Posted on 11/06/2012 5:34:17 AM PST by scottfactor
On Sunday evening I called a dear relative that I have not seen for a number of years. He lives several states away, and we have not had the occasion to be together due to our busy, divergent lives. I love him and miss seeing him, although he is a die-hard liberal who fully supports Barack Obama (or whatever his name is).
When I called my loved one, so close to this critical election, I knew I did not want to discuss politics with him, because there is no agreement in our worldviews. I would have studiously avoided any mention of politics, but he broached the subject right away by asking me what I think of the upcoming election.
So, it began. I gently tried to point out to him (if there is a “gentle” way to point out) that Obama has distinctly communistic (or socialistic, if you prefer) policies of centralized government control of society. The conversation was fruitless. I refrained from citing a laundry list of the lawless, impeachable, even treasonous actions by this administration and only mentioned a few, which he refused to accept.
He had the leftist talking points down pat: blaming President Bush for everything; claiming opposition to Obama’s policies is due to racism; denouncing government subsidies for oil companies; denying that the federal government now has an ownership stake in General Motors after shafting the bondholders; declaring that homosexuals only want marriage “equality;” and insisting that conservatives are uninformed—especially those of us who question Obama’s mysterious past and his possible ineligibility to hold the office of President.
It is difficult, even heartbreaking, to have a conversation with someone who sees the world with such radically different eyes than you do. It is even harder when the person is someone you love and you wish could be free of leftist mind shackles. It was useless to state the facts of Obama’s record to him, because he honestly believes that conservatives do not know truth and facts, so wedded to his leftist ideology he is, and he simply denies that what Obama has done is wrong or in any way dangerous to America. He seems to believe the lies of the Obama administration and the lies about conservatives that the Democrat lapdog media feeds into American televisions and computers.
How could I tell him that since Obama’s installation in the presidency, conservatives have been rudely—and thankfully—jarred awake and are now among the most informed people in the nation? Well, I could say it, but he would not believe it. How do I know conservatives are among the most informed? Look at the Tea Party movement. Look at the massive Tea Party turnouts around the country in 2009 and 2010. Look at the blowout, mid-term elections of 2010. Look at the astonishing number of supporters who showed up for Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day back on August 1st. These are examples of people who are watching with eyes wide open, who see what is happening with a lawless, anti-American administration inWashington. These are people who have made it a priority to be informed, to stay aware of what Obama and his minions are doing.
Counter that with the other side. Just look at all the depressing “man on the street” interviews of brainwashed kids at college campuses and clueless citizens on big city streets, or unwitting, guest players of Glenn Beck’s “Moron Trivia.” Look at “Obama Phone Woman.” Look at the deranged thinking displayed by the Occupy Wall Street idiots. I know these are anecdotal, but you still see many people are void of even the most basic knowledge of what is happening in the world around them, much less in federal, state and local governments.
The stark contrast between conservatives and liberals is the nature of their worldviews. The fundamentals of conservatism are godly values. The fundamentals of liberalism are godless platitudes. Conservatism is a worldview that cherishes our nation’s Christian foundation. It seeks the best for everyone, not equality of outcome, but equality of opportunity. Conservatism cherishes our God-given freedoms which are necessarily joined with personal responsibility. Conservatism demands good stewardship in our leaders, and it seeks to turn back the nearly unrestrained spending and power-grabbing by those in Washingtonin recent years.
Liberalism looks at government as god, while it denies God’s place in our nation. It thrives on envy. It seeks to “equalize” outcomes, which inevitably leads to the lowest common denominator becoming the standard. Liberalism is herd mentality; it shuns individualism and self-initiative. It seeks to shake off the healthy restraints of moral absolutes and sound reason. The policies of liberalism ultimately lead to tyranny.
I realize I am preaching to the choir here on the sites that carry this column, and I do not have to tell you how crucial it is that we get this anti-American, junior tyrant out of our White House on this Election Day. But, it remains that there are many people in our nation with the mindset of my dear relative, who do not perceive the real nature of liberalism, who support its horrendous goals of wealth “redistribution,” all-powerful, monstrous government and the silencing of those who speak against liberalism’s tyranny. These people do not look back in history, even recent history, and see the atrocious track record of liberal policies that fail everywhere they are imposed.
I pray, as I have for many years now, for my loved one to be free from the deception of liberalism. And the next time I talk with him, I will try much harder to keep the conversation away from politics and on, say, football and barbecue.
Only liberals would justify the thought process that calls President Bush a ‘war criminal’ for a legal, congress approved war, and yet not bat an eye when Obama ousts a government and has a world leader killed based solely on his word.
Other People’s Money has run out. The USA is tens of trillions of dollars in debt (counting unfunded liabilities such as Social Security), and if the other nations want to pull our credit, there will be another Great Depression.
People such as this relative will not get a government check when there is no more money to be “shared” by Democrat politicians. We will be Greece. The unemployed young and middle-aged government bureaucrats will be in the streets demanding that the broken gravy train be started up once again. The old will starve quietly.
Is this the America we want? Is voting for this terrible future an act of “compassion”?
Well written, and boy, you’ve got a bad case there. I know some similar folks (not related) and it’s really frustrating to know how they are good people otherwise. I’ve decided that a lot of this is self-defense, or something similar that compels them to defend ideas simply because they have become so invested in them that it would cause mental anguish to consider they might be all wrong. Good luck with the football and bbq!
Why bother?
“I pray, as I have for many years now, for my loved one to be free from the deception of liberalism. And the next time I talk with him, I will try much harder to keep the conversation away from politics and on, say, football and barbecue.”
Good idea. I had a complete blow up talking to a friend of mine since childhood who fell into the liberal trance.
Since then, keeping the conversation away from politics has served us well.
Although, as a typical liberal he makes subtle comments to keep his dillusion of superiority alive in his mind. It’s commical. The price of balancing friendship with politics.
The alternative - to cut every liberal out of my life would half the size of my relationships with family and friends who aside from being complete dupes add value to my life.
This decent caring person that Gina loves is a waste of space and resources. I’d have nothing to do with him myself. Not worth the trouble or the time.
He is so right — it’s shocking how many of my friends have not a clue what is happening to our country. They get snippets of new from the MSM and end up like two of my women friends, who are very concerned that if Romney/Ryan win that they will overturn Roe v Wade. They absolutely buy this war on women crap. That’s why the MSM is so evil - they know that most people are like these two women and so they can manipulate reality however they want. Today we have to save our country - and people like my two friends- who don’t have the understanding to know how our country is being “fundamentally transformed” by this junior tyrant. GO VOTE, EVERYONE - AND GODSPEED TO OUR SIDE!!!
I’ve got a Gina in my family. Wife of one of my nephews. Had to be her who wrote this article, because she’s describing my family to a T.
I know a few democrats and they all agree Obama has turned rabid and if he was their dog he would go the route of Old Yella. They also think that is the general consensus across the country.
I had a similar altercation with my stepson last night via Facebook. I finally said I had to sign off before I said something I would really regret, then deleted the entire thing. I cannot believe a successful entrepreneur could be so blind. He has all the Dem talking points down pat, is still blaming the “Bush boys” and called me a Neo-Con among other things. I tried to talk some sense into him, but he’s a goner. I’ve removed most libs from my life, but it’s hard when they are family. But, I have no respect for them and hate the arguments that always happen when politics comes up!
I’m looking forward to writing two words on all my lib friends OBAMA facebook posts: BUH-BYE!
It’s like watching Bob Beckel on The Five. When he talks about “there’s going to be 10 million new voters turning out this cycle” I’d like to counter: “and half of those 10 million new voters are probably unemployed or certainly underemployed.” Doesn’t mean they will vote our way, but I wonder how they could vote for 4 more years of this malaise. When Obama goes to those enthusiastic college campuses, don’t those young people know the statistics: 50% of college graduates since 2008 are unemployed? And most deeply in debt? Ah, hope and change in Obama-land!
To have a loved-one become liberal is the same as having one become one of the “walking dead”. Liberalism rots out the human brain and deprives it of the ability to reason logically and objectively. It instills a strong self-loathing characteristic that eventually leads to violent behavior as the disease takes it’s full course. We’ve all seen and experienced it in one way, shape or another. They essentially become mental zombies....so sad, when it’s a close friend or a loved-one.
I can't believe politics can ruin friendships but it has. I don't bother anymore talking with them... so sad.Has anyone else experienced this or am I just crazy?
I have a lib step-daughter who just has an incredible belief in Big Government to solve the country’s problems. Useless to argue with her she’s so sure she’s right. She was visiting over the weekend with her children and at one moment went off on a diatribe about Michelle Bachman. And when we were watching tv, insisted on watching that liberal, other-world fantasy HBO’s “The Newsroom.” (we purchased HBO to watch The Sopranos...it’s long outlived its usefulness). I wish Bachman would have gotten the nomination for prez simply to see the look on her face when she saw the “Bachman For President” lawn sign in our front yard.
I have a few similar relatives but I can’t be bothered to debate them.
I think that ignorance must be like being adrift on the sea and unable to swim. You feel a primal fear and you cling to the nearest piece of floating debris. The memory of the fear is too strong to convince you to leave the floating debris even after the life rafts are nearby waiting to pick you up.
And that’s the biggest hurdle: instincts, combined with conditioning, make a very tough nut to crack.
It’s no coincidence that the public schools have been producing legions of ‘smart’ ignorant types for decades.
Some people are convinced that rescue is at the stern, some are convinced rescue is at the bow...
>> “I find myself dropping a lot of my life long friends due to politics.” <<
.
I am no longer on speaking terms with a cousin that had been like my “Big Sis” for the last 68 years. She’s in-the-tank for all the freebies she can get.
The correct response to that is: "Well, I know that Obama is a brilliant, all-wise and all-seeing gift to our benighted nation, but let me ask you -- once the all-caring Democrats have installed their agenda to make sure the government controls virtually every aspect of our lives, what will you do when an Eeevill Republican eventually gets into office, and then uses that power against you?"
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