Letters to the Editor
prunes
Published Letters: 784
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FWIW...
[Read the article: The great right-wing fraud to repudiate George W. Bush]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...there were a few of us who realized just a few months in how little this administration would care for governmental accountability, financial responsibility, civil rights, Constitutional protections, and other ostensibly conservative ideals.
But it cannot be denied that the self-styled "conservatives" in this country whole-heartedly embraced the most radical agenda in our government in at least 50 years, and that they did not care about anything the government did, as long as it continued to speak the right "conservative buzz words".
And so I have (sadly) concluded that there is no really conservative movement (as I envision it) as such in America, one that would actually begin to increase our liberties, restrain the government, and detach itself from corporate influence. On every front I can think of, the Democratic party is now more "conservative" in the plain sense than the Neocon party.
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@bethincary
[Read the article: The great right-wing fraud to repudiate George W. Bush]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is GW truly represents people-it was never ABOUT you conservatives! It was about using you so that a core group of men can make money off of you.
Exactly! People for some reason think that just because the man on TV says he's looking out for you, you should take him at his word. Until Americans start thinking for themselves again and get the guts to call "BS" when a politician is feeding it to them, this country's not going to get better.
You and the entire conservative movement got hoodwinked by the "nerdy" Neocon crowd right under your own nose.
If I had been asked in 2000 to imagine what I thought the opposite of conservative values were, my answer would have been remarkably close to the current Neocon platform.
I don't care what people label me politically as anymore, I just want these crooked Nazi slimeballs out of office and away from my tax money and rights.
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@shooter242
[Read the article: The great right-wing fraud to repudiate George W. Bush]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Apparently you are mistaking the shopping list for the next Republican presidential candidate for real concern. Ask any of these you quote, whether they would have been better off with Kerry. To a man/woman they will laugh in your face.
So... you are saying that these "conservatives" would prefer a MORE militaristic, authoritarian, unaccountable, imperial candidate than Bush?
Then they're not conservative in any meaningful sense (rather like you), they just use the word as a label for "their team."
It would be nice if you neocons could just have the sack to admit you want to live under Mussolini. This twisting of language you constantly engage in is so craven and dishonest, if you really believed anything you claim, you'd support different candidates than you do.
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I think...
[Read the article: The great right-wing fraud to repudiate George W. Bush]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...there are at least two processes at work here in the evolving public discourse, a) the neocon Dolchstosslegende described by Glenn in the post and b) an actual redefinition of what constitutes "American conservatism."
They are not unrelated, and seem to be mutually reinforcing. When a) is in effect, the meanings of conservative tropes become somewhat detached from their original intent, this allows b) to take effect, since we're calling Joe Blow a "librul" now for standing up to the GOP, that must mean the line of principle has moved. It's a changing world, we have to change our priorities.
And things have gotten to the point where conservative rhetoric has become completely unmoored from any reference point, there is no possible way to argue that neocon policies "really" in some sense reflect traditional conservative values, but it doesn't matter to neocons because they're operating in mode a) all the time anyway.
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Tax cuts
[Read the article: The great right-wing fraud to repudiate George W. Bush]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]those who might love tax cuts, but love a balanced budget even more.
This is one issue that completely infuriates me, because those claiming Bush's tax cuts did anything for the economy are apparently unable to handle the simplest math. I don't know how they pay their mortgages.
If you need x dollars for your budget, you can either tax x dollars or you can borrow x dollars.
If you decide to borrow the money so you can take lower taxes, that is worse than no tax cut whatsoever. Borrowed money bears interest, which would not have to be paid if the funds were simply taxed.
The interest on the national debt now exceeds the national deficit. That means if the budget were balanced tomorrow, we would still be sliding deeper into debt everyday. This situation was completely created by Republican pork spending, as the war funds are largely specially provisioned. I will not forget or forgive their basic irresponsibility in this matter.
There is no economic conservatism at the GOP.
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@tiberius
[Read the article: The great right-wing fraud to repudiate George W. Bush]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Bush was never a typical conservative and anyone who says otherwise is just being ridiculous.
Then why not speak plainly about what he really wanted to do? Why abuse the terms of traditional conservative discourse?
Because otherwise no one in their right mind would go along with his bogus plans, that's why.
The neocon movement is fundamentally dishonest. Honesty isn't even considered a virtue among this crowd, more like a sign of weakness.