Yeah, I know, big deal.
Here's the thing:
Quite frankly, I'm a bit tired of being told to "put down my talking points", or being told I get my marching orders from Rush, or any of the other dozens of ways liberals tell me that because I hold conservative ideas, I'm incapable of independent thought. Let me clue y'all in to something:
I believe these things not because Karl Rove issued a memo, but from almost 40 years (Jeebus, I'm getting old!) of watching the world and seeing how it works. As a result of that time and effort, I take personally any suggestion, explicit or implicit, which suggests that conservatives act like lemmings, blindly following the leader of the moment. It simply isn't true, not of me, or most other conservatives.
Rich, it seems like you and the GOP were doing fine until some assoholes came along and started questioning, and yes, challenging the paradignms your guys have developed over the past six or seven years.
Go with the flow, feel it, embrace it, grow stronger. We had to. Now you're seeing the results.
You think Alec Baldwin, the Dixie Chicks, et. al. are idiots because you don't stop to listen with an open mind. And even if you did Karl and Rupert and Rush's Mighty Wurlitzer drown out all logic and reason.
Yeah, I want to keep the money I earn, too, and I earn a shitload. But I'm not too selfish to pay my dues to the government that makes it possible or to the people that make up that government that create the opportunity. And I pay a shitload for those opportunities and I don't complain. Well, not too much anyway.
And sure, I want limited government, and limits to the power of my government to exploit working people for the benefit of the wealthy and privileged, or to manipulate American citizens and world events for their personal gain.
And I believe in charity, but I also believe that unfortunatley most people look out for themselves, and even those who don't give uncritically to churches and "charities" that are more interested in taking in money than helping people.
And I can see the conservative movement that is taking over our country and our values, and I can see that those who espouse it and follow it, yes, blindly, have been fooled by liars and thieves who are not interested in anyone's welfare but their own.
And, yes, I'm pretty goddamned annoyed, too.
OK, then. :)
Posted by: SK Bubba on May 9, 2003 8:30 PMYou mean Rush won't be comming over for dinner anymore?
Posted by: Isaac on May 9, 2003 10:48 PMIf you can't deal with reality and just want to be taken care of OR you have an insatiable desire for power and wish to direct the lives of others because you can help them (i.e., you know better what's good for them), you're an American liberal...
You are also a liberal if you can't stand anyone exercising their freedom of speech to tell you off. Liberals feel that freedom of speech only applies to them; hence, conservatives can't criticize a liberal but must "stop" as they're told and "listen with an open mind."
But the truth is that anyone with a living brain cell for reason and wishes to think for themselves will gravitate toward what is today called "conservatism" (but is actually traditional American Liberalism). What is called Liberal in America today is European Socialism. And European Socialism is just another way for the elite (i.e. the rich/ruling class) to keep the peasants in check.
I find it fascinating that the party that gets most of it's money from a wealthy few and major corporations attacks the party that gets most of its funds from private citizens in amounts less than $200/yr as the party of rich corporate interests. Sounds more like Orwell Speak than the truth.
But then 40 years of failed policies haven't stopped them now has it?
I'm a former nuke too, Rich, you're doing a good job...
(They say us nukes all glow at night, but the ladies like the light... Old marching jody.)
Posted by: Sparkey on May 9, 2003 11:47 PMIsaac! RL said to keep that on the QT. SHHHH!!!
Bubba, is everyone who thinks Alec Baldwin is an idiot close minded? Is Alec baldwin so enlightened that we should all choose him to emulate? Should I go to Hollywood and climb Mount Baldwin and kneel at his feet to receive all wisdom?
I don't think so!
Once again, my point is demonstrated. According to the left, as aptly demonstrated by my good buddy Bubba, all conservatives are either stupid, gullible or corrupt. Since I am neither stupid nor gullible, I guess that puts my in the corupt catagory.
Cool. I always wanted to be a robber baron. Now all I have to do is figure out how to exploit some poor people to get seed money to corner the market in blogs. Then I'll be a millionaire!
Posted by: rich on May 10, 2003 12:56 AMHey sparky, thanks for the compliment. I try to keep 'em straight down here, but some people you just can't reach.
Posted by: rich on May 10, 2003 12:59 AM1. Socialism is dead. Communism deader.
2. As to the pretty and well developed female government agent in the bedroom: it all depends on who gets tied to what by whom.
3. I'm a former nuke. Perhaps it is time to form a club. Say Sparky - don't I know you from some place else?
Posted by: M. Simon on May 13, 2003 12:41 PMSeems to be a bunch of us knocking around up here...maybe we should organize.
Then we take over the joint!
Posted by: rich on May 13, 2003 11:02 PM