Do the conservatives get anything right?
June 9th 2008 05:32
I never set out to disagree with American conservatives on every subject of import. You know, I would love to find one subject or policy that today's conservatives have right - trouble is, I can't. Try as I might, there isn't a thing they put forward that isn't detrimental to almost all Americans, not to mention the rest of the world. I'm being serious, I would like to find something I can say "you got that one right" about. It just hasn't happened for me.
They are wrong about the environment. From drilling for every barrel of oil they can to overuse of resources to species extinction to global warming, they are wrong. If we drill for all the oil we can all it could possibly accomplish is to delay our energy crisis. Don't you think it might be smarter to look for alternatives for what we can? If we decided to do it, we could have every gas using passenger car or truck off the road in 20 years. And then we would have oil alot longer for uses that have no easy alternative. Is there another way to fly jets?
They are wrong about the military and it's uses. The military should be for defense, not for corporate profit or crony empire building. Sure, they might counter that by saying America is defending itself in Iraq. Only a few still fall for that one. The military industrial complex needs to be reigned in before it runs roughshod over everything we hold dear.
They are wrong about the economy. Tax cuts for the rich and rampant deficit spending are driving the economy to the brink of a big fall. The wholesale destruction of the dollar is a big part of the sharp rise in the price of oil. If someone gave me a credit card with no limit and suspend payments for a few years, I could make my economy look good for awhile too. Of course, the bill comes due. We are seeing that now. When the economy begins to really tank, remember it is a direct result of the idiocy of "trickle down" economics.
They are wrong about health care. America has the most expensive health care in the world, but isn't even in the top thirty in measured results. We are the only industrial country that doesn't think enough of it's own citizens to promise them that a serious sickness will not devastate the economy of their family. When the idea of universal health care is brought up it is decried by the right as "socialized medicine." My question is, what's wrong with that? What's wrong with demanding a society consider health care a right?
Conservatives are wrong about the purpose of government. It seems that the conservatives think government exists as a profit-making venture. They claim to hate it, but have no problem using it to the advantage of friends, family, and cronies. Liberals see government as a function of the people. Government exists to promote the common good, not to protect the privileged.
They are wrong about civil rights. They claim to be in favor of liberty and rights, but when you look deeply, they mean the liberty to be like them. If you don't support their war you aren't a patriotic American. They rave about whether or not a candidate wears a flag lapel pin while supporting warrantless wiretapping, torture, and rendition. They talk about the need for prayer in schools. I wonder if that would include a prayer from a holy book other than theirs? Most liberals know that the separation of church and state is critical to a thriving democracy.
They are wrong about priorities. Conservatives have no problem with a huge and ballooning military budget, but don't want to spend for education, health care, or infrastructure. Bridges fall, New Orleans languishes, schools don't have money for repairs. But damn, we have money for more nuclear weapons.
Please, someone tell me - what, if anything, are the conservatives right about?
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Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Jeff, been meaning to ask you the story behind that "wake up America!' poster.
Comment by Jim Stillman
Political Certainty
Really Long Link
A few diehards (SL and her group) may still believe, but the publc knows better/
Thank you, my friend, for your insight.
Comment by Jeff Musall
And Jim, thanks....as for those who still cling to the ideals....I am certain they will fall away and be discreditied to the point of irrelevance...the question is, will it happen soon, or will it happen after we endure another great depression and/or world war?
Comment by Jeff Musall