If we were to measure the Republican party's behavior midway through Obama's term as president, we would conclude two things: dumb and lazy is better than smart and productive.
The party's definition of what it takes to be a good, productive citizen has shifted from disseminating a belief in basic, decent principles like thrift, honesty, humility and walking senior citizens across the street to unfettered profiteering with zero accountability and no consequences for corruption or inadequacy. Unless one fulfills the dream of fame and/or profit regardless of how ill-earned or ill-gotten, one's motives and loyalties are suspect.
From überfrau(d) Sarah Palin to any number of dumb-ol'-boy racist pols (who can't help but belch forth their true colors -- or, rather, true loathing of color) to right wing plant/sub-cretin Alvin Greene (who Republican black ops-ers hope and pray will cling to all things Democrat, like plaque to a redneck's tooth), the values which once actually defined a reasonable, classic conservative approach to living life in the United States have now been subsumed and epitomized by the greedy opportunists whose prime purpose is to perpetuate power and profit (and I proffer that pearl while puking profiteroles). The less efficient one is at governing, why, the better their chances of being a full fledged American success. Hey, Sarah: how's that ka-chingy ka-chingy thing doin'? Just fine, by the looks of it.
As we watch the destruction of the Gulf coast, we are also watching the Reps being conspicuously idle, allowing Obama's plate, already piled way too high with messes from the previous administration, grow even less manageable. And even though it would be in the country's interest to offer support, to extend bipartisan help, will they? Nah. They would prefer an unquenchable eruption of killing krude do their dirty work for them. After all, they have their mint juleps to sip and the return to primacy to contemplate.
With the country transubstantiated into one big Monday Night Football scenario, Spectacle and Sophistry has replaced Sense and Sanity as the party's imperative. To paraphrase the late, great Brother Theodore, the Republican party's moral failure is proving to be its greatest success. In the long run, given the spate of misbegotten wars, failed banking and housing industries, rampant obesity, globally low scholastic ranking, unhinged CEO golden parachutes, fewer and fewer goods manufactured in the U.S. -- all directly backed or indirectly enabled by Republican policies of inaction -- that reality may actually work to their advantage.
The Republican's playbook is spilling over with the most cynical tactics ever devised by the drunken fratboys who comprise their brain trust.
It's almost like they gave up fighting what they used to think was the good fight. They saw how difficult it was to strive for things in a world which suddenly became competitive. The Republicans -- like their avatar Sarah Palin -- just threw up their hands midway and said "Eff it!"
It's much easier being dumb.
Follow Steven Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@TheStevenWeber
http://tothewire.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/its-just-not-about-hate/#comment-17703
I win, I win, I win!!
PS... Steven, we're missing your posts here...what's up? Liberal writer's block?
mmh
You seem to think that in order to care about the less fortunate, we must be liberals. And you erroneously think that Jesus was a liberal because he cared about the poor etc. I just love when non believers make ignorant claims about Jesus' true messages and purpose.. it's such a prominent display of ignorance (and so supportive of my assertions).
Did you know that more conservatives than liberals attend church and worship God? And desire to abide by His will which is to help the poor and needy? I would be shocked if you weren't aware of that. And did you know that conservatives contribute more money and aid to the poor than liberals?
I'm so sick of the left trying to define liberals and republicans by the actions of a small group who, often and unfortunately, do have more power and money than the average conservative/ republican. Of course there is corruption in this party... just as there is corruption in the liberal / democratic party but you don't see republicans / conservatives trying to define liberals by the actions of a small minority. On the contrary, liberals are defined by the majority... pro choice, anti God.
The left really do seem to be mathematically challenged I have to say.
cont...
And this that you said..."Jesus hung out with sinners. He hung out with prostitutes, with Gentiles (you know, those icky, non-Jewish people) and with those on the fringes. He rejected greed, violence, the glorification of power, the amassing of wealth without social balance, and the personal judging of others, their
lifestyles and beliefs. "
Wow.. where to start with this.. and the ultimate irony/ hypocrisy here is that you began your comment accusing me of "twisting". "tooo much"..
Okay, first, yes, Jesus "hung out" with those people, ALONG with those that did follow God's will; you made it sound like He rejected those people who did obey God. And just because He didn't shun those people that in no way meant that He condoned their behaviors and actions... and He did judge them... "go and sin no more". Twisting is what liberals do when they quote Jesus' words.. EVERY TIME...
twisting to make it look like Jesus is okay with their corrupt stances and choices.
"He rejected greed, violence.." of course He did, again, how does that support your claim that He would be liberal as opposed to conservative??? It doesn't. Conservatives are against greed and violence also!
cont..
that is how much conservatives care about their fellow human beings.
conservatives are apologizing to BP for being inconvenienced.
conservatives don't want gays to serve in the military, or get married and adopt children.
conservatives like to think that god is on their side.
kams you are so boring and your arguments are so ignorant, please go away.
you know nothing about jesus, you just like to tell "stories" of which you know naught.
jesus is not ok with you using his name to hate and deceive.
you are just sadly looking for more attention.
Sorry buddy, but when that 1% elite are your representatives in congress that you conservatives elected, they DO define your principles and ideology.
You (liberals) desire to "glorify" government.
And this IS the whole crux of this issue... it's the big picture that you all can't seem to grasp, or for many.. you fully understand and it IS your very goal.
"Glorifying" government.. giving them more and more power will eventually force God out of society.
Just look at the socialistic and communistic governments now and in the past; China and Russia as two examples. That IS where liberalism and socialism leads. This IS THE goal of liberalism. And so, it SHOULD be very clear... VERY VERY CLEAR that Jesus would be against excessive government control, i.e. liberalism, socialism, communism etc.
You said Jesus rejected "the amassing of wealth without social balance ".
What?? Where?? Please quote the passages that support this.
You said Jesus rejected "the personal judging of others, their
lifestyles and beliefs.."
Again.. WHAT?? Where?? Please quote the passages.
This is what many many liberals like to claim... that Jesus was against judging.
cont..
steven posts something that basically says what a lot of us were thinking but just maybe couldnt find the words for. we come on huff and thank him for articulating what we were struggling to do. he is basically preaching to the choir. the people who need to GET what he (and others) are saying, dont, wont and never will. their "beliefs" are so entrenched by years of lies and doctrine that they couldnt hear us even if they wanted to (which they dont). it is like catching a kid with his hand ACTUALLY IN THE COOKIE JAR, and as he stands there, gobbling cookie after cookie, he continues to proclaim his innocence. you can say to the kid: hey, you are eating the cookies. (no i am not) you are chewing one right now! (no i am not) that is a cookie in your hand! (no it isnt). until the world actually implodes from their ignorance, they aint gonna get it. no amount of posts on huff (or the myriad other places of similar ilk) is going to make any difference. people like kams will continue to show up, twisting and distorting everything said, making arguments that have nothing to do with anything.
cont
i can only assume they do this in some misguided belief that if they keep saying this slop, they will change our beliefs or maybe it is some kind of HEY, LOOK OVER HERE! DONT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO WHAT THAT MAN IS SAYING!
i, for one, am just too tired to deal with it any longer. i love reading the opinions of all of the posters on huff. i like getting differing points of view. i really like learning new things. but, boiled bunny or no, i am no longer going to engage the crazies who post salacious unfounded drivel scantily clothed in a mantel of piety. it makes my head hurt.
mmh
As far at the posts on this thread are concerned. One, I'm exhausted, but I will say that kams is probably THE only righty I've ever seen here that actually debates...So good job with that for what it's worth.
I have 3 new people I have fanned, so that's cool! (psst you are one)
I'm probably rambling, no coffee yet...
Great Blog Steven (thought I'd mention it)
when the real truth is, he can't stand his ground,
"I'm a liberal and I debated thee,
So you can't claim victory",
but clearly his loss is profound.
She lives for the chance to get evern.
She almost got banned.
Her opinions are canned.
If she's coming around, then I'm leavin'.
mmh
not even the siamese twins.
with gawd on her side.
it's kams rules we abide.
while she bloviates on liberal sins.
My comments are being "scrubbed" by some anonymous "mod" and I can not see why. I made two replies to another commenter, not approaching the level of "personal attacks" and they have not gone up, TWICE!
I know that you can "approve" a comment or basically "override" a mod. Would you look into it please.
Thanks
for some reason they are not getting thru. ?????
mmh
I enjoy all of your posts but this one is "special" to me.
dumb is dangerous
and i'm glad to see you approaching it head on. keeping the truth alive.
i never really understood why the dumb not only cling to it, they take great pride in it.
it's because it's easy.
btw, i caught 'happy town' and i really liked it's weird david lynch feel.
i didn't understand a thing but i got caught up in it right away.
you look great and i've been a big fan of lauren german since hostel 2. she is beautiful.
i plan on watching tonight.
thanks again.
From where I (and it would seem most people) are sitting, we've only seen a candidate who seems to be voicing comments that are fed to him by his lawyer. These performances don't seem to present a person who has his own views, and certainly don't look like a man who has the ambition or the grasp of the issues that one would generally demonstrate as having motivated them to "run for office". There simply doesn't seem to be any "fire in the belly" so to speak.
So, if you have more information of Mr. Greene's views that you can share, please do. If you can offer some context of how these views were "voiced" (e.g. interview, speaking engagement, etc.) that would be helpful too.
What is a reasonable, classic conservative? One slightly less superstitious, racist, reactionary, fear driven, greedy, violent, polluting, invading, thieving, raping, killing, etc.?
"One can't say all conservatives are stupid people. But one can say that all stupid people are conservatives"
John Stewart Mill
"gawd can throw lightning bolts and stuff but when i heard this i said to myself, 'gawd what are you doing?'"
oh, it's too easy to be dumb. fanned.