute: Israel is an outlawed entity
http://www.petitiononline.com/ttwpdi/petition.html
we need a million signature campaign with us
Conservatives certainly got themselves here. But we do have a two party system; the politicians and the rest of us. Republicans became indistinguishable from the democrat when it came to spending.
Victor, don’t insult conservatives. Repubs have a long history of progressiveness. Bush II was just another one. The line streches through Bush I, Nixon, Hoover (big time), and even Teddy Roosevelt.
We conservatives mistakenly call them RINOs or inside the beltway repubs, but they are a part of the repub party and wrested back control after Gingrinch was voted out of office.
The lesser of two evils is no longer a voting option. That’s why McCain lost the conservatives when he and his staff botched his running with Palin. His campaign only looked good when she was a newly named running parnter and before the McCain staff botched and /or sabatoged her.
I believe the position of ‘Conservative’ is being overlaid onto the position of ‘Republican’. There is a difference. Conservatives did not allow anything to happen, in fact they have been jumping up and down screaming for years ‘stop the spending madness’. Republicans adopted the we have to be all things to all people via a program and spending for everyone….. especially in large populous areas (California is a great example of Republicans turning out huge government and social plans…and it has collapsed under it’s own weight). Republican doesn’t equal Conservative….perhaps it is supposed to, but it doesn’t. If the Republican Party truly wanted to represent the Republic instead of a democracy (which flies out of Republican mouths all the time), it would suck it up and kick out those that really aren’t Republicans such as Collins, Snow, Schwarzenegger or Specter in their ranks. But I know they will never do so….always compromise…just look at their choice for President. John McCain is a socialist with a republican label.
And can we please stop applying liberal to the socialists. ‘Liberal’ means one for liberty….something the dems aren’t…they are clearly socialist.
“I believe the position of ‘Conservative’ is being overlaid onto the position of ‘Republican’.”
Exactly. David Brooks and other “moderate” Republicans got much of the media attention. Conservatives were often marginalized. George W. Bush was never an economic conservative. He bluntly told everyone that he was a big government Republican. Some people just were not paying attention. It’s time to purge our ranks.
….I’m wondering the portion of people who realize that short of a total financial collapse, there is no help for us. Socialism has been a slow creep on this society for decades. Supposed conservatives have given up on principle and led the nation to ruin. Parents have stopped parenting and governance has turned into “Mommy”. The hypocritical musings of the “right” now no longer play well to many that used to be supporters. We have since stopped arguing with “the choir” about robe patterns and started preparing for the real upcoming battle – safety for our family in an upcoming third-world existence.
The sweet puppies of Hooverville and Wingnut City do not much care for discouragin’ words, and anyway, it is much more fun to write
http://riolimbaugh.blogspot.com/2009/03/march-first-and-think-later.html
such stuff than to read it.
Happy days.
Noesis Noeseos (16) and Jack Marcotte (25) both have it right. Fasten your seatbelts. There are no parachutes.
Great changes are afoot worldwide as in the early 20th century. The Nelson Rockefeller Country Club Yalie GOP must go, and the Libertarian or whatever-you-wish-to-call-it Party must mature, or we will have another 70-year scourge of collectivism costing another 100+ million lives, most ended by Lenin’s dictum “death by the implements of their own trades” — pitchforks, axes and printing presses.
Admit it. The nihilists have won since the 60’s, and the Bolsheviks are now in the palace. All the while the pseudo “conservatives” have fiddled and continue to do so.
“I believe the position of ‘Conservative’ is being overlaid onto the position of ‘Republican’.”
I too agree with this statement. There is a big difference.
David Brooks, Peggy Noonan, and David Frum are hardly champions of our founding principles. They are more like aristocrat wannabes looking out over the unwashed masses, yearning for a return to feudalism, themselves as members of the ruling class, dictating the way things ought to be.
The GOP is hardly a guardian of our liberty. The GOP have indeed betrayed the Reagan Revolution and its stunning successes. It’s a long road to win back the good faith and trust these ‘leaders’ have betrayed. I wonder what sort of phoenix will rise from America’s coming ashes. I hope it’s one with a renewed respect for our founding father’s wisdom.
Reagan had it exactly right. It’s a tragedy that this generation will have to relearn these lessons the hard way.
VDH:
“Conservatives created Barack Obama and his vision of the Europeanization of America, and so have themselves to blame for the current recessional, as the present as we have known it fades into the past..”
No. Hardly. Far from it.
Obama was created by a corrupt Chicago political machine awash in government funding that was looted from taxpayers.
He was endorsed by a Democratic party that is little more than a collection of ravenous mouths and empty bellies, bereft of a mind.
He was promoted by a media that sells its soul for access, and is concerned on;y with “hyping the gate to generate ticket sales”, (viewership), and the income that that creates.
He was informed by unrepentant radical terrorists, who, in any decent nation, would have been stood against a wall and shot out of hand for their crimes.
He was sponsored by petty criminals who figured out that there is no end to the swag when they partner with the government.
He was inspired by a racist and anti-American cult “preacher” who provided him with every rationalization imaginable to view American society as actively unjust and oppressive.
He was educated by an academia that is, like the Chicago political machine, corrupt and awash in federal subsidies, and that endeavors to produce only that which will result in more of other people’s money flowing into it’s ravenous maw.
He was raised by grandparents who saw their daughter reject everything about their Kansas lifestyle…including maternal responsibility.
He was abandoned by a father for whom he apparently was not much more than a spurt of seminal fluid that occurred while he was enjoying the largesse of the American taxpayer via an exchange student program.
He was conceived by two people in a fit of lust whose relationship lasted no longer than an average televison sit-com.
What, in these factual points about Obama’s life, could POSSIBLY be remotely construed as symptoms of Conservativism?
Barack Obama is the perfect example of Homo Sapiens Leftist.
And while we did not create him, the catastrophic failure of his policies may yet save us, and vindicate, in very harsh ways, the timeless values that is the core of Conservativism.
Teh One wasn’t “created” by this Republican bumbling. The word you were looking for is “enabled”. He was “created” long ago by an empire now defunct. He is Khrushchev’s revenge. The Republicans simply allowed and aided this revenge.
I know how you all love facts, statistics and data.
There’s a new nationwide study of anonymised credit card usage between 2006 and 2008.
Here’s what it shows:
8 of the top 10 porn-consuming states voted Republican in 2008.
The biggest consumer was the reddest most religious state of all – Utah.
Residents of the 27 states that passes bans on gay marriage boasted 11% more porn consumers.
It’s not all bad news for you folks . . . it seems there was a 0.1% drop in porn consumption on Sundays. Everybody needs a rest, right?
Commenting on the study, Benjamin Edelman of the Harvard Business School said, “Some of the people who are most outraged turn out to be consumers of the very thing they say they are outraged by.”
Bilgeman, care to weigh in? It’s Sunday.
Also a not mentioned probably intended consequence of fixing a tax at a dollar amount is that like the AMT, in very short order inflation will soon capture every day truly average income earners.
VDH is 100% right. Anyone who doubts it is in denial.
Letter to the Editor in this morning’s Dallas paper makes a good point. During the campaign, Obama promised to increases tax on”individuals” making over $250K. His recent language has changed that to “families making over $250K.”
As part of Obama’s coming tax reform, I see the tax base shifting from income based to wealth based as, I believe, the Brits have. Thus, each year, the “wealthy” will pay the feds a tax based on gross income plus accumulated wealth, i.e., house, investments, business and cars. It all has to do with destroying the middle class in America.
President Obama is on the verge of destroying two of the best (and deservedly-so) platforms of any conservative movement: limited government and low taxes.
The “stimulus” is a huge expansion of government. Combine this with the President’s aim to remove even more people from paying income tax.
And then tell me how our traditional promotion of limited government and low taxes (which many of us still support) will win the votes of anyone who gains anything, no matter how remote, from the stimulus.
And let’s not hope that Democrats are led by their morals:
http://trackacrat.com/
I think the real power of the conservative movement lies in people like Bilgeman. If we are ever going to reach centrist and independent thinkers and convince them to vote Republican, it is imperative that we accurately describe the people of the opposition and the families from whence they came.
I like how Bilgeman handles it . . . “a spurt of seminal fluid”. Lest you think there is a pattern here, do not conflate this with his previous and repeated references to “gloryholes” and “dishwasher safe safe rubber sex toys”. Those posts were focused don entirely different matters of political and philosophical dialectic.
Perhaps Bilgeman can supply us with a few colorful euphamisms to employ in our battle to defend righteousness and the American family, or as he puts it . . . “the timeless values that is the core of Conservativism”
B-man?
Yes more than a few of us agree the Rep party has itself to blame. The Dems are bankrupting America and the Reps have little crediblity (some individuals do, party as a whole does not) b/c they did the same things they rail against. Dems have loyal supor of a strange demographic mix with, besides the usuall handout happy dregs, includes decades of university and meidia sponsored cultural marxism, economic socialism and academic driven Grsamsci-esque deconstructionism under their belt. They are the lowest common denominator party that masquerades lofty in the guise of the party of ‘govt help in times of need’, while spending money we will never have, to get(buy) votes. Reps cannot win that game. They had the l-c-d hand and supported their own absurdities to a fault; just like the Dems are doing now with class warfare but they have the legislation machine for a little while longer. I dont think much more back and forth between the two is possible. This pres. and congress is the end of the line. We’ll never recover from this spending spree. Math is working against us as are the laws of physics, let alone the rules of economics and trends of general social stability. Nature doesnt favor fools, nor does it take much notice that many of us are horrified at the vector sum, nature just operates on the vector sum. In the long run this might be the best thing for us, not enough of us in America were interested in holding the torch any longer. The best thing to have now is land that you can grow food, hunt and fish on. You might even get the fed govt to pay for a few windmills on that land while they still parlay the final crash with a printing press and attempts at making everything else ‘green’ as well. Use it to you advantage if you can, there is no turning back now.
You still miss the big picture.
Republicans offer no hope to the middle class. Society set up on your principles alone with modern global economics as they are will result in ever diverging qualities of life for the elite versus the working class. Cut out the payroll tax and eventually the worker will see his wages cut by as much with the difference going to the wealthy CEO’s and share holders.
The above essay ignores the Republicans ownership by lobbyist and moneyed interest. Your policies are not those which could be said to be supportive of government of by and for the people. Instead they are policies of by and for corporations…. multi-national ones at that. You support corporate personhood… forgetting all the while that corporations are the creation of the government. You continue to assume money is reciprocal of free-speech ignoring the Orwellian implication that some are much much more free of speech then others.
My recipe for Republicans:
- start seriously promoting small business over multi-national corporations
- come out with major simplified fair tax reform- you have to have some progressivity… there is no way around it but it can be very reasonable.
- end lobbying for hire… it is nothing more then legalized bribery
- submit to massive banking overhauls/ internalize the Fed
- do not assume all government is bad… as Teddy Roosevelt said, ” The government is us; we are the government, you and I.”
= instead insist on efficiency and responsibility of programs.
- insist on open government and regular prosecution of elected officials violating their oath of office rather then making excuses for them and supporting them
= everything a public official does should be open to the public except in the rarest of security cases. If you don’t like it don’t be a politician
- get off the military high horse and support a strong defense but an end to imperialism.
- be fricking honest ( lose the Hannity, the Limbaughs, the O’Rielly’s the Coulter…for Christ sake these people are evil uneducated lying hate mongers and they are you parties spokesman.
- the environment is a real issue… you ignore it and the science behind it at yours and our own peril like those who choose to ignore the banking system set on complex financial products like derivatives and CDO that were nothing more then a Ponzi scheme.
- Stop believing that money and wealth are the same thing. There are many people out their who sit on billions of dollars and who have created nothing of value… they have created no wealth but simply used our money and banking system to extract massive amount of wealth from the working class and its truly productive economy.
- Finally… and I think many would agree with this. Come out strong against so-called free trade and in favor of Fair trade. The current system ask American workers to compete against communist workers. I don’t get it. Since when did red blooded Americans decide it was OK to support communist China?
“Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again… _There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. _Among them are H.L. Hunt…a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid._-Dwight D. Eisenhower, writing to his brother Edgar, May 2, l956”
This highway robbery is possible because the socialist liberals are collectivist actors and the conservatives are proud individuals. The collectivists naturally outmaneuver the individuals. Time for the rugged individualists to find a way to become a movement and take back some parts of free market America. Oh, … good luck with that.
“Conservative” does not equal “Republican.” George Bush was no conservative and neither was John McCain. We conservatives stuck with Bush as long as we did as a response to the unprincipled opposition of the Left and the Democratic Party to the war. It was out of a sense that abandoning George Bush would lead to a catastrophic defeat in the Middle East. And McCain looked good only in contrast to Obama.
It is the Republican Party that is now discredited, not conservative ideas. Our failure was in not having a viable conservative candidate in 2000 and in 2008. Now that we are clearly in opposition it is time for a full-court press in the realm of ideas.
We should remember also that the victory of Obama and the Democrats in 2008 was no landslide. It represented a relatively small shift of a couple of percentage points from 2004. And a good part of that shift expressed a preference for the man Obama over the man McCain – rather than any kind of repudiation of conservative ideology. There is no mandate for what Obama will try to do.
JHM:
Damn fine parody over there at your link. You had me going for a while, thinking you were some sort of run of the mill Leftist pointy head panning VDH and his readers. Then I recognized the pure genius behind your obtuse blathering (complete with schizoid neologisms and affected droppin’ the “g” diction). You’re an intellectual, but a militarist at heart. You make war on your lefty brethren there in Cambridge by liberally salting your satirical screed with typical anti-wingnut ad hominem attacks, suckering the gullible into believing you are one of them, all the while exposing the simplistic reductive nature of their political beliefs. Absolutely brilliant. Those twits will never recognize the true affiliation of one who panders to their many prejudices. Nor will they see when they’ve been had. Like the Arabian fantasy you link to, you are a veritable comic book hero, our own SGT Roc. Thank you, sir, for your service in our cause.
AS IF why do you bother? Did the word Porno give you rise such that you breathlessly had to report this idiot story, already debunked.
All you punks must have wetted your panties just waiting to get your Oborg marching orders and descend on PJ to spout your juvvie post. What a Tool.
What GOP elites say, is just boob bait for Republican Bubbas. Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon, both Bushes, Lott, Hastert, Michael’s, McCain and millions of of rent seeking, swim along with the whale Republicans prove a long unbroken line of but little more than nip and tuck palace minions.
You can not betray that which you were never loyal to.
The truth is that conservatives never made much of a dent in the New Deal, Great Society trend. The most we ever accomplished was to keep funding for a particular budget item from rising as much as the Democrats wanted.
The Republicans can’t even do that much any more, of course. They have jumped on the me-too bandwagon, largely because they perceived that it was political suicide to quit handing out largess. And it was a correct perception, because we have already passed the tipping point where enough voters are vested in government largess that it cannot be reversed.
Our civilization is in free fall, and the pavement is coming up fast.
There is plenty of blame to go around, but it still took a perfect storm of a two-term presidency coming to an end, an unpopular war, and a financial meltdown to put Obama in the White House.
54 WW . . . because the raging unrelenting hypocrisy of the religious right and extreme right wing politicians who spout family values in place of taking family action deserve constant attention. We want you to fail. We want everything you do to fail. That’s reasonable, don’t you think?
It has more confidence in the tenured bureuacrat than it does the small businessman, whose unpredictability and autonomy prove too disruptive to the common vision.
Nailed it on the head, you did.. “Disruptive”, by whatever definition fits the mood of the moment, gets your VOICE censored in a “New York Second”…..
Cyber hugs from North Georgia.. :wink:
Jack @25 hits the nail on the head. The people I’ve characterized as ivy league nincompoops, previously masquerading as well meaning people of the equestrian class, have now dropped their masks and shown the faces of Lenin and Robespierre in their sweep to power on the coattails of Obama.
I agree with #50, muirgeo, at least most of it…but, apply those standards to business as well as government: What happened to common sense, civic responsibility and thinking beyond next quarter’s financial reports?
It is not just government agencies that failed America (SEC, Fannie & Freddie, the so-called Banking Committee, etc) it is also Wall Street and particularly the ratings agencies. Why are their heads not on pikes being marched through NYC by now??
If the ratings agencies had done their jobs, this financial fiasco could not have happened! Hello!! Were they bribed?? I strongly suspect as much. But, why?
Why did they abandon their fiduciary responsibility when they did, after many years of stodgily performing their due diligence? What the HELL happened??
W was a farce, and many on the Right, Left and Center can agree on that: a national embarrassment, disgrace and disaster.. But, what about everybody ELSE?
Government and business combined to bring us down. What were they thinking!?
Rather than fussing about who is philosophically right or wrong, and whether or not this is the end of civilization, I want to understand how and why this happened and make sure it never happens again. I have been studying the meltdown for over a year. The current administration response is not going to solve it.
But, intervention is indeed needed: it is not going away on its’ own.
We need the best minds in this country to quit whining, criticizing and complaining and acting like frightened wimps, and start analyzing and devising real solutions.
Conservative thinkers who can figure out the right steps to take now will be heroes. Get all that supposed fiscal insight going and start proposing solutions!
TLM at #53 — Well done. Thanks. You got me to visit the link from JHM, which I had not done previously. My buttons were popping off and rolling all over the floor at being featured in JHM’s wonderfully parodic post.
Funny thing, the “Colonel Blimp” reference, and the blimp photo, made me think of an incident recounted by VDH in (I think) his book Fields Without Dreams. It’s been a while so I’m sure I’ll get this wrong without researching it, but there was something about a corporation with a crop-raising scheme that wanted VDH and his farming family to put a hot-air balloon up over their acres, with a fake hawk dangling from it, to scare predators away. I couldn’t stop laughing for about 24 hours after reading that story.
The earnest absurdity of that balloon-and-hawk effort struck the same chord with me as JHM’s pristine evocation of intellectual narcissism.
When America finally collapses under the weight of all the government programs the idiots within the MSM will be some of the first casualties. They are incompetent.
One could wish. But they are hanging on, despite their obvious economic decline, for the prize which most of them signed up for when they became ‘journalists’: the ability to ‘make a difference’, to bulldoze public opinion by trumpeting their party line by story selection, and snuffing out news of differing orientation, all on the news pages. And of course in the editorials.
When was the last time you heard on NPR a conservative voice interviewed by a conservative producer, and the vocal cadences of an experienced construction foreman making a job go right? Why did the MSM, particularly the TV stations, delay for a year on reporting the surge once its success was becoming apparent?
It wasn’t just the Republican failure to act like conservatives, and failure to insist on illuminating the values and benefits of individual enterprise and economic liberty.
Sure, those failures contributed to the defeat, but the Obama hagiography by the MSM, which included no serious vetting of his past philosophy and career and associates, simply overwhelmed a malleable public who’d been corroded by the six-year MSM hate campaign against the Bush administration.
On the economic skids or not, the MSM wields an enormously disproportionate battleaxe in the contest of ideas in the public arena, and they know it and count on it. Conservatives are their preferred whipping-boys. It’s not quite all the conservatives fault for the 2008 election disaster, though they did contribute to it, largely by disattachment to first principles and gross failures to communicate.
If As If had bothered to read the actual study that Edelman made, he (she?) would have discovered that even Edelman didn’t put too much value on what he discovered: “The differences here are not so stark” – the lowest rate was 0.50 per thousand residents in West Virginnia versus 1.69 per thousand residents.
Now, as someone who has actually lived in Utah (as well as Minnesota – both states for more than five years while an adult), I can attest that not everyone who lives in Utah is conservative and those who weren’t, at least from what I saw, tended to be rather more inclined to live their lives in such a manner as to thumb their noses at the prevailing culture than an individual with similar political and cultural views in Minnesota. So, they just might be the variance in that study, and not the conservative members who are being accused of hypocrisy here.
1.69 per thousand rate in Utah.
The honorable and eloquent Dr. Hanson makes a number of good points about many Republicans having strayed from their own principles and, consequently, now are paying the price.
But I have a slightly different question of the day which relates to not the Republicans paying a price, but rather, to the Obama administration’s paying of the price.
I’d like to know which of its members have Terrorist Insurance for themselves or their possessions. Or is that a state secret?
If they do, perhaps lil’ ole’ blond haired Rachel should invest in some extra protection for herself.
What a second.
Come to think of it, the mainstream media spurred on by their journalistic integrity must already have asked that question of the Obama administration. Perhaps I should just google the question and get the whole story from, say, the New York Times. Stupid me.
Liberals are doing their best to destroy the middle class. Among their favourite methods are promoting lawsuits, increased government regulations on small businesses and inflating the housing prices through regulations.
If a good engineer cannot afford a house in the Silicon Valley due to building restrictions – who’s fault is it? Bush or liberal?
I hope conservatives and republicans continue to veer to the right. It will ensure their marginalization for many general elections to come. Please don’t notice the changing face of America. Keep telling yourself that Obama isn’t wildly popular. Stewart and Colbert need you to keep up the insanity for new material. All your conservative leaders (Jindal, Palin, Rush) are great to mock.
The whole damn Democrat Party should fail!
#48 nas:
“I like how Bilgeman handles it . . . “a spurt of seminal fluid”. Lest you think there is a pattern here, do not conflate this with his previous and repeated references to “gloryholes” and “dishwasher safe safe rubber sex toys”.”
Yup…I know how to get and keep YOUR attention, don’t I?
Care to weigh in on my description of Obama’s CV…or is it too difficult for you to get your mind out of the rut that I used to ensnare you?
Keep telling yourself that Obama isn’t wildly popular.
Uh, no, there’s no need. That’s your job and your last feeble hope.
Obama won his election based on specious platitudes and the utter refusal of the MSM to report to the public on his last 20 years’ deeds and behavior.
He is now extending those deeds and behavior with a crash course toward authoritarianism, anti-capitalism, the diminution of the US presence as a world power, and a monster government which is designed to intrude into all aspects of its citizens’ lives. If you have any wits at all, you won’t be surprised at an increasingly hostile reaction by those formerly free citizens against such top-down intrusive government. Obama has just begun to reveal what he and the MSM successfully concealed throughout his campaign.
And don’t be surprised at some political realignments designed to recover at least some of our former freedoms and entrepreneurial opportunities. If they are not recovered, don’t be surprised at a universal impoverishment similar to the course of the late unlamented Soviet Union. Not to mention some overtly hostile behavior against the US by other regimes who laugh at civil rights.
Yeah, Stewart and Colbert are sadly for many herd-like sheeple, ‘Intelligent, political news programs.’ More evidence on how far the U.S. has fallen intellectually…
#48 nas:
“I like how Bilgeman handles it . . . “a spurt of seminal fluid”. Lest you think there is a pattern here, do not conflate this with his previous and repeated references to “gloryholes” and “dishwasher safe safe rubber sex toys”. ”
Yep…do I know how to get and keep a Leftist’s attention or what?
Any comment on my precis of Obama’s CV, or is it too difficult for you to wrench your mind from the rut that I ensnared it in?
“Perhaps Bilgeman can supply us with a few colorful euphamisms to employ in our battle to defend righteousness and the American family, or as he puts it . . . “the timeless values that is the core of Conservativism””
I try to write to more than one audience at a time.
You apparently took away from it what I tossed in for your consumption…that should suffice.
For the stuff that you didn’t understand, don’t worry about it. It wasn’t meant for you anyway.
Amuse yourself with the notion of a Chris Matthews-like “thrill up your leg”…which will be Obama’s hand searching your pockets for your wallet, (and any spare change you might have thought to hide).
“B-man?”
Mission Accomplished.
@Jim Woods
Damn straight. It seems that moral (i.e. limited) government naturally attract religious conservatives. But making conservatism religious is a mistake.
Good article Mr. Hanson but it does not explain our poor showing with women voters.
This has to change.
Whatnow? And when you are suffering from rampant inflation, no personal freedoms and all the rest you can be secure in the knowledge that a) you are responsible for it and b) you did it to all of us, not just yourself.
True liberalism is all about knowing that if you have nothing at least no one else does either.
Poor Bilgeman, left with private victories only he sees or knows. Take em where you can get em, B-man.
Whatnow, there’s something you’re missing here. There isn’t going to be any mocking. No Stewart, no Colbert, no exciting new bistros with experimental collegian music. No movies. No cablevision. No internet. That’s what you’re losing. There will be nothing–nothing. Just those changing faces of America, trying to scratch food from the soil and stave off starvation. Probably an invasion, too. You, yourself, young Whatnow, will wear actual, literal chains upon your body. Laugh. Mock. And when you are in chains, remember me. Mock then.
VDH writes: “The conservative, as the custodian of ancient morality …”
It is certainly true and valid that there be a strong force in any culture to be the “custodian of ancient morality,” but in an age of science and technology, where the people desire the fruits of innovation in the future commensurate with the great accomplishments of innovation in the past, where is the aspect of the conservative attitude to life that finds and nourishes the individuals who will be the creative engines of the future? An economy and a people that functions according to free enterprise does indeed foster innovation and creativity — but does conservatism send a message to innovative and creative people that it values them?
The message has to be, not that we value conservatism because we don’t want other people upsetting our comfortable lives, but because the values and principles achieved in the past — and that conservatives wish to preserve — create the best conditions for fostering creativity and distributing the benefits of creativity to the widest number of people.
Conservatism-as-preservation-of-the-past, applied in 1776, produced Tories, not Patriots. Applied in 1860, it produced slave-owners, not abolitionists. Applied in 1912, it produced Jim Crow, not Freedom Riders. It is good only to the extent that the values it preserves are better than the values that would replace them. Praising it without looking at the values it promotes is like praising a bottle rather than the contents inside the bottle. Who would serve vinegar instead of wine at a dinner and claim that the diners should drink it, merely because an old and venerable bottle held it?
Socialism has always deadened creativity and promoted stagnation — you look to nation after nation that tried it, and it is obvious that it fails. In a time of economic upheavals, such as the 1930s and today, preserving the values that prevailed just before them makes this a difficult argument. No set of values is perfect; free enterprise is vulnerable to greed and deception. But socialism by its nature installs bureaucratic minds into broad national power, stifling creativity across the board by forcing everyone into a system where you must satisfy the bureaucracy in order to succeed. No truly innovative person can achieve very much if at every turn there is another bureaucratic-minded person who wants another position paper and another scenario document, and a roster of supportive politically-connected hangers-on to signal their support.
Value and nourish the innovative mind — that is what the Republican Party must dedicate itself to pursue; and demonstrate that the values and principles the party would protect, by the laws it would enact and the budgets and taxes it would approve, are the best ways to pursue that goal.
“AS IF why do you bother? Did the word Porno give you rise such that you breathlessly had to report this idiot story, already debunked.
All you punks must have wetted your panties just waiting to get your Oborg marching orders and descend on PJ to spout your juvvie post. What a Tool.”
WestWright,
The above is an insult…to real “tools.” To be a “tool” is to insinuate that “As If” is actually useful and productive in some way, shape, or form. As can be amply derived from his posts, we know this is most definitely not the case. ;)
meh.
America is done. The left now expands its client base with printed and taxed money. It doesn’t get better for productive individuals until the patrons run out of people like me to harvest the fruit of my labor to give to their clients in exchange for promising me a modicum of safety.
The cost-benefit of America’s Newest Deal under Obama is worse than a handful of other perfectly nice places to raise your kids. Me and mine are working on our exit – stymied only by the brand new Bush-Rangel tax provisions in the Heroes Relief Tax act of 2008. But rest assured, we will ultimately work our way out of the USsA’s worldwide income tax bondage and you won’t have our earnings to pass around anymore.
Bye Bye.
Persuasive. Pres. Bush seemed to sleepwalk through a lot of issues that were of no interest to him, such as domestic policy. I assume Karl Rove was calling the shots. Did Rove ever recommend a veto of anything?
Besides his studied indifference for domestic issues, the President had no gift for articulation. Even if he had decided to take on the barons of the Congress to kill Fannie and Freddie, curtail spending, etc., he would have been buried under a cascade of vitriolic populist rhetoric that he would have been unable to counter. Remember his stumblebum White House Press Secretary?
In all, I believe the Bush Presidency represents a lost opportunity for conservatives. As G. K. Chesterton said about Christianity, “It is not that it has been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and not tried.”
“In this, they have embraced the pagan Plato, while rejecting the separation between church and state advocated by St. Augustine and Martin Luther.”
While no friend of mixing religion and politics, this is about the most naive statement I’ve read by someone who claims the moniker “thinker.” Was it not Augustine, who was a Neo-Platonist, who called on the power of the state to eradicate the Novatians? And to think that religious conservatives in any way imagine a return to the type of power that Luther argued against–and only because of the papal monarchy–is, I guess I have no other word–naive.
Charles R. Williams (52) has the right of it. I agree with his comments.
Conservative is not synonymous with Repbulican. Many Republicans are not very conservative at all. And not all conservatives are Republicans, although, as an Independent Conservative, I normally voted for Republicans.
Not anymore, though. Things have to change within the Republican party, before I give them my vote again. The only other alternative would be a conservative party, which is never going to get off the ground. The two party system will kill off any such attempts.
Republicans don’t have the same allegiance to their core constituents, that Democrats do to theirs. Either that or Republicans are incapable of sticking together, no matter what. It might be that liberal sheep find it easier to remain in the flock, whether they agree or not.
The country is being divided by those seeking political power. There are many factors involved, but the gerrymandering of congressional districts contributes significantly to polarization and to promoting party at the expense of the people you are supposed to represent.
The original Boston Tea Party was more about gaining representation in Parliament than it was about taxes. Likewise, we need to focus on gaining real representation through non-partisan redistricting, so that our representatives will be beholden to their constituents rather than a political party. The current system almost guarantees Democrats victory in certain districts and Repulbicans victory in others. Aa long as those in power have no need to address the conserns of their political opponents, they will continue to use the federal treasury to strenghthen their political power. Even worse, this political polarization is pitting citizens against each other.
We need to work for government that represents the people, not the parties, if we are going to gain control over runaway spending.
this all started because of 9/11
first bush correlated 9/11 with iraq
then it was WMD
then, war on terrorism
if we knew that OSAMA/AFGAN was the plotting terrorist on 9/11 then why do we focus on iraq? if we are trying to fight the war on terrorism and this horrible genocide then what about sudan?
we have wasted our money and time in iraq.
or is our economy in the dumps because of reganomics?
True! Eburchelli – Democrats say the same thing of Republicans that you say about Dems: disloyal to base, not unified.
“Not disowning a Ted Stevens and instead pointing to a Charles Rangel or John Murtha or William Jefferson is fatal for a conservative. We expect such things from a promiscuous spender, but cannot tolerate it from a professed budget hawk.”
When did Stevens ever profess to be a budget hawk? Or a conservative?
Blaming the victim isn’t going to help anything.
It wasn’t conservatives who went crazy about spending or failed to make certain tax cuts permanent. Republican does not equal ‘conservative.’
It’s hard to see how any of the 64 million people who voted for Obama for president could be confused with ‘conservatives.’
When a sharp mind like VDH can’t understand or use political terms properly, then no wonder the country has slipped back Left.
Is it too late to correct the mistakes of the past? Not unless you give up! I don’t think we have reached that point yet. It is time for action however. The President has adopted the panis et circus (bread and circus) policy of the Roman emperors to quiet the many who looked to the emperor for their “daily bread.” It didn’t work for them and it won’t work for the President either. Those receiving will continually demand more. Those forced to produce, after they have exhausted their resources, will quit producing. Look to East Germany until the wall fell. Misery and poverty were its hallmarks under state run economy. The Stasi were there if you complained!
“The above essay ignores the Republicans ownership by lobbyist and moneyed interest.”
muirgeo, you should pay closer attention to the news sometime. The Democrats are owned by the lobbyists and moneyed interests, even more so that the Republicans. It’s why they supported the bank bailout in greater numbers than the Republicans. It’s why the wealthiest Americans consistently donate massive amounts of money to the Democratic party and not the GOP.
Yeah, Victor, you’re starting to sound like a liberal … in the final analysis it’s always the conservative’s fault, right? Pure bunk and B.S. WAY TO GO!
I’m getting tired of you self-flagellating faux conservatives using real conservatives as your whipping horse.
The Democrats have owned the Congress the last two years and now they own the White House which means they exclusively own whatever disaster results from this monstrosity of a so-called “economic stimulus package”. The problem won’t be whatever deficit the Clinton Administration ran up or the Bush Administration ran up but rather the deficit of prolifigate spending the Donks will have run up by a five fold factor starting last month and continuing over the next couple of months.
There’s a financial threshold that has to be crossed before out of control inflation and further financial market meltdowns result in a deep recession/depression and I believe that threshold is clearly being breached under Democrat rule. The Bush Administration warned Congress no less than 18 times about exercising its proper oversight in reigning in the mortgage industry and other less responsible financial markets up to 2008 and no less than 17 times during 2007 and 2008 while the Democrats were in total control of Congress. Quit blaming conservatives for somehow pushing or forcing liberals into their reckless bid in trying to turn America into a socialist utopia. Sheesh, get a clue!
“Recessional”
Rudyard Kipling. 1865 — 1936
June 22, 1897
God of our fathers, known of old–
Lord of our far-flung battle line–
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine–
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget–lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies–
The Captains and the Kings depart–
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget–lest we forget!
Far-called our navies melt away–
On dune and headland sinks the fire–
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget–lest we forget!
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe–
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law–
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget–lest we forget!
For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard–
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard.
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!
Amen.
Hm. #92.. It is just this sort of “comparison” game that is such a waste of time.
BOTH parties suck! Anybody notice?? Why try to defend either of them?
All we can do is ride their asses & try to get them to be honest, pragmatic, unselfish and effective. This is a tough expectation, but transparency is a good way to “out” the porkers, and I will give Obama credit for being more transparent than Bush ever was. And, we can demand MORE transparency & keep the heat on!
#86 is right, although I have no hope in hell of being able to change the gerrymandering of Congressional districts to something, what? “Fair??”
Rather than caring about “party,” it is time to care about results. If we don’t like what is being done, we must propose better solutions. Period. Simply attacking, bitching, complaining & whining will not end this recession one day sooner.
Who cares who wins in four years!! Or, in two!! What kind of a mess could this country be in by then?! Time to actually come up with solutions, not pot shots.
For the good of America: not for the good of Republicans or Democrats.. much less for the good of conservatives. What the heck is wrong with people, anyway?!
—Further, the almost criminal financial behavior of some of the ultra rich is what led to the very real and painful crisis we are now suffering.—
Sorry this is a totally incomplete analysis.
The behavior of our big financial institutions was distorted by the very government we worry about, following the ideology that we see even more clearly now. There have always been greedy business people. There had never before been government rules encouraging destrutctive practices. Setting up a profit making governmental institution called Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was the fuse.
One big mistake is assuming that many of the so-called religious right are conservative; in truth most are simply pro-life liberals. THE major principle of conservatism is that the individual can and should act according to their own conscience and not to the dictates of a government. Like the left, the religious right believes no such thing. Even those that rail against communism are more concerned about what is being forced down people’s throats, not that something is–to these people the Taliban was bad because it chose the wrong God, not because what they were doing violated basic human rights.
Incidentally, the reason fiscal conservatism follows naturally from individual rights is that you cannot have self-determinism while indebted to others beyond your means to repay.
The Republican party is morally bankrupt. Once they got into power, they became pigs at the trough. Even today, few in power have spoken up about the travesty of what Obama and the Democrats have done and are doing. Most are simply cowards, jealous only that the money isn’t being spent on their projects.
It is time to form a new party with genuine fiscal conservatives from both the GOP and the Blue Dogs of the Democrat party. Won’t happen, but hope springs eternal.
(Incidentally, one of the core platforms of a genuine conservative should be repeal of the 17th amendment and a return to federalism. I’d also add elimination of the department of education and the federal student loan program are also key.)
—-All your conservative leaders (Jindal, Palin, Rush) are great to mock.—-
This is coming from someone who elected Joe Biden as Vice President?
—this all started because of 9/11
first bush correlated 9/11 with iraq
then it was WMD
then, war on terrorism
if we knew that OSAMA/AFGAN was the plotting terrorist on 9/11 then why do we focus on iraq? if we are trying to fight the war on terrorism and this horrible genocide then what about sudan? —
or is our economy in the dumps because of reganomics?—
Poor ill-educated liberal. These things are all to complex for you.
Conservatives don’t want to hear this. They refuse to hear this. They just want to play politics and wail about Obama. I can’t even listen to Hannity any more. Constantneverceasing diatribe about the bad democrats. Well GWB gave us the bad democrats on a silver platter.
And now they want to give us Romney?! Jumping Judas Priest!!! We are so screwed.
I’m not so quick to pin the blame on “conservatives” as a group responsible for the Obama coronation! A great deal of useful comments have been generated by this Day’s Work! I’d offer this too…read David Horowitz, Destructive Generation. Then, look around and see how real Ron Kean’s contribution (above) is…Norman Mattoon Thomas (Nov 20, 1884 to Dec 19, 1968) was a socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. He said this in a 1944 speech: “The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of “liberalism,” they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.! ” He went on to say: “I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.”
As “Destructive Generation” makes clear, in the past 40 years while Americans wandered aimlessly seeking to cash in on the fabulous wealth machine that our WWII parents GAVE us, we forgot about, or never learned, the basic values that such wealth is derived from – thrift and trust. Instead, we sent both parents to work so we could pay for the large house and fancy car while the kids became the charge of a system that we “trusted” without due diligence. We gave up our choice to be with our children. We no longer had the time to educate our own kids. So, while we banked our futures we stopped defending our values. We got so busy that we ignored the socialist message our kids were being indoctrinated with. We have lost the war for the allegiance of our own kids and now they are the voters!
scott it correct. I can’t listen either, and only fools feel that the last 8 years were the work of conservatives.
100. Scott, you are so right. The good old boys are still running the Republican party. There’s no future for conservatives, as long as they have a strangle hold on the GOP.
When they put Michael Steele in charge of the RNC, I could see that the Pubs learned nothing from the McCain disaster. And Romney only compounds it. It just goes on and on.
Obama is widely popular- for now. In two years, after he has driven us into the Greater Depression, he will be the laughing stock of America. Don’t believe me? Bush was right about most of the stuff he did, but his approval rating dropped from 90% (something Obama never came close to enjoying) all the way down to 27%.
Obama may not have to explicitly raise taxes on those making less than $250k to bring in the required “revenue” for his “investments”. What he and the Marxists in Congress will rely on for their revenues is Cap & Trade which will be only nominally different than a VAT. With cap and trade the government will tax everyone with each and every purchase they make be those purchases goods or services. They will easily be able to claim they haven’t raised taxes even while they get an windfall from cap and trade. defeating this monstrosity will require a massive education campaign, directed especially at those that will be most impacted, the poor and middle class the Dems care so much about.
If they do manage to impose this energy tax I suspect they will again raise taxes on the upper classes and upper middle classes to fund tax “credits” for the poor to help them cover the higher cost of energy. So cap and trade will hit the upper income twice.
And if they succeed in imposing this monstrosity on us it will never be repealed. Politicians on taxpayer dollars are like heroin addicts.
They say.
What they say.
Let them say.
— because walking precincts gets more done than posting…
Political conservatism, at it’s foundation, deals with a strict interpretation of the Constitution. The term “conservative” has it’s origins here. Social and Fiscal Conservatism is in the eye of the beholder.
The republican party is doomed to defeat because it has crawled in bed with the religious right, is not serious about cutting earmarks, and won’t follow the Constitution any better than the Democrats. These guys want to replace science with intelligent design……Please leave religion in the churches where it belongs. When you look at Obama’s budget 40 % of the earmarks are Republican. All this shows is a me-too attitude. As VDH said who from the Republican was criticizing Ted Stevens. All I heard was we have to reelect Ted Stevens because we need every Republican seat. A few years ago Tom Delay was spending enough to make a drunken sailor crawl in a hole in shame. He was not criticized and in fact President Bush appeared to encourage it.
I would prefer to see conservatives break away from Republican Party with its earmarks, and the religious right to form a political party that is serious about separation of church and state, following the Constitution, and fiscal conservatism. The current Obama juggernaut is steam rolling everything in its path and if conservatives (Note – Not Republicans) don’t push to get things back on an even keel, they can just stay home because it will too late. “O” is increasing the Democratic party size right and left by giving out new entitlements (who cares if you can’t pay for them and they bankrupt the country), and we now a tax base where almost 50% of the population pay no Federal income tax, all in the guise of fairness.
WAKE UP AND ACT BEFORE ITS TOO LATE !!!!!
Republican politicians HAVE compromised Conservative values in favor of “reaching across the aisle” in the name of “bipartisanship” to “get things done in Washington.” In doing so, these very politicians have damaged this nation, weakened the Constitution, and done harm to individual freedoms.
Republicans have failed to LIVE and VOTE Conservatism as well as failed to TEACH and ARTICULATE Conservatism.
We MUST send them the message that unless they return to Reagan Conservatism, they will continue to be in the minority and continue to allow damage to be done to this nation.
*****
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/we-demand-true-conservative-leadership/signatures.html
******
Hello All:
Could not agree more with the previous posts, that apart from a few brave exceptions, the members of the GOP are not conservatives, and have not been in a generation or more.
Now that our “friends and neighbors” (some friends!) from across the aisle seem determined to find out just how much punishment our economy can take before toppling, we may be in for a very tough road ahead. Those of us who could see this coming years ago seem destined to be dragged along whether we like it or not. If there is a silver lining in this dark cloud, it is that the Democrats’ plan must surely fail, as it is built on shifting sands. When that day comes, it is the duty of true conservatives to be ready with an alternative, a clear vision that shows Obamaism for what it is. If you’ve read your Orwell then none of this is unfamiliar.
There’s a lot to agree with here…Look, the GOP has themselves to blame…For all of the whining, self-described “Conservatives” gave Bush a 70% approval rating as he exited office!!..That’s 70% AFTER record spending, a bloated new Homeland Security department, an incompetent administration (Katrina,the State Dept), a middle-of-night financial bailout, A War that was unpopular and fought under false pretenses AND (as a departing prize) a bailout of the auto industry!…There’s no such thing as “Conservative” when there’s no consequence for not ACTING like one…I almost threw up this morning when I heard John Kyl try paint the Omnibus Budget as Pork laden when he’s identified as having One Hundred Nineteen MILLION DOLLARS in earmarks attached under HIS name!…There’s no standards of “Conservatism” because “Conservatives” don’t require them…Hanson’s SEEN the enemy. It’s firmly planted in the mirror!
@VDH
Here we find encapsulated much of what is wrong with the GOP. Failure to lead the government successfully, gratuitous wars, disdain for the people of the USA, profligate spending and purposeless tax cuts. Failing to clean house, while complaining about the skeletons in others’ closets. But it all comes down to one thing that most eloquently describes the GOP.
Hypocrisy.
Peace.
DS
Prof. Hanson
As always interesting and provocative. I agree with your forecast of back to the 70s – with the caveat that I think this will be somewhat worse. Johnson’s expanded welfare state (not as ruinous as what is currently proposed) followed by inept economic policies of the Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations (and Congress) created a fiscal nightmare. However today there are many who lived through that period and have no wish to repeat the experience in their retirement approaching years.
Hence the flight to cash that began some time ago that will be followed by the flight to hedge against the inflation (and dollar deval) right around the corner – check the price of gold. Both will rob the economy of the ability to effectively rebound and at the same time, compound the negative impacts of the overspending insanity now underway. I do not think it will be only the very rich that actively seek to mitigate the impacts of what is coming.
I fear we are in for truly “interesting” times. This growing mess has the potential to be sufficiently horrendous as to provide payback for the worst generation – the boomers like myself.
43. as if:
Mar 1, 2009 – 8:27 am
Sounds as though liberals devour porn when they are surounded by conservatives.
Barack Obama is a left-wing liberal he wants big intrusive goverment to intrude into ever aspect of our lives he is you typical liberal despot and scoundrel
Interesting how conservatives can see their own falts but the “liberals” are incapable of seeing their own.
Everything happening today, excepting the snow that clogs my driveway and ends the driest Feb. ever in these parts, looks mighty bad. Rush should have stayed away from TV. He looked disjointed, angry. He’s beyond the GOP. The Dow dips to 6900 and I bitterly recall Glassman’s “36,000″ book. I feel a little guilty about being so well off in running out the clock. Maybe we’ll pull out of the mess someday, but not due to Obama, who had the voting support of everyone except white folks, who mostly went for McCain. Would he have done better? Probably not. Oh well, the snow is pretty. The sun will come up tomorrow.
BILGEMAN
#41
Well thought out, and articulated perfectly !
The historians will write that in an accident of timing, G.W. Bush destroyed the GOP. He happened to be at the helm when the credit bubble finally burst, but as the good doctor says, his ‘big government conservatism’ exploded any remaining Republican claim on fiscal responsibility. Now the GOP can only protest weakly that “the Democrats are worse than we are.”
We have been delivered into the loving socialist hands of Obama by the confluence of an abandonment of principle and the end of a twenty-five year monetary expansion cycle. I wonder if the “deficits don’t matter” crowd will ever own up to their responsibility in the demise of their party and country?
Nah. Never mind.
WHATNOW
#69
Its always refreshing to hear from another truly deep-thinking, intellectually progressive left winger. Or, to put it another way,
one more poor, illiterate boob from the Peanut
Gallery braying in the wind !
TAHYYES @ 32:
Begone you noxious troll. By your logic, all of dar al Islam MUST forfeit it’s claims to any and all land. ALL places had native inhabitants before your pedophile prophet appeared on the scene. You therefore must disappear up your own fundament.
Michael, what need is there for liberals to be “capable of seeing their own faults” when conservatives are so very, very happy to tell them what they are?
When y’all called half the electorate God-hating, terrorist loving, America destroying, socialist traitors…well, why in heaven’s name would you expect them to be anything but defensive?! And even more absurd would be to expect them to admit to ANYTHING that can be twisted into another contempt-laden sneer!
Sommer @61
W was a farce, and many on the Right, Left and Center can agree on that: a national embarrassment, disgrace and disaster.. But, what about everybody ELSE?
W will seem to those of us who survive somewhat saintly, with centrist flaws.
Compassionate conservatism only serves those who need none.
Insufficient @63
which included no serious vetting of his past philosophy and career and associates,or his birthright.
Sorry, had to append your list.
Peepers@67
about many Republicans having strayed from their own principles and, consequently, now are paying the price.
Rachel, they are NOT paying a price, we are. The pols of both stripes get full-boat retirement if/when voted out.
An essay as thorough and eloquent as this deserves, I think, an equal response. Now, I’m not the man to give that response, but I do have a few points, as one who is not philosophically nor ideologically aligned with the writer or most of his readers.
>>Balancing budgets and saying no to always expanding government, first, is a moral issue.<>The tragedy of the present disaster is that the Democrats are forming dependencies…through these massive outlays that will last almost indefinitely—until the system collapses from its own weight and we start over again.<>The liberal philosophy maintains that government, better than thousands of informed and self-interested individuals, can direct and guide our lives and national purpose.<>Liberals trashed George Bush for urging us to buy and consume after the shock of 9/11 in order to ward off a paralysis of fear and possible recession.<>In a nation of government workers there is no higher auditor.<<
Well, that’s where we disagree most wholeheartedly. The higher auditor, in fact, is that group of “thousands of informed and self-interested individuals” you mentioned earlier. It is incumbent upon us, as citizens, to determine, if we are indeed to have government, how much intrusion we are willing to allow.
A prime example: I have now witnessed first-hand the differences between the NHS in the U.K. and the healthcare “system” in the U.S. There are thousands — probably millions — of problems with the NHS over here; but it is still worlds better than what we have at home right now. So that is thus an intrusion I am willing to allow.
Now, I recognise that many will disagree vehemently with this proposal. That’s fine, and as it’s a free country, disagreement is tantamount to enlightenment. But part of being an informed citizen, I think, is not to simply criticise something on its face value, but to actually experience it. Think of it this way: should a literary critic dismiss a book because he doesn’t like the author, or should he read the book first and then come to a conclusion?
We as a people have the incumbent responsibility not just to debate things (which, granted, is absolutely important) but to debate them responsibly. Too often government programs get dismissed as “socialism” the way earmarks get dismissed as “pork projects.” Sometimes, this is true; and when it is, and when such a program or project won’t work, we need to be honest. But not every project is a Bridge to Nowhere; not every program is Affirmative Action (don’t even get me started; I’m one of the few leftists you’ll find who is shocked — shocked! — that we still have it in place).
Thank you all for reading, and thanks for providing me a forum to respond.
Ron Kean. Very good…excellent.
And now fill in the blank.
The Magazine in question had a cover page that said “We are all _______ now!”
I used to believe that I was a man without a party. As a firmly cemented GDI, I refused to march in lockstep with any frat party atmosphere of the two major parties in this country. I found the entirety of the campaign/election cycle to be a BBQ cookoff, with the only entree’ being “pulled pork”.
Depending upon which frat boys won, would simply tell us which plate would get the biggest sandwich…and our dollars made up most of it.
But, in feeling that I didn’t really have a representative party…never gave me the feeling that being a man without a party…made me a man without a country.
I have absolutely no interest in socialism. We are not ALL socialists now, because I certainly never signed on…in fact, I don’t recall the question having ever been called to vote upon. Statism doesn’t interest me. Bloated, bureaucratic red tape doesn’t interest me. And Communism, as a brand of socialism…disgusts me.
Our Bohemian Cult Class brethren on the far left reaches of our political spectrum, have grabbed the reins of power and are implementing something very swiftly that bears strong resemblance to those models which I did not see a referendum on. The “mandate” they claim as part of the “I won” mantra, seems to be a bit of a reach from my vantage point in the cf bleachers.
If we turn out a model that mirrors Sweden, I suggest we infuse our population with more Swedes and their historic cultural attitudes toward national identity. Ours is a bit muddled at the moment.
Let there be no doubt…the Sean Penn’s of the world, (those in Hollywood and academia particularly) feel the slide leftward beneath our feet and are stomping on the hillside snow to see if we can avalaunch ourselves into a Chavez/Castro lovefest of Bohemian cultism.
“We won”…historically seems to slip neatly into dictatorial conquest mode.
We used to call folks who play footsie with leftist dictators…traitors. Betrayal used to not be a source of national pride.
Ahhh, those olden days when treason didn’t garner kudos and awards.
For my part, I am of the age whereby the two party system has been broken so long…having a Swedish one party nanny state would at least keep the the Pendulum from swinging wildly over the Pit.
We now live in a nation of cowards according to Attorney General Holder. He may be right. Once we fear competition so fiercely that we legislate it out of existence, we all can be mediocre together. Parity is not equality, but one doesn’t need a brain to accept mediocrity or to understand the difference, only a willingness to succumb to it. Gaming the system, it’s the new way of living. And remember, it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you rig the game to always end in a tie. (and only the umpires are living large)
So a problem with conservatives is their penchant for sticking God’s morality into government? It must be okay to murder millions of innocent babies and call it a private matter. How is it when so called conservatives see the immorality of taking some else’s’ money they scream like Hell,but when it comes to taking someone else’s life, the call giving that priority single issue voting that is killing the party. I’d rather kill this worthles party any day than even one more life because of inverted morality by the moderate “win at any cost” right in the GOP.
Where do you think the entire concept of right and wrong come from if it hasn’t been interjected into us and our world by the God who made us and loves us enought ogive us the right rules to live by? As if any society could last long without either brute force against its people or as our Forfathers understood, a complete understanding that all we are, all our rights, our freedom, our worth, have been gifted(endowed) to us by our Creator. No wonder we’re over with as a nation, when the conservatives end up dumping God from the public arena.
Joe@97
Pigs? Well pigs eventually go to slaughter; not so politicians. What’s the worst that can happen to them? (cf. Spector – Snowe – Collins – Reid – Pelosi – Frank – Dodd – Geitner – both Clintons and thousands more from both parties)
They get to retire on our dime, that’s the worst that can happen to them. They are incentivized to take all they can, while they can by any and every means available.
Just check, a vast majority of politicians come into office as middle class and leave multi-millionaires, while salaried employees? If that’s not evidence of graft and corruption, what will ever be?
But, we’re a nation of laws, you say. Is that the law that allows Madoff to remain in his mansion, while lawyering up with stolen money? Is that the law that releases terrorists on their own recognizance? Is that the law that permits the Chicago machine to flourish? Or, X-time convicted sexuals predators to freely roam your neighborhood? OJ? Pardoning the 2nd most wanted fugitive?
And, of course judges get to interpret the law any way they see fit, for life.
Lawyers cannot by profession, stand for the principles of liberty. Shakespeare had it right, if we get to do a makeover.
Charles@101,
Instead, we sent both parents to work so we could pay for the large house and fancy car while the kids became the charge of a system that we “trusted” without due diligence.
Might not the ever increasing tax burden be somewhat involved as a force that required two working parents, and not so much of the force be atributable to the “greed” of the citizenry?
Pete@111
Oh Pete, are you expecting that optimistic “silver lining” outcome without bloodshed? Let’s face it squarely.
I mean “0″s plan failing as it surely must suggests a catastrophic ending. Pretty worrisome, no? Given, it’s like at that point, they’ll be making more laws, have most of the guns and be really, really organized.
Tens of millions died defending against the rise of Soviet Communism; 50 million+ died during its 70 reign, and the place is still run by thugs who have no qualms about “silencing” any voices they don’t want to hear.
So, your prescription to act has serious consequences, whether we do or don’t.
To those who say we still have time, I’d recall Waco and Ruby Ridge as examples of Democrat restraint from years past. And I’d advise revisiting often that whole gun-ownership thingy, too.
David S@113
gratuitous wars Sanctioned by both political parties in the adminsitration preceeding Bush…that the one?
profligate spending A budget that spent over 4 years being only one-third of the one proposed for one year now…that the one?
purposeless tax cuts Only a fascist could put those words together.
Obviously, you have no concept of what conservative ideals mean…demonstrated by your lying whenever the opportunity presents.
If you are “rich” and our country has elected a socialist/marxist like Obama, you certainly arent going to buy stocks. So you sell driving the price down while fools who think the market is going to come back wait while their 401k or even well diversified portfolio shrinks further. Obamas political philosophy makes this happen and eliminates the capitalist market that driver our stocks up over time. The people who elected him dont have 401ks or stocks for the most part. Those that do are just idiots who hated Bush for no reason and think hope and change are words for them. These hardworking people are watching their plans for retirement go out the window because of how they voted. Their jealousy of their rich neighbors made them vote for Obama and cut their nose off to spite their face. Meanwhile the poor who cant spell DOW JONES are laughing at everyone. Atleast I am not a dumbass Democrat who actually worked and saved some money who voted for this guy. How stupid do you feel you dumbass Democrats? Im not talking about welfare mother Democrats, but Democrats who go to work to support their family and try to save for some kind of retirement.
This is simply the quickest and safest way to redistribute wealth. At some point when the market is like 4000, Obama will announce a grand plan for poor folks to get discounts on stocks, they will buy in through government programs, and then we will all own the same value in stocks. This will last for awhile until these poor folks who are made “rich” through stock ownership sell at the wrong time for the wrong reasons ie the same way they speculated on houses and then the cycle starts again. People with brains wont be in the stock market again because they are tired of their wealth decreasing to make up for the losers of our society who Obama wants to prop up so he can stay in power. He knows who his voters are. He stays in power while capitalists watch their home values drop and savings dwindle.
I am surprised at the lack of outrage.
Mara, how is that different from Democrats for the last 8 years?
David S:
“gratuitous wars…”
Wars? As in plural? You think the war in Afghanistan, the one Obama portrays as the good war and is currently surging forces to, was gratuitous? I know you love to stir the pot here with your silly immature ideas, but that statement is ridiculous. Even if we accord you the customary mental handicap granted the average brain dead Leftist, the notion that invading Afghanistan after 9/11 was a gratuitous act is lunacy. Your desire to be provocative has led you astray. You have become merely stupid.
The whole thing fills me with infinite sadness. Every time the world gets this unbalanced, global war ensues. We descend into the dark ages, the 1930′s, the Islamic Empires. It always seems as if 1 out of 6 living people perish in the aftermath. That’s almost a billion souls this time around. Sad.
JMH says:
I will also second VDH’s point about fiscal responsibility being the pillar of conservatism.
According to the conservatives these days – pro life is the fundamental pillar of conservatism. Which explains why a socialist like Huckabee could rise so far in the Republican Party.
So a problem with conservatives is their penchant for sticking God’s morality into government? It must be okay to murder millions of innocent babies and call it a private matter.
Don L.,
You have some hard choices to make: ignore abortion as a political issue and focus on economics or lose on both.
BTW abortions rise in hard economic times. So do you do what you can to fix the economics there by making some small headway on abortion or do you take a political line on abortion and lose twice?
Infanticide has been a feature of human society for a very long time. These days we have the compassion to do the killing pre-birth and generally closer to the embryonic stage than the fully human stage.
Me? Any government strong enough to prevent abortion is strong enough to make it mandatory. Government should stay out of it. For the sake of my liberty. Let us deal with it as individuals. Let us stop running to government to solve our problems. Let us stop being Democrats with a different set of issues.
50. muirgeo,
I too am against free trade. We will be greatly advantaged when politicians control what is bought and sold.
People who don’t like it can trade in the black market. Just like they do with illegal drugs.
The Soviet Union was totally against free trade. I’m surprised no one points to their obvious success these days.
76. Roy Horton:
Good article Mr. Hanson but it does not explain our poor showing with women voters.
This has to change.
Abortion. Women are uninterested in a war on themselves. Or to be made wards of the state to prevent abortion. They have seen the war on drugs and are not interested in a war on abortion.
Hesiod couldn’t have said it more splendily Mr. Victor Davis Hanson. You are my modern day alternative (solely) to days begone humorist Will Rogers
Last point: Those selling short are those who’ve given deeply into Mr Obama’s election war chest reminincient of FDR is Obama in that respect indeed
Post Script to Mr Simon’s abortion comment: I don’t care to make a war on any woman regarding personal choice. I just don’t want to have to pay for it out of my pocket, mr. Simon, which we do as tax payers.
Did anyone catch yesterday’s “Zippy the Pinhead” strip?
http://zippythepinhead.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=10-Mar-09&Category_Code=m2009&Product_Count=8
For those unfamiliar with Zippy, Bill Griffith often juxtaposes the familiar in bizarre ways. I sincerely doubt that he read VDH’s column; however, the conclusion is the same.
VDH: The Good-Military
My nephew, in the Air force since he was 18 and now a Spec. Op. team member has deployed and operated in combat zones over 20 times around the world since 2003. A special breed he is and it didn’t necessarily come from his parents since no one in the family is even remotely close to what he is. He comes home occasionally and will enter ironman competitions or goes skiing on some high mountain or will just run 25 miles for the fun of it, during his “time off”. In his team he is not unusual just one of many called for a special purpose and is up to the task some how. He has earned several degrees while in the service and is a serious minded individual who is not out for glory but seems to be responding to an inner challenge.
To me these are miracle men and women and someday we may see them as an even greater generation than the greatest generation of world war two. How do we deserve these men and women? We don’t. It is the grace of God and His promise to our fore-fathers that has brought this generation forth in a time when it seems impossible to do so. The men and women of generations past paid in faith with their blood and their lives to ensure we could live peacefully in the freest land on Earth.
We’ll be the dammed generation if we don’t start earning the sacrifice of these soldiers by protecting their rights and freedoms here at home from the evil they are fighting on the battlefield as it manifests itself before our eyes right here at home in the political leaders of this day.
I agree with numerous what you’re stating here however it could do with more depth. Thats whats awesome concerning working with computers. They will dont argue, they will keep in mind almost everything and so they dont drink all of your ale. Attributed to John Leary