Conservatism

[BurtWorm]

For consideration:

http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=sarah_in_wonderland

When Gary A. Lee, chair of Florida's Lee County Republican Party, heard Sarah Palin's resignation speech, he felt "absolute exhilaration." Lee had been publicly enthusiastic about a Palin presidential bid, and nothing he heard on Friday changed that. Watching her, he says, was "riveting -- the fact that she is stepping up, on behalf of families, her state, and the nation, and her willingness to assume what I think will be major national leadership is inspirational both for our republic and the Republican Party." When you look at her, he says, "you see leadership. She's blessed with it in my opinion."

[RoccoR5955]

1. mental illness and/or brainwashing.

edit: add to that, lack of information/education.

[Democrats_win]

2. Injustice and hypocrisy masquerading as common sense and populism.

It's impossible to change the truth of the last 30 years: conservatives have preached one thing, done the opposite, and used the power they gained to screw us in order to become filthy rich.

[Winterblues]

3. I feel like I am a Conservative when it comes to financial matters

I also feel like Republicans in the whole are not. Everything they have done this last decade has been the exact opposite of Fiscal Conservatism. I feel paying off/down debt is of vital importance. I feel paying interest is throwing money away. The single largest expense of the USA is now Interest on our Debt and that is with Interest being the lowest in history. Think if it goes up a few percentage points. I don't like to spend money unles I have it or know it will save me money down the road...Republicans don't seem to feel that way any longer. I am very liberal on social issues though.

[YOY]

6. That is what the Republicans USED to be and what the DLC has become.

n.t.

[MarjorieG]

9. So how do square having to currently spend money, and explain it to others, who are blaming Obama

for not immediately curing our ills, even with a stimulus. We need to formulate a good attack, but only after we spend on climate and health! Even if paygo and deficit neutral, which escape the media.

GOP are complaining we misread the economy, like they'd have signed onto a bigger stimulus, or had any other ideas except tax cuts.

[Winterblues]

10. It is like buying a new truck when you really can not afford it but can not afford not to either

Sometimes my business has to bite the bullet and put out some money for something which will save us money down the road. When diesel oil became a dollar more per gallon than regular gasoline I decided I better think about new delivery vehicles. I bought a GMC box truck with a gasoline engine and in Six months I saved almost four thousand dollars in fuel expense and repair bills are also much cheaper. The difference just in an oil and filter change was three hundred and fifty dollars between the new gas truck and any one of my diesel trucks..

[YOY]

4. "Real Conservatism" or what these asshat parroting provincially minded idjits call "Conservatism"?

I have no problem with "real conservatives" you can debate with them on debatable things. Hell...I'd say that 30% of our party are "real conservatives".

Now the asshat parroting provincially minded idjits? They try to debate the undebatable and insult you personally as if disagreeing with their glorious pundits who spoonfeeds them their thoughts was a crime. Mentally inferior specimens of the human race using other people's opinions to justify their personal greed and insecurities. Sick? Yeah...I guess.

[redqueen]

8. What YOY said. (nt)

[Orsino]

13. Yes. One is a reasonable outlook...

...and the other is a clumsy excuse for ignorance, greed and hate.

[invictus]

18. I agree. nt

[YOY]

19. We have a few loons here too.

They just aren't catered too and nurtured so much as on the right by corporate money falling into the open wallets of paid pundits with massive media outlets.

Google the name "Perry Logan"...if you don't remember him.

[el_bryanto]

5. It depends on the person involved

I've noticed for years that Conservatives look at Liberalism and don't merely believe it's wrong. They believe it's self-evidently wrong. Any moral person who's brain worked correctly would discard liberalism right off. Hence all liberals are either misinformed/deceived, mentally incompetent (stupid/crazy) or corrupt. Because if we were intelligent and moral we would be conservatives.

That way of looking at things does seem to rule out honest disagreement, which is one of the great failings of Limbaugh Conservatism, in my opinion. Of course that way of looking at things isn't confined to Limbaugh Conservatives.

Bryant

[barbtries]

7. at one time i believed it a reasonable

system of belief: not one i shared, but at least i didn't despise my mother and other loved ones who were "conservatives." but it seems as if the reason has been stripped. now it is hatred, greed, warmongering, bigotry, greed, greed, greed and hatred.

[Democrats_win]

11. FU Conservatism and any defense of it. It is nothing but evil. Never good.

There is no escaping what conservatism ACTUALLY is. You can't say Real Conservative. It's all a lie!

[ProgressiveFool]

12. once you put the "ism" on it and make it a movement it becomes a sick and twisted thing

Though there is nothing wrong with some "conservative" concepts. But the movement isn't about (and hasn't been for a long time) the principles, it's about power, and the way they've chosen to get it is through taking advantage of idiots.

[nyc 4 Biden]

14. Other: Greed, Hate, Apathy, Self Loathing, Insecurity, Ignorance

[OHdem10]

15. Philosophy or World view WHEN applied to political systems

creates a society comprised of few ubber-rich,some rich at the top
of a pyramid, then the masses invariably losing any gains they may
make over time, thus forming permanent underclasses.

Look at states where Republicans have been in charge for an extended
period of time. Take Texas--they brag loudly about being very business
friendly and even go so far as to exclaim 'we might show the rest
of the country the way out of recession".

Yes Texas has lots of Business Activity. Yes Texas has a surplus
while some States are in Crisis.

Surplus--High Rate of Poverty , at the very bottom of the heap with
regards to education, Health Insurance negative.

Nothing is free, but at what price a Surplus????

Conservatism as a personal philosphy probably works ok but I have
a problem when it enters politics.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Conservatism, like liberalism, is too mushy too define.

And, it all depends on where the observer stands.

i.e., Most Democrats, now holding federal office, would be defined as conservatives by "liberal" parties in Europe. Whereas, most Republicans in congress, would be defined as hopeless do gooder liberals by the military junta in Burma.

[krispos42]

17. Politically, it's become a form of psycosis or something.

Being suspicious of change, of upsetting the status quo and traditions, is legit. Worrying about government overreach is legit. Concern about what new advances in technology will do to moral and ethical standards is legit.


Being a frothing religious fundamentalist, actively working for bad government, relishing the growth of massive transnational corporations, and throwing huge wads of money to the rich... that's just insane.

[harun]

20. Very well said and I have to agree.

[nathan_demojames_t]

21. sanity

Its the republican way to sensationalize (patronize) "their own", however mental illness or not, his particular way of doing things does put his sanity into question.

[The_Commonist]

22. Conservatism is kind like Christianity...

...or Communism.

It might kinda nice if someone would actually try it for real!

[Echo In Light]

23. Other: outdated term now euphemistically used by fascists and authoritarians

It's a strategic cover. A good, wholesome sounding term that hearkens to a nostalgia for a time that never actually existed, usually implying the exact opposite of what the reality is in both theory and application.