On Oct 5, 2006, at 7:46 AM, Ed Leafe wrote:
On Oct 5, 2006, at 7:14 AM, Wolfe, Stephen S GS-11 6 MDSS/SGSI wrote:
Richard A. Viguerie
Correct. Did you know that, or Google it?
I point this comment out because it's echoing what a lot of my
more conservative friends have been saying more and more often
lately: the current Republicans are not reflecting conservative
values at all, but instead are simply acting in the name of greed
and petty self-interest. I was raised in a Goldwater Republican
family, and I can say with certainty that my parents would have
been appalled at what is being done in the name of 'conservative'
values.
Although I doubt Ed considers me a Republican 'friend' I will confirm
personally what he's saying in this post, speaking at least from my
idea of what conservatism is and/or ought to be.
You judge a tree by its fruit, or in the case of "compassionate" log-
cabin, big-spending republicanism, its fruits. Our culture is not
improving on any level, neither more dedicated to life nor inclined
toward civilized behavior; our fiscal discipline as a country -- not
just the Congress, but also as individuals -- has never been worse;
our education system is a sham and has been for several decades, and
its only getting worse. I don't know what exactly we're supposed to
be conserving anymore. Nobody even remembers the economic system that
made this country strong (hint: it was neither trickle-down laissez
faire, nor socialist/redistributionist but actually something that
made sense and was true to our republican (small 'r') principles).
Our war to liberate Iraq appears to vindicate two common sense notions:
+ It's good to have superior firepower and precision-guided weaponry,
and we should never lose that edge, since we can't rely on our brains
anymore;
+ You can't force civilization on barbarians if you are a big
pampered sissy yourself, as we clearly have become if a majority of
Americans actually think our losses there are on any scale known to
human history somehow "too costly" for the gain realized in such a
short period of time, historically and geologically speaking (i.e., a
brutal dictator in chains, women free, people no longer being
murdered and mutilated by their government, the oppressed voting for
their leaders, terrorists dying or dying trying, etc). We clearly
don't have the courage of our convictions as a nation when half of it
is acting like we're the terrorists for doing a good and righteous
thing for a change, instead of merely coddling dictators and paying
lip service to liberty, as was our proud bipartisan policy in the past.
I tried to believe in the more liberal notion of nation-building and
global integration after 9/11. I wanted to believe in "democracy" and
that all the Arab world needed was a taste of freedom. But apparently
freedom and liberty isn't for all peoples and nations, or at least
the rest of the world doesn't seem to think so, as they cheer
monsters like Hugo Chavez on in his comedy routine at the UN. Some
people really do prefer slavery, poverty, corruption and rule-by-
force. The arabs aren't the only ones inclining toward tyranny
whenever possible: Europe appears to be headed in that direction, so
lazy and decadent has it become---not to mention a breeding ground
for islamonazis.
Our own inner city communities (and I was born in one) tend
overwhelmingly toward the party that promises the freest ride, the
biggest doles and the most permissive social values. And they aren't
getting smaller, despite the millions of cheap, fast, affordable
abortions every year.
The only thing that keeps me more or less loosely in the Republican
fold is the thought of the current Democrat leadership taking the
reigns, given their idiotic views on terrorism and how to prevent it.
I really wish the Democrats had leadership with some common sense
where the war on terror is concerned: they all seem to be drinking
the same stupid potion. Maybe with some undeserved success they're
acquire a little brains. In reality, they aren't looking good in this
election because they have put forward some kind of intelligible
platform, other than Hate Bush. They simply got the Clinton war
machine back in operation, which is now (as it has in the past) gone
into overtime to ensure the Foley scandal doesn't go away before
November. The politics of personal destruction isn't going away any
time soon, especially if the Democrats are rewarded this fall for
their engaging in it---it seems to be the only way either party makes
its case to the voters.
The trust the Republicans were given was nearly total, and it has not
resulted in better moral values or actual prosperity (if you're
living on debt, either as a person or a nation, you aren't
prosperous). To think the Democrats will some how usher in either is
foolhardy and intellectually dishonest, but if we must have foolish
and intellectually dishonest government, I'd rather have the other
party represent it for a while. We need new leaders before we can
make anything good happen.
If the Republicans can't get their house in order and right quick,
I'm not looking forward to the next 10-12 years, except as an
opportunity to be entertained by Democrat foibles and scandals for a
change, and maybe we'll have a chance to enjoy a revival of sorts in
genuine conservatism.
This 'compassionate' version hasn't gotten us anywhere or
distinguished us at all from real-deal Democrat pork-barrel demagogues.
Hope is the last thing to die, anyway.
- Bob
-- Ed Leafe
-- http://leafe.com
-- http://dabodev.com
[excessive quoting removed by server]
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