Now conservatives promote huge Federal subsidies.I'm sorry, but I have to STRONGLY disagree with this.
Conservatives, and I count myself as one, do NOT promote huge Federal subsidies. RATS and RINOS maybe, but not conservatives.
Posted on 07/24/2004 11:59:47 PM PDT by Capitalism2003
DRINKING THE LIBERAL POISON
By James R. Cook
The first thing liberals want to do when elected to office is raise taxes. They especially want to punish the rich. In fact, they prefer taxes to be so high they become a disguised means of confiscation. They overlook the fact that people with money provide the savings, capital and investments necessary to foster new business and grow existing enterprise. High taxes are a penalty on progress.
Recently, Hilary Clinton told a group of wealthy people, "We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." Of course, the liberals and socialists want to determine exactly what the public good is going to be. So far, their efforts on behalf of the public good have led to one failed socialist scheme after another. The philosopher Leonard Read wrote, "statism is but socialized dishonesty; it is feathering the nests of some with feathers coercively plucked from others on a grand scale. There is no moral difference between the act of a pickpocket and the progressive income tax or any other social program." The writer, Craig Cantoni put it this way. "Those on the receiving end of a public good like the public good more than those on the paying end."
Liberals believe an inexhaustible fund exists that can be tapped endlessly to pay for government social programs. Tax the rich and give it to a long line of moochers, pork barrel hustlers and ne’er-do-wells. These funds would otherwise have been employed as additional capital indispensable to economic progress. When taxes become too high, capital is consumed rather than accumulated, and profits, wage rates and living standards fall. The progressive tax system favored by the left eventually liquidates itself. It kills the goose that laid the golden egg.
The great economist Murray Rothbard put it this way, "….soaking the rich to subsidize the poor, does no such thing. In fact, soaking the rich would have disastrous effects, not just for the rich but for the poor and middle classes themselves. For it is the rich who provide a proportionately greater amount of saving, investment capital, entrepreneurial foresight, and financing of technological innovation that has brought the United States to by far the highest standard of living – for the mass of the people – of any country in history. Soaking the rich would not only be profoundly immoral, it would drastically penalize the very virtues: thrift, business foresight, and investment, that have brought about our remarkable standard of living."
All of the huge, expensive social programs run by government are hatched by liberals. Public housing, Medicare, the varied subsidies of the "great society" all came from the left. This orgy of vote buying worked to the benefit of liberals who were rewarded by voters with public office. The other side took notice and began to climb on board. Now conservatives promote huge Federal subsidies. It’s become a race to see who can come up with unique ways to dispense benefits. Republicans have drunk the liberal poison.
The founding fathers established a government to keep us safe inside the country and to protect us from enemies without. In a modern society we justify adding government protection of health, safety and the environment. Beyond that, it’s all subsidies and spending. We take money from those who earn it and give it to those who don’t. Would you voluntarily donate your money to a major corporation to subsidize gasohol or give it to abusive mothers whose delinquent children may someday be a threat to your safety?
Subsidies are ruining us because they are morally bankrupt. They corrupt what they touch. They cause the huge government deficits that must be financed through raw inflating. When you superimpose the cost of war and other emergencies on a runaway social budget, you can be certain the dollar will be debased. The liberals would pare down defense spending, and you may or may not disagree. However, their bias is to always increase social spending. That’s why subsidies are running away and they will do so until the government or the taxpayers go broke, whichever comes first.
That grape Kool-Aid ... he called it poison.. thats not polite =o)
This orgy of vote buying worked to the benefit of liberals who were rewarded by voters with public office. The other side took notice and began to climb on board. Now conservatives Republicans promote huge Federal subsidies.
Republican politicians can not be considered "conservatives" once they adopt the policies of the Left.
Unfortunately, the entire Republican congress (with the notable exception of Ron Paul) has embraced big government with open arms...bragging about all the goodies they are kindly "giving" Americans (kennedy education bill, massive farm subsidies, $700 billion $$$ medicare entitlement, and a 12.5% across the board annual increase in NON DEFENSE spending).
If you believe in limited government, you can't support today's GOP.
"At what point will conservatives stop accepting these excuses? When does the conservative base of the GOP, a base that remains firmly committed to the principle of limited government, finally demand new leadership and a return to conservative values? Will conservatives abandon the party when they realize the GOP, at least under its current leadership, is simply not interested in reducing the size and scope of the federal government? With Republicans controlling the administration and the legislature, and nominally controlling the Supreme Court, the party has run out of other people to blame. One thing is certain: Republicans who support bigger entitlement programs and bigger federal budgets have lost all credibility as advocates for limited government."
"Conservatives and liberals are kindred spirits as far as government spending is concerned. First, let's make sure we understand what government spending is. Since government has no resources of its own, and since there's no Tooth Fairy handing Congress the funds for the programs it enacts, we are forced to recognize that government spending is no less than the confiscation of one person's property to give it to another to whom it does not belong – in effect, legalized theft." – Walter Williams
"In our desire to have government become our benefactor and sustainer, we have allowed it to become our taskmaster and overlord. As a result, we have become little more than well-fed, well-entertained slaves to the state. Freedom, as envisioned by our forefathers, is gone." – Chuck Baldwin
"The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases." – Thomas Jefferson
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis
"The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits." – Thomas Jefferson
The Ten Commandments contain 297 words. The Bill of Rights is stated in 463 words. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address contains 266 words. A recent federal directive to regulate the price of cabbage contains 26,911 words. – The Atlanta Journal
"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand." – Milton Friedman
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." – William Pitt (1783)
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." – Thomas Jefferson
"Whatever the issue, let freedom offer us a hundred choices, instead of having government force one answer on everyone." – Harry Browne
"I shall exert every faculty I possess in aiding to prevent the Constitution from being nullified, destroyed, or impaired; and even though I should see it fail, I will still, with a voice feeble, perhaps, but earnest as ever issued from human lips, and with extinguish, call on the people to come to its rescue." – Daniel Webster
"Given man's nature, freedom will always be in jeopardy, and the only question that need concern each of us is if and how well we took our stand in its defense during the short period of time when we were potentially a part of the struggle." – Benjamin Rogge
"The American heritage was one of individual liberty, personal responsibility and freedom from government … Unfortunately … that heritage has been lost. Americans no longer have the freedom to direct their own lives … Today, it is the government that is free – free to do whatever it wants. There is no subject, no issue, no matter … that is not subject to legislation." – Harry Browne
"The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire." – Robert A. Heinlein
"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere." – Thomas Jefferson (1743-1846)
"It is sobering to reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for independence." – Charles A. Beard
"In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man and brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot." – Mark Twain
Here are many more great Libertarian Quotes
First of all, like many drugs, it distorts the perception of reality of those who take it in. Rather than altering sensory perceptions, though, it alters the notions of cause and effect. Although I've read liberalism characterized as 'rationalized bad behavior', under a liberal's perception of reality, behavior which to a conservative would seem to be obviously immoral is entirely reasonable.
Secondly, as with drugs, there are user-pushers and non-user pushers; the user-pushers tend to be sincere and vocal in pitching their stuff, but it's the non-user-pushers who make the real money.
Thirdly, as with drugs, liberalism can be extremely addicting. Indeed, it is in some ways more addicting than any chemical drug known to man. Nonetheless, addiction to liberalism can be cured. Unfortunately, few of those who have never been addicted have any clue about what goes on in the minds of liberalism-addicts.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, friend.
Now conservatives promote huge Federal subsidies.I'm sorry, but I have to STRONGLY disagree with this.
Conservatives, and I count myself as one, do NOT promote huge Federal subsidies. RATS and RINOS maybe, but not conservatives.
Actually, this forum is supposed to be for CONSERVATIVES.
Pointing out the lack of conservative economic policies in the GOP is a legitimate criticism. If things continue down this path, Bush will continue to lose support. You can't out-democrat the democrats and expect to win an election.
He could take a few lessons from Reagan...starting with how to VETO something. Big Ron used the veto pen nearly 40 times in his first term. He refused to sign on to democrat spending plans and expansions of the welfare state. Bush has embraced these socialist policies in an attempt to "get along" with the left, and buy votes from the public. His veto count in 4 years? = 0
This is reality. If you want to save the Republican party, your only hope is to pull them back to the side of limited government. Otherwise, they deserve some pain at the ballot box.
Principle before party.
Votes are a proxy for money and power. There's tons of info on how to leverage money, and there are plenty of people who wield their power to grant subsidies in order to leverage even more power.
Funny, but true.
This country may be going to hell, but no sense in greasing the skids.
I'm of the firm belief that if JFK were alive and serving in the Senate today, he'd be one of the few conservative Republicans left in that august(and I use that word sarcastically) body.
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