you nailed it - and you are pointing to an example of how the GOP has managed to change the meaning of terms so people dont even know how to articulate the contradiction.
Posted by the young Judith (tyj) at September 17, 2008 10:46 AM
Don't make the mistake of thinking the typical GOoP voter is motivated by economic philosophies.
Their party can undertake the exact opposite policy that their 30 years of conservative economic philosophizin' advocated, and it won't make the slightest difference to any GOoP voters.
They is a tribe, a faction. They are not advocating and demanding coherent principles of political economy. They are not voting FOR any ideas when they vote Repub, they are vehemently voting AGAINST the negroes, mexicans, gays, muslims, assorted brown people, single women, feminists, hippies, peaceniks and enviromentalists in the hated "lib'rul" party. They are "conservatives" and "Repubs" because they hate the people and groups who lean Dem. That's all.
Thus what their leaders actually DO on someting like economic policy is meaningless. That their White Party is economically incoherent is literally meaningless. "We are now at war with Oceania!" Get it?
Posted by euzoius at September 17, 2008 10:54 AMUnderstanding conservatism made easy:
Elite enriching/protecting actions=good.
Questioning/proposing alternitives to such actions=bad.
Posted by herbal tee at September 17, 2008 11:01 AMEuzoius pretty well nails the entire puke "philosophy" or lack thereof...they are much more of a hate "cult" that ia against the feared "other" than that they support any actual concept or ideas. And via assholes like KKKrove and gingrich they are well versed in Orwellian doublespeak to bend "reality" to their liking...don't forget the chapter they took from the Nazi's on using proaganda effectively...the Mooslims is gonna take your cold, dead trigger finger in your sleep!!!
Posted by headxray at September 17, 2008 11:08 AMThey are "conservatives" and "Repubs" because they hate the people and groups who lean Dem. That's all.
Exactly. It's the Atrios principle. They do what they do because it pisses liberals off. In other words conservativism = asshole.
Posted by iamcoyote at September 17, 2008 11:10 AMat the core of "Conservative Values" is the real purpose...make money for White Men and screw everyone else. The fact that so many ignorant or high school only educated Southern white males make up the backbone of the GOP only goes to indicate how, well, ignorant, they are. Forget the Religious part of the equation. Religion is only a cover for the deeds. That's what it always has been, everywhere.
Posted by T2 at September 17, 2008 11:29 AMI Don't Understand Conservatism
Um, neither do "Conservatives".
It's just something they like to call themselves.
Posted by snark at September 17, 2008 11:42 AM"something they like to call themselves"
It sounds better than "authoritarian white militarist Know Nothing". Catchier.
Posted by euzoius at September 17, 2008 01:03 PMDow Jones Industrial Average;
January 20th, 2001 = 10,588.
September 17th, 2008 = 10,605.
Heckuva job Georgie!
Posted by at September 17, 2008 01:13 PMActually what you are describing is fascism...corporate governance. It is that simple. True conservatives don't have a party.
Posted by allansfca at September 17, 2008 01:46 PMForty years ago: "We went to Vietnam because.... Because..... Hell, my country right or wrong!"
While most Americans have left the 1960s behind and moved on, George W. Bush belongs to a generation of "conservatives" that resented the 1960s. They're still living it and we're in Iraq because.... Because... Bush is unable to tell us why.
But now conservatives have given us an insane economic philosophy that makes no sense unless of course you're rich and a friend of Republicans in power. But their economic philosophy is still part of that same weird resentment. Liberals are wrong because... Because.... Because Limbaugh and Coulter told us so! (Or something like that).
Republicanism has been reduced to a brand name and we're stuck with it until a majority of the American people people finally figure it out. Even if Barack Obama wins, there will be a potential majority waiting for the Republicans to do their song and dance. Too many Americans, including quite a few Democrats and independents, still refuse to pay attention: our nation and the world is in major crisis and brand names cannot wish that away. The party that has been going on for 27 years is over. It's time to clean up the mess and move on. While we still can.
Posted by Craig at September 17, 2008 02:53 PM