Letters to the Editor
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Reagan and Carter
Great analysis of Matt Bai's book, but I have to disagree with your take on Reagan. All these years later, it is easy to forget how bad things were in 1980. We had double-digit inflation and unemployment. To combat inflation, the Fed pushed interest rates into the double-digits as well, causing mortagage rates to skyrocket and real estate markets to crash. Overseas, we were mired in the seemingly unending Iran hostage crisis. The Cold War was in full swing and people were terrified. Strategic arms talks were stalled and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan made the entire process look like a farce. Fairly or not, voters blamed Jimmy Carter for this string of disasters. They weren't manipulated into voting for Reagan. They voted against Carter, and they did it again in 1984, when they voted against Mondale, his VP.
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Of course it is wrong
It is a book about what's wrong with the Democrats by yet another lying republican.
Lack of big ideas is the problem? Yeah, universal healthcare, higher minimum wages, better regulation of business and maintenance of our national infrastructure are tiny, tiny ideas. Unlike those big ideas the republicans had in the 90s like. Lower taxes and ... um... hating Clinton and ... and... More corruption and treason? Was that the last one? Had to be, they sure followed through on it!
Hatred of Bush will keep the Democrats out of power? I suppose he's right there. After all, look at how the Republicans obsessive hatred of Clinton kept them out of power from 2001 to 2006. Heck, it cost them congress back in 1994 right? right?
Oh, wait...
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Close but no cigar...
I think it's not that Democrats are lame. It's that they are the SAME.
Oh sure, there's big noise about abortion and gun control, but if you look beyond the propagandistic hot-button issues, both sides vote exactly the same. They have the same corporate donors. They're all a bunch of rich assholes. They all hate us as much as we hate them.
How much of Reagan's constitutional damage did Clinton undo? None.
Has any Democrat front-runner talked about reversing the Bush II power grabs?
Of course they're going to play up the Bush hatred. It is actually in tune with the majority of Americans and it is one of the scarce differences between the two parties...
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Anti-War and Anti-Bush: Shallow and Not Enough!
As democrats and their fervent mouth-pieces coalesce about the rotting carcass of the Bush administration:more Bush-bashing is like kicking a dead horse and screaming obscenities.
Those who oppose the War are self-honoring cretins removed from any patriotic obligation to fight for preservation of the last best hope of this earth. As their legions of leftists convene with MSM in tow, dictators and terrorists cheer that the old style Americanism with its macho belief in the efficacy of the US military is passe. In its place will be the pants-suiters and pacifists and trial attorneys negotiating appeasement with Iran and Venezuela, while reassuring Castro that his model for health care is best for America and the world. As they cheer Wall Street's demise and cajole hedge-funds which pay ridiculous salaries these democrats seek to destroy jobs for the poor with their minimum wage laws(in the name of compassion.)
Their only bet is that Bush hatred due to Gore-Kerry's losses and manipulation of the black vote by Katrina nonsense, while seeking Hispanic votes by pushing amnesty and charging Repubs with racism: no nobility in this. Mesmerizing spin teaches the school children that Bush lied and men died for nothing(according to the peace mom-candidate for Congress.)
But surprise of all surprises: Love will conquer All. And as these Haters beat and kick the dead horse of Bush-bashing, conscience citizens will see through their disingenuous antics:
1) America should have taken out Saddam and entered Iraq to stabilize that area of the world: that's why Biden and Hillary supported it. There is no real shame in the premise of the War or its orderly conclusion(en route) as Iran and Iraq ministers are meeting now.
2) Immigration pandering will back-fire on Democrats who will ultimately lose blacks and middle white America by pimping for benefits for undocumented workers.
3) The world will remain still post-Bush, a dangerous place with terrorism and two super-powers (China and USA). We need to enact public policies which promote trade and provide economic growth for the people of countries mired in revolutions, civil wars, and poverty. Not from a position of fear and appeasement. But from a consideration of the Love weapon to end all wars instead of skillfully glib pretenders who want the White House to uphold the interests of trial lawyers, and foreign governments.
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saint lucid was right...
...the plain truth is: yes, the dem'rats are so fucking lame...
1. bleating hearts who wring their hands over DESERVED criticism of dem'rats essentially abandoning CORE small-dee democratic values -NEVERMIND real progressive values- ARE NOT doing 'their party' any favors by this 'speak no evil' approach... that is EXACTLY the craven, partisan-uber-alles politics nearly EVERYONE (excepting twue bewievers) excoriates...
2. dem'rats roll over during coup 2000; gave away the constitutional store in the aftermath of nine one one; give king george virtually unlimited war powers (unconstitutionally abdicated, as far as that goes); roll over and cheerlead for an immoral and illegal war killing hundreds of thousands; roll over during coup 2004; condone -if not complicit- in dismantling the bill of rights; sputter ineffectively at the most egregious judicial nominees; take impeachment 'off the table' (NOT THEIR FUCKING PREROGATIVE); misplay, misstep, and mistake their way through EVERY OUTRAGEOUS powerplay by rethugs, and i'm supposed to, what?, 'respect' them ? ? ?
...vote for them ? ? ?
...admire them ? ? ?
get the fuck out of town, they ain't done SHIT against the tidal wave of neo (nazi) con (artistes) running amuck...
3. mainstream dem'rats are JUST AS beholden to a corrupt, inhumane, fundamentally flawed system of kapitalist imperialism which has NO INTEREST in progressive values, but ONLY in perpetuating itself and the rewards the top of the food chain garners for themselves...
4. 'blaming' the liberalish/democratic blogs for the faults of the dem'rat party is silly; WHO 'blames' the vicious reichwing bloggers for whatever failures or fortunes of the rethugs ? no one; but dem'rats are too stupid, wimpy, and easily cowed to challenge foolish memes like these... grow a pair...
5. oh, before i forget: salon ain't no progressive hangout; they believe in CENSORSHIP, and *that* ain't progressive, period...
art guerrilla
aka ann archy
eof