The Political Battle Royal

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Republicans are Liars

http://professorchaos.mu.nu/archives/122426.html

Below is a rant about the recent precipitous decline of the ethos of the Republican party, based upon a conversation I had while attending a somewhat elitist Washington DC party.
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Democrats are socialists.

While some may be surprised at this statement, this shouldn't be at all controversial given the policy preferences of mainstream Democrats. That's not to say that Democrats are communists or moronic Chomskyites (although some of the fools among them are), but the fundamental credo of that party is a belief in redistribution of wealth and a large amount of government intrusion into an individual's private life in an effort to make everything "fair". I completely disagree with their ideology, but I give Democrats credit for being forthcoming about their socialist designs
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Republicans, on the other hand, are simply liars.

Republicans lie to Americans daily by proclaiming that they are an alternative to Democratic socialism. They purport to believe in law and order (like securing our borders), smaller government (they'll) ensure fiscal responsibility and cut federal spending), and they promise to behave morally (and they'll hire porn squads to spy on you while pretending to believe in privacy). Basically, the Republican party is one founded upon three absolute lies.

I write this post in anger after having gone to a party at my neighbor's house; he's the chief of staff for a very prominent US Senator from a very red state. After a few drinks, he goaded me into telling stories about the silly liberalism of some of my students (a favorite topic of conversation among conservatives, as if there aren't ignorant conservative students with misguided ideas). Anyway, one of those listening was a Republican lobbyist, who thought my stories were funny but who made it a point to proclaim that while he himself was very conservative -- he'd worked on the Goldwater campaign in 1960 -- he was also very proud that as a lobbyist he's "crossed the isle" (a lame DC cliche) and has worked with and is friends with some good Democrats.

"Like who" I asked.

"Well", he said, "during the Clinton years we did some land deals with Bruce Babbitt, who's a good guy and a friend."

To this I answered what any informed American would have: "you mean Bruce Babbitt, the criminal who by all rights should be in prison?"

The guy was shocked that I would dare say such a thing, and dumbfounded when I explained to him that between his tenure as Arizona governor and his eight-year stint as Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt and his family (through Babbitt Brothers Trading Company) bought up a substantial amount of land in eastern Arizona at incredibly low rates, only to have that same land declared nationally protected lands once he was appointed Secretary of the Interior. Thus once in office, the land Babbitt and his family members bought at premium prices was reassessed and repurchased by the federal government -- with taxpayers' money -- at many times the original purchase price. And therefore Bruce Babbitt is a criminal and the enemy of any and all law-abiding Americans.

In an Asian society, having violated the public trust in such a way, Babbitt would be honor-bound to kill himself. In this country, the federal government was duty-bound to prosecute him for stealing from the taxpayers. Of course Babbitt's crimes occurred during the Clinton administration, when lying and stealing were the rule of the day. The only targets of the Clinton administration seemed to be conservatives largely minding their own business (think Ruby Ridge and Waco). Ok, I know, I'm still trying to let go and move past the accepted corruption of the Clinton years, but it isn't easy.

Anyway, tonight I had to once again endure a self-proclaimed "conservative" Republican singing the praises of a Democrat thief like Babbitt. But why? Why did I have to deal with "conservative" standing up for a crook? Because, the lobbyist told me, this particular crook, while in power, gave land concessions to this Republican's interest group (Indian gaming interests in another red state).

Yes, it all made sense once I was told that.

The only logical conclusion here is that Republicans, once in power or with access to power, are much less conservative than they are self-interested politicians (read: pieces of garbage just like Democrats). What Republicans seek to "conserve" is their power and privilege over the little people -- i.e. you and me. It all comes back to a calculation of "my big government is better than your big government, but if the other party is in charge then make sure to cut me in on the booty." The whole project of a federal government is a gigantic scam. The Federalist Papers warned us against such folly, but it seems that we were unable to avoid betraying the founding fathers as well as ourselves.

So while the members of the two-party, DC duopoly in our nation's capital go to cocktail parties and mock the silly "little people" (you know, us), Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are spinning in their graves.

The Democrats may have no ideas other than those which they inherited from Stalin, but the Republican party continues to simply make it up as they go along. Whatever keeps them in power seems to be their only modus operandi, which is worse than pathetic for what was once the party of ideas.

On a personal note it's looking like I won't be invited back to any of my neighbor's parties. Well, that's ok, that party was dead anyway ...