The Real Conservatives
We often hear of the “Right Wing Conservatives.” These are the people that seized the flag after 9/11 and dressed in it as the only patriots in America. Our flag became the standard window dressing for the Conservatives. They waved it to justify the war. They used it to justify the removal of civil liberties. They used it to push through the Patriot Act. They used it to justify torture. All this begs one to wonder if they are really as conservative as they project themselves to be.
Fiscally, our nation has gone from a wealthy nation to one which is over financed and nearly totally owned by the Chinese. Billions have been spent on war and the rape and pillage of our natural resources.
When one hears the word conservative, one would think of conservation of economy and natural resources. Now consider the following situations and who would be the real conservatives; the Right wing or the Progressives:
Who does more recycling and reusing?
Who doesn’t want to spend money on the war?
Who doesn’t want private companies to exploit natural resources in sensitive areas?
Who is willing to use less to curtail consumption?
Who is more supportive of and willing to use mass transit?
Who is championing the purchase of locally produced foods and goods?
Who does not support the importations of all the Chinese crap that is sold at Wal*Mart?
The Progressives seem to be out-conserving the Conservatives by a large margin. The Right Wing credo states that taxes need to be cut, yet they spend more. That isn’t very conservative. It is time that the term conservative goes where it belongs; to those who conserve. The word Liberal now needs to go to those who are spending like there is no tomorrow. An a hint if I may, if they keep it up at the present rate there may not be a tomorrow.
Progressives need to take back the flag and call them selves the True Conservatives. They want to use less, spend less, and recycle and re-purpose what they have used. Those formerly known as Conservatives really need to be known as Liberals for their liberal spending and irresponsible tax breaks for the wealthy.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 5:26 AM
14 Comments:
Well said, Guy. Up is down an down is up. Wrong is right and right is wrong. It's a mixed up, muddled up, fucked up country we live in. The so-called "true" conservatives are really a cabal of authoritarian big spenders.... pimping fascism in the flag and the cross.
Well put. This should be headline "news." Wait, the only people still watching that are Conservatives waiting to see if the government will continue to bail out companies like Bear Stearns.
Yes the Brownsmead Flats exemplify true conservative principles http://www.brownsmeadflats.com/ and the chickenhawks like Limbaugh, Cheney, and the rest of the "NeoCons", (ufda! what kind of name is neocon) are down the rabbit hole, miss-guided, off track, wrong way liberals.
This really resonates with me too.
What really burns my backside about conservatives is this. They were cool with the people who brung them to the dance until they realized those people were keeping everything for themselves and burying everyone else ... including them along with the "liberals" they hated so much.
So, now that it's turned out that there's two kinds of republicans (millionaires and suckers) everyone's pointing fingers ... It's not OUR fault, they aren't TRUE conservatives after all!.
Well, Sparky, they were fine when you thought cozying up to them was going to mean you were going to be powerful. Now they're the millstone around your neck that'll sink you. Sadly, they'll also sink the rest of us.
Trop, things do change. Consider that Lincoln was a Liberal Republican just 150 years ago.
Lori, the beat goes on...
Anon, Nice way of slipping in a plug for the Flats, but hey, I like them, plug away. Besides you were the first here ever to use the word "Ufda." That is a conservative word for sure.
Samuel, spread the word, my friend, and welcome to Rust. Thanks for stopping by.
And you can prove these things? Interesting post, but I'm not drinking the Kool Aid.
syd, read What's the Matter with Kansas? A few excerpts can be found at that link. He does a good job of explaining how Americans have fallen for the Conservative line while selling themselves down the river.
Oh Conservative Syd...when was the last time you drove within the speed limit? Love ya, Darlin ; )
Rich, Right on!
So ... socialism and communism are "conservative"?
The "progressives" don't want to spend any less than the "conservatives". They just want to spend it on different things.
The "right" wants welfare for corporations, and the "left" wants welfare for individuals. Who's in power doesn't matter to how much money is spent, only where.
As to the war ... the "progressives" are just jealous they haven't thought of a way to increase spending on THEIR pork-barrel projects.
Guy, I love this post. Polemic and awesome. I didn't realize you leaned this far left... I'm guessing you probably don't and you're just disgusted. 4 years ago I quit paying attention to politics because I thought we got the governement we deserved. I'm less nihilistic now and hope more people are paying attention.
Walt, It goes beyond money. Sure both sides have pet projects and causes, but I'm talking about life style and behaviors as well.
Matt, I am not committed to either left or right. I judge each issue on it's own merit and the sense it may or may not make. As for you not paying attention?!? Sorry my friend, I don't buy it after reading about your lobbying experience with Smith and Wyden, and your review of Novick.
If you're talking lifestyle/behavior ... you have to exclude politicians. Because their lifestyle/behavior is the same no matter which side of the aisle they're on. Example: Al Gore may talk a good game about "saving" the environment, but his actions are contrary. They all talk the talk, but can't walk the walk.
Looking at the general public, I don't think there is an obvious divide as far as lifestyle/behavior. Does a car with "save the whales" bumperstickers pollute any less than one without? And do you really think the 1/3 of the country that calls itself "progressive" recycles that much more than the 1/3 that calls itself "conservative"? If it did, there'd be a LOT more recycling centers.
I postulate that the vast majority of the general populace are neither "progressive" nor "conservative" ... and are content as long as government stays as much out of their lives as possible. Excluding all the government workers/contractors, sucking at the teat of taxpayers, of course.
Walt, the behaviors I observe between the two groups are what I based this on. I don't know any Progressives who own Hummers. The Progressives I know live in smaller homes than the other group. The Progressives I know recycle seemingly more than than the other group. Matt Stansberry was recently in Washington DC and visited Wyden and Smith. Wyden's office was utilitarian and Smith's office was grotesque and over the top. There is a tax pie that does get cut up each year, but I think the underlying character of those who fill the plates goes a long way to determine their philosophy and the long-term good or harm it does for our future.
I like the post, however what it comes down to is that the political elite have divided the masses into these pigeon-holed categories that nothing can ever get accomplished because everyone is attacking each other for either being liberal or conservative. Unfortunately, the media is so entwined with the power elite that it will be the case until people can see outside of their individualized boxes. In reality, myself on the left wing have more in common with those on the far right than I do with those in the "middle." The middle ground has a "death grip" on American politics and unless people step away from their box the future is bleak.
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