I'm one of those "conservatives" who before the 2000 election irritated my liberal friends by saying that GWB was no conservative, in fact, he was just a dumber and even less principled version of his old man.

In that, I maligned his old man (who, while maybe an imperialist, not a fascist). GWB is and was not a conservative, he is a fascist with Trotskyite flourishes (what a great combo!).

Unfortunately, those people around me -- and in the Republican party and the media -- whom I thought were conservatives turned out to be fascists, as well. It's certainly difficult now to trust anyone in the Republican party, let alone forgive them for what they have to done to this world.

Don't know where this leaves me, but I've certainly learned a lot in the last 6 years and thought about a lot of stuff that I had taken for granted. I certainly don't identify as a Republican-leaning libertarian any more.

Thanks for the explanation -- and for the new vocab. :)

No, I wasn't making fun of you IVG. Smelling the lilacs IS really the center of the universe and the meaning of life. People, just going about their business, doing what they do in their own little worlds, not bothering anybody, enjoying God's creation. That's it, that's the high point. For me, anyway. Which is why I get so PISSED OFF at the neo-cons and their "ilk" (why do I hate that word?), their co-religionists and fellow travelers, who don't want people smelling the beautiful flowers and minding their own business. They want death and glory and power.

Lilacs is more important. And better.

BTW LWM, I's a girl.

You taking the piss, luv?

-- IntrovertGirl

Um, huh? 'splain me this, please?

Hard to believe there are people who want to torture anyone when lilacs are in bloom.

-- IntrovertGirl

And that is really the absolute bottom line reality. The keys to the kingdom. The whole point to the universe. Yes.

This idea that we have of ourselves, that we are more virtuous than the rest of the world, and are therefore anointed to set it right at our convenience, was always a blasphemous presumption, and now that we've seen where it's led us, and where we've followed without much protest, I can't see that we've much right to mourn the very real American virtues our folly has obscured. Not, at any rate, until we set our own house in order.

-- William Timberman

Humility is the most underrated of virtues.

For all the JFKs out there who want to Do Justice, in caps, because they are so good and virtuous, seems they've forgotten the rest of Micah's injunction: What does the Lord require of you? Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.

Because wise men know that those who think they can remake other people's worlds, without remembering kindness and humility, will inevitably fall into the traps of empire and the many sins of pride.

Why do right wingers, if you say something critical about Bush Co., immediately deduce from this criticism that you must love some authoritarian lefty?

Must be the fluoride.

You have it exactly right (or least, as I see it!). The Cons did not want to be in Iraq because Sadam was a threat, or because they could get their hands on the oil (altho that surely added some spice to the pudding), or to liberate the Iraqi people. They wanted to be in Iraq as a springboard to go against Syria and especially Iran.

And they are now starting up their moves against Iran again, after a brief hiatus. It appears to me that they had been stymied for a while by the Dem win in Nov and the subsequent congressional pushback, but now that the Dems have shown their yellow flags (removing the wording about having to get permission to attack Iran in the House, failing to generate any real outrage or back up subpoenas in their oversight committees, and then fading on the Iraq war funding), the WH is emboldened again and appears to me to be getting ready for a bold/reckless strike in the ME.

In the previous thread, Kovie called me lazy for being depressed about our prospects, but I don't feel lazy, just frantic. So far, Pres. Bush has exceeded my every expectation of perfidy and lawlessness. I hope I'm wrong this time, but I really don't see what's to stop him from going over this last cliff. And with Rove thinking ahead, they've got the directive giving Bush dictatorial powers in case anyone objects. Maybe I'm hysterical -- I certainly hope I am, and that instead of the doomsday scenario I see, we'll just muddle through until 2008, when a Dem will be elected Pres. and restore a bit of the Old Republic.