Posted on 11/19/2006 2:39:53 AM PST by Tom D.
Is it my imagination, or are Steyn's columns more and more, well, burdened, grave, sad lately? There's plenty of reason for it, of course . . .
The thing is I think the Small Government (in terms of spending and entitlements) wing of the party now exists mainly in terms of half the people on an NRO cruise, not actual people out in the country.
The main division in reality among the mass of voters in the party is not between the War and Small Government folks, it's between Fundivangelist Social Cons and the not particularly religious.
Good read from Steyn. He's one of the few voices who can criticise the political right in America with any real legitimacy.
Yes he does sound less optimistic, but so am I.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
***The president doesn't frame it like that, alas. Instead, he says stuff like: "Freedom is the desire of every human heart." Really? It's unclear whether that's the case in Gaza and the Sunni Triangle. But it's absolutely certain that it's not the case in Berlin and Paris, Stockholm and London, Toronto and New Orleans. The story of the Western world since 1945 is that, invited to choose between freedom and government "security," large numbers of people vote to dump freedom -- the freedom to make your own decisions about health care, education, property rights, seat belts and a ton of other stuff. I would welcome the president using "Freedom is the desire of every human heart" in Chicago and Dallas, and, if it catches on there, then applying it to Ramadi and Tikrit. ***
Only Mark Steyn can expose the myth, and sum up the dilemma, of America in one paragraph.
My only regret is that so many of Mr. Steyn's comments are too long to fit into the space allotted for taglines....
Perhaps so, but I sense he is (like so many of us Conservatives) approaching a point of frustration due to his perception of different factions not willing to cooperate and the results becoming debilitating for the party.
His is a clarion call for all factions within the party to start to work together if we are going to reclaim a majority in Congress in 08 and most of all, IMHO, he is calling for something akin to a Reagan Era/1994 Contract direction which we could all support.
Sadly, beginning with the "top" their is not much in the way of such a movement, direction, philosophy or goals toward achieving that end.
Sound like Styne is loosing patience with the Prez.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Very objective and timely article!!! Mark Steyn routinely hits the ball out of the park. Hope the GOP is paying attention.
Twelve years of betrayal by Bush 1 and 2 will do that to conservatives. Oh yes, we have two years more of betrayal to make it twelve.
Amen to that. Now pray we don't get shafted on immigration and brace for the attack of the Bush-bots.
Sooner or later President Bush is going to have to learn to trust the American people and tell us what is going on instead of spouting platitudes over and over and over until most of the people doze off.
I love this president, and I know he's trying to "protect" us from the truth, but we're big boys and girls and will stand by him if he will trust us.
We cooperate on FR
Amen. Now the trick is finding enough R's to buy into that philosophy and unfortunately, there aren't many in either house which adheres thereto and the few that do, have been so frightened by the MSM and cowed by the pseudo-Republicans and the other RINO's that they are practically, impotent. Sad. Very sad and depressing!!!!
I don't see how amnesty for illegal immigrants doesn't happen anytime soon, and I don't see how the entire U.S. as well as conservatism doesn't vanish at some point solely because amnesty for illegal immigrants is allowed to happen.
I know so do I and voted for him twice (though the last time it was more against Kerry, than for W) and though he is not articulate, I wish he would (and would have in the past) take a page from the Gipper's book and bypass the MSM and begin speaking directly to the people.
Of course, he would have to have a message that resonates and his unwillingness to address the root cause of terrorism (ISLAM) as well as his intransigence on Border Security, leaves him with little to articulate about which anyone (other than the left and libs) will respond to.
"The main division in reality among the mass of voters in the party is not between the War and Small Government folks, it's between Fundivangelist Social Cons and the not particularly religious."
I dunno. I'm not particularly religious, but I'm also socially conservative. One does not have to be religious to believe that abortion is both the taking of innocent life and thinly veiled eugenics, that marriage -is- supposed to be about providing a stable platform for children, etc. etc.
Unfortunately, I seem to be in a minority. Fact is, there's an incredible and irrational and extreme hatred for "fundamentalists" among the non-religious lately. I truly don't understand it. Every time I want to hear the word "theocracy" I want to heave... I mean, for God's sake, if the social cons got absolutely every last thing they wanted - abortion illegal, prayer in schools, cleaned up network TV, etc. etc. - it would at worst be a return to the laws of the 50's regarding these matters. Was the U.S. a "theocracy" in the 50's? I really wish the people who live in unending fear of an impending theocracy would get a grip.
Qwinn
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