Posted on 12/10/2003 8:59:00 PM PST by BobbyK
Enough With The Neocon And Paleocon
Carping—I'll Stand With George W. Bush In 2004
Like most Toogood Reports readers, I observed this year's battles within the conservative ranks with profound discomfort. In my mind, there are far too many real enemies out there to waste time and print fighting one another.
It seems that the world of conservatism has been split up between the "conservatives" and the "paleo-conservatives" or between the "conservatives" and the "neo-conservatives." Both sides present themselves as the bona fide article and the other side as the one in need of a prefix.
Personally, I just want to spit up this strife the same way the bleachers of Wrigley Field do the opposition´s home run balls. This qualifies as a "which side are you on boys" issue. It is my goal to conserve America's wonderful, non-living Constitution, and to forever preserve the personal and economic freedoms that embody our way of life. If you agree with me about these basic propositions, then you're on my side and the rest of your views are of secondary concern. Simply revering the spirit of the Founding Fathers puts you in the top 50 percent of the population on the Chap-o-meter.
Not only is an inter-journalist, inter-intellectual, conservative civil war fruitless, it is also detrimental to the nation as a whole. The country needs all of our efforts just to have a chance of mitigating the damage the culture war has wrought.
Our daily resistance may be the biggest obstacle to the federal pacman swallowing up fifty percent of the economy. We cannot afford to bicker amongst ourselves. The odds are too great. Obsessing over who said what about Taki, Buchanan, Frum, Lowry or any of the other public figures who make up the American right is counter-productive.
The neocon/paleocon debate is as bewildering as it is petty and misguided. Sadly, some conservatives now feel more comfortable with leftists than they do their own kind [I know of one who astonished me by saying that he regards the American Enterprise Institute as "The Death Star"]. Certainly, internal disagreements are to be expected, but they are trivial in comparison to accepting the positions advocated by the other side of the political spectrum. Socialism, cultural Marxism, white guilt, and radical feminism are eternal obstacles to advancing society. Other conflicts pale in importance when compared to them.
I propose that we abandon slurs like paleo-con and neo-con. Instead we should all evolve into "Logicons." The Logicon refuses to slash at the brethren who march alongside him because maintaining some level of public harmony is the only logical way in which we will succeed. Logicons realize that our fighting strength should not be diluted by internecine combat.
Much of the controversy currently centers around President Bush and whether or not one approves of his job performance. I've written here and elsewhere how much I personally admire him, but I also acknowledge that certain criticisms have been valid. Those who label him a big spender are correct in their assessments. He has not used his veto to curb the size of government and has developed a habit of hugging Ted Kennedy's voluminous appropriations.
While this is unfortunate, to pretend that Bush is not the best bet for advancing the country's interests is shortsighted. There are many conservatives out there who could do a better job of slashing outlays, but it is highly unlikely that any of them could get elected by our emotive and squishy electorate. On our side, George W. Bush "feels their pain" better than anyone. He brings in moderate voters the way my old Erie Dearie lures used to bag walleyes .
The problem is one of perspective. We can spend time complaining about steel tariffs or the administration´s pathetic capitulation on affirmative action last summer. Yes, I would have been greatly pleased if he disseminated a Michigan Law brief of his own after the decision entitled “O´Connor a Known Fruitcake,” but the fact is that he didn't and there´s nothing we can do about it. However, we must keep our outlook global by remembering what the alternatives are.
What would Al Gore do with affirmative action? How about Howard Dean, the neurotic would-be-king, with Al Qaeda? Makes you shudder doesn´t it? After the election, Al Sharpton would take his standup around the world as our Secretary of State and we´d hear Patricia Ireland lambasting “patriarchal textbooks” in her role as Secretary of Education.
In actuality, my examples really aren´t all that farfetched. The radical left has been carrying the Democrat Party since 2001 and, now, if the Democrats win, bills will need to be paid.
Rather than fantasize about an ideal future, conservatives need to think about how things can, and will, get devastatingly worse, should Bush lose. Be it Dean or Kerry or whatever burrito they decide to roll out of the Taqueria next summer, the fate of the country will be in jeopardy. By this time in 2006, there will be a foreign policy coward in every pot and a benefit check in the hands of every college drop out. Think France, think Germany, and then be grateful we have a president who doesn't spit after saying "tax cuts."
Besides, the Bush Presidency has produced many hidden benefits. His appointees may well be our salvation even though he backs obese budgets. In the latest issue of The New Criterion, we see that his appointments to the National Endowment of the Arts have had a wonderful effect. Under Dana Gioia, the agency is sponsoring Macbeth for military bases and has resurrected traditional Shakespeare at the national level [Shakespearean plays are now staged as in the days of old which means brothels and bath house scenes are no longer mandatory].
I don´t care if you insult him or trade in Karl Rove conspiracy theories, but, in November of 2004, this particular rightist is going to stand by George W. Bush just as the bumper sticker on my car promises. Our hopes for a better tomorrow rest in the White House on his bed. We must support him because heady days await and also because his reelection keeps the Democrat Party headless. Let´s proudly stand by our man as he loudly subsumes the popular positions of the left while promoting many of ours in the shadows though his judges, appointees, and minions.
Not really, as that is a wasted vote too.
I rarely vote against candidates, only for candidates, and if there are no candidates to vote for, I stay home. A great many Republicans are alien critters with an "R" next to their name; it isn't the "R" that makes them Republican.
What a joke and a very narrow minded point of view.
Have you ever thought that maybe taking that stupidity and investing it? You'd make a fortune.
But I guess you also have all kinds of intelligent comments about the Whigs, the Progressives, the Bull Moosers, the old Democrat-Republicans like Jefferson, the Know-Nothings, the Federalist, etc. They all had some success at different points in time.
And your genius Republicans like Nixon, Ford and Bush 41 created more socialistic programs and worthless bureaucracies than even Jimmy Carter couldn't. But I guess you love them now.
Look at the Socialist countries like Canada, France, etc...over 50 % of their income goes to a government they have very little control over. They are all in dire financial trouble.
You certainly won't have to nit-pick over the First Amendment, because the "Living Breathing" document you call the Constitution will become so lobotomized under their "care" you won't recognize it. Don't you realise what it will be like?
The KNOW-NOTHINGS were less of a party than a movement, much like the Luddites. They never won anything either.
Progressives ? Define that term, as it's been used by American Communists of all stripes ( but mostly the Stalinists ), and in conjunction with the Dem party; just not alone.
Fringe parties, with the exception of the GOP, which was birthed by the Whigs, who died out do to massive party jumping ( which is NOT going to happen , party jumping in huge numbers, I mean , for any of the so-called " conservative " fringe parties of today and NO, you may not borrow my crystal ball ! ), are just that...fringe and only serve as spoilers.
So no, it is hardly " narrow minded ", when anyone here here states the bleeding obvious, which is that America has two, and ONLY two political parties, whose candidates can capture the presidency.
About all you can do is move to another country that is as extreme right as you are.
Let me see....where would that be....Iran? maybe, I'm sure you would like it there. Or there is Libya, etc...
I don't subscribe to that premise any longer. I know, from the local level up, it can be changed. Maybe a Common Sense Party that isn't full of spineless politicians and bureaucrats.
When was the last time a Republican did something that wasn't the status quo when it comes to government spending and programs? They continue to perpetuate the same base-line budgeting BS the Dems invented. They use the same language, the same ideals and the same machinations the Dems and they created in our lesiglatures.
When has a GOP controlled Congress or state legislature acually CUT, not decreased in growth, but CUT or elimintated agencies.
Have you ever seen a true P&L statement for an agency? Why can't we get REAL numbers about how much of their budgets they spend on payroll and benefits? Overhead? Why are they hardly ever, if at all, audited from outside sources? Why don't they fire or prosecute the bureaucrats that steal, waste, misuse, misallocate, lose, or just plain are too stupid to know where the money goes? Why do they still hire when the private sector is cutting jobs? Why do they still use the positions as handouts to cronies, supporters, family members? Show me ONE Republican controlled state, governor, or legislature that has ever even tried.
When are the conservatives and other GOP supporters going to get together with their voting block and DEMAND they be held accountable? When is the waste, fraud and abuse of OUR money going to stop while politicians of BOTH of your TWO PARTIES use that money to buy themselves perks and act like royals?
When is enough enough?
Let me give you a very current example: the Republicans in the minority in the TN legislature finally force an audit of TennCare (the only program in the country based on HillaryCare of 1993 and shoved down our throats by Dems) for an outside auditing firm. As usual, it can't be audited. NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THE MONEY GOES! They can't even provide simple answers as to HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE PROGRAM or provide a database of their ages, income, addresses (the "law" says PO boxes aren't valid but over 50,000 have PO boxes listed as addresses). You think that would be a great start to stopping a bleeding money pit.
But NO. Even the GOP in the legislature are trying to water down the report and not implement anything of consequence a 14 year old girl running a lemonade stand would understand.
So please don't preach to me about lesser of two evils and that the Dems are WORSE. It's not proven and it never will be when bureaucracy rules the day. My personal philosophy is to just kill ALL the evil regardless of party - let God sort them out.
How many stupid local news programs about the waste and abuse do we still have to watch before anyone wakes up? They won't if they, as almost 55% of voters do, believe it makes no difference. And nothing you or any other person can tell them is going to change their mind. Sure, there is the cliche of "people want services but don't want to pay for them" BS. And that's what it is...BS and a cop out. People will respond when you explain it to them. People don't want big healthcare programs that pay illegal aliens, are held unaccountable and give services to those that don't deserve them. They just don't see the DNC or the RNC as a difference. They, correctly, see it as a blend of the same thing only ran by different special interest.
And until that attitude is addressed by actually STOPPING the bureaucratic mess, we'll play this game forever. I can write you a novel on this, but what good will it do? You'll still come back and say, "but my man is better than them and he's not as bad".
It's like a choice between starving to death or freezing to death...I guess I'd rather freeze to death because it's quicker. GRRRRRRRR, I'm sick of this argument. There is almost no one left to make it and care about it. I don't give a Kerry f'ing deal WHO is in charge when NOTHING, and I truly mean NOTHING changes. We can vote for Ronald Reagan clones until we die, but what good will that do if the system isn't changed? Have you or anyone else around here actually bothered to READ the bills they pass? It's gobbeldygook language that does nothing but replace code in the bureaurcratic monolith: "Part A of subsection B,II,w,a, section IV replaces the word "man" with the word "person".
This is no way to run a country. If the private sector is like this, and some are, they fail.
But not government where it is written in stone that if a department doesn't increase it's budget on a yearly basis it's being "cut" and that is "wrong".
And what has Bush done to remedy this nigthmare? Nothing...not a damn thing. He perpetuates it with as do all "movers and shakers" controlling our lives in Washington. He pretends to be a straight forward man but, even like Reagan, can't stop or control the forces of an every increasing level of bureaucracy of unelected "civil" servants that do what they please and often against the President. Just look at the State Dept and the CIA.
Oh, but I'm being unrealistic I'm told, I have to learn to play the game on the margins, I have to accept and conform.
Well I'll put this to an end once and for all: I don't conform. I don't want to work within our "system". I don't give a flying John Kerry F about government employees and their supposed hard work. If I became President I'd fire EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM AND START OVER from the ground up. And anyone that complained I'd shoot right between the eyes.
Can I make it anymore clear? I'm selfish now. I've got "mine". I'm set for life beyond a nuclear bomb exploding over me. I'm tired of the fight. I'm tired of trying to educate the idiots and morons that blindly accept 7.65% of their pay going down a rathole while whining if their private employer increases their contribution to the health plan they THINK is their entitlement. I'm tired of listening to lazy morons tell me I have to pay taxes to pay for their grandma's pills while they drive $50K SUV's and live in $500K homes they think they are owed. I'm tired of paying for worthless human scum when they go to the emergency room for a finger cut and demand 24/7 service. And I'm more tired of the people that cloud those issues with "compassion" and "for the children" while they themselves couldn't care less about them unless they voted their way.
And you know what? I'll take care of myself. I'm not even afraid of terrorist killing me. More than likely they'll attack the big cities where liberals live (boy do I get hate mail with that one) so why should I care how many blue urban areas get nuked? They don't. They want Dean!
Yes, I'm cynical. Yes, I'm disgusted. And Yes, I just don't care any longer. Bush, Gephardt, Dean, Gore, Hillary, Bill, McCain...what's the f'ing difference? NOTHING! NOTHING CHANGES! NOTHING GETS DONE! NOTHING MOVES FORWARD! And NOTHING REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE. If the people were represented we'd have school vouchers (75% support), illegal aliens wouldn't get welfare or other benefits (70% support), our borders would be closed (68% support), our tax rates would be lower regardless of the static math idiots, our military would be bigger and better funded to pay for SOLDIERS and not bureaucratic nonsense and competing systems between the services (even Reagan tried and failed on this point and Rummy is rolling a giant ball uphill with this), our budget would be lean and held accountable and AUDITABLE (like is required of the private sector with penalty of law that the government is immune from), etc. And our federal government wouldn't be spending TWICE the level of total corporate operating profits.
So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! My Batcave is now closed.
Of course you are. You think we are stupid enough to buy your product. We remember what happened with Ross Perot and his reform party. All it did was elect Bill and Hillary Clinton to two terms in the WH where they could prey upon the Republic. There is no plausible alternative to taking our fair share of power through the Republican Party. The more people who become conservative Republicans, the more influence we can have on policy.
And you've already surrendered.
Hardly, I'm not following you off a cliff. You have surrendered to the Democrats. You would let them have every single seat in Congress and the White House. No, I'm here to fight stupidity like you are advocating.
You'll vote Republican no matter what, and they know it. You are neutered politically, and the sad part is that you can't recognize it. They could vote a 50% tax hike and you'd pull the lever out of fear that the Dem's might go 60%.
The only reason conservatives have any political influence whatsoever is because they are a significant force in the Republican Party. You are sad because I'm not stupid enough to fall for your snake oil. You want to shill on FR for the Democrats and can't believe we aren't buying your garbage.
What a sad state of affairs this nation is in.
You might try the French. They'll love to listen to you. They like the sound of surrender. Go Dean ...
He is just here to shill for Dean and other American traitors who are waiting to surrender to the French. Your patriotic reason will have no rational effect on him.
OK. At least you're honest about it. In that case, I expect you to be the one who spearheads the campaign for FR to be an associated and funded wing of the RNC. I mean...if what you say is ultimate truth...its the natural next step.
Paging...Jim Robinson...Jim Robinson.
They don't know and are incapable of comprehending the smallest of facts about government/politics.
Thats pretty obtuse...but thanks for enlightening all of us lowly pee-ons. Our nation and party is deeply indebited to you.
Ahem... This is the case in the US right now, with the current political landscape.
Choosing the means by which I will be murdered is not much of a choice. The technical details of implementation are of no consequence to me given the result.
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