It is official. I am completely confused. Here it is 2009. The Bush Administration, of which put me through a severe political identity crisis, is over. Here I am sitting back and thinking of where I was in 2000; and what might I be if I had Rip-Van-Winkled the entire Bush presidency.
I grew up a moderate Republican. I believed in the Republican Party's mantra of giving people the chance at the American Dream. I liked the 1980's under Reagan and the Democratic Congress. I voted Republican on every ballot between 1994 and 2000 except for one; I did vote for Clinton over Dole in '96 simply because Dole, IMO, never provided any substantial answer for me on any of the issues. I was apalled at the Monica scandal; although I opposed impeachment out of respect for the office of President itself. I voted for compassionate conservatism; and was 100% behind the president when we were attacked on 9/11.
Then, the drum beats began for Iraq. I had a bad feeling about it from the beginning. To me, the whole "War on Terror" slogan was starting to sound eerily like the old "Red Scare" in the 1950's. Even when my personal hero, Colin Powell, addressed the UN; while I praised it comparatively to Adlai Stevenson's address during the Cuban Missile Crisis, I still did not see Iraq as anything like the threat that the Soviet Union had once been. It felt as if the hole left by the Cold War was so empty that we were looking for anything to put in its place. I simply hoped that it was over fast. As the invasion began, and the ease of it brought our troops to Baghdad; I began to feel more comfortable with it. Yes, I still questioned the merits of it; but perhaps we could just overthrow Saddam Hussein and get out of there. Once Saddam was captured; I presumed the end was near. Then the killing began. "Why are we still there?" I was asking. I understood helping them start a government; but then protect their freedom? That should not be our responsibility. If they want their new freedom; then they needed to get out there and fight for it. We were constantly reminded at home that freedom is never free; but nobody was telling the Iraqi people!
By the 2004 election, I was siding w/ the Democrats on Iraq; and I was close on a lot of the other issues. While I was still skeptical of the extreme left, I voted Democratic that year. Don't get me wrong; I was never that impressed with John Kerry. But Bush just did not seem that much better; and I felt like a Democratic president w/ a Republican Congress would provide a needed balance. Not that I don't think Bush means well; but I really believe he got in over his head. A man of his person should not be a President of the United States; and IMO, the combined average intellect of all of our presidents has been weighted down because of him.
On the issues, I am completely torn apart. I agree with the Democrats that the abortion procedure can not be outlawed completely; but I agree with the Republicans that it should not be a form of birth control. As for gay marriage, I tend to stand on a more Libertarian position that marriage should be stripped from the states completely with the civil union in its place; and marriage simply a religious ceremony like baptism.
Immigration is a subject I feel somewhat indifferent to. Yes, they take many jobs; but they are willing to do jobs that most Americans deplore. Yes, they are a heavy weight on the social services system. However, some of the hate and racial slurring associated towards them discourages me from participating. The anti-immigration rallies have come so close to the KKK that I find myself wishing and hoping that an illegal takes the particular orator's job. That is not a healthy political view either.
As for economics, I don't know. Let's be honest; I haven't the first clue about which economic theory is better. Karl Marx's theories look good on paper. Ron Paul's economic theories do sound more like freedom; but do they work? What about children who can not control their circumstances? What about the elderly? The free market, when it is completely free, thrives on greed; and it seems to punish those the most who have the least means to help themselves. Then there are those at the top of the scale that get too much sway in the government; which is why I am suspicious of the heavy corporate influence in the Republican Party to this day.
So, where am I politically? Where do I fall in? I oppose the Republican Party's beliefs in legislating human behavior on one hand; but defending gun rights' on the other. I am not too cool with the Democratic Party's taking over banks. I really do not share the Libertarian Party's desire to legalize all drugs; although I have conceded the need to decriminalize the less-harmful stuff. I must say that I am at a crossroads. The 8 years of Bush hath confuseth me. However, it has challenged my beliefs and made me realize that I do not have to go along with everything. I do look forward to a new year; and I will be renewing my critical-thinking lens on everyone this year, including the cultic following of one President Barack Obama.
This is an open invitation for all of you alleged "political experts" to convince me that your positions are the best for America! No, I am not leaving the Democratic Party....yet. Although, I am not taking it off the table either. I am simply re-evaluating myself based on the fact that the extremist, almost-third-party-in-itself Bush presidency is over.
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Boo Boo I bet you'd make for a nice little fricasie on the grill.
oops, My bird was logged on, I guess I should be pating attention.
Arjay, that whore hasn't been here for months!
I was actually chiming in on Arjay's comment, Hawk, below. Please forgive my insolence.
FnG, did you really feel the need to post your support of Obama. Anyone who has been involved with this website for more than a couple of hours knows your love of the chosen one. We know you like higher taxes, we understand you support a single payer healthcare system. We understand that you support caop and trade, we know you like the idea of the government stepping in and taking over private business. Why would you take the time to type that last comment? Do you like to read about your support of Obama?
With Obama I see someone my age, my way of thinking, nice guy smart as hell and apparently a good guy too! He represents my generation - we call ourselves the "gleaners" - we are the tail end of the baby boom (the good half.) I like him, I support him, although I, of course would make afar better president.
I've only went with the democrats with Obama. This is the first year of voting for democrats. I just felt the Republican party was quite at fault for all it's bullshit economics - all they were doing is setting up the wroking class for a monumental ripoff. McCain, who I love, panicked and took the conservative corner right at the wrong time. The conservatives failed - miserably. Not like Gingrich years. A pliable fool was elected. It was rough right from the start, with the corrupt and despicable 2000 election. The Republicans just lost all credibility with me. Dirty bastards destroyed McCain in favor of the very nice, but really kinda naive and dumb, G W Bush. If McCain had been elected in 2000 it would have been much better. The 2000 election polarized this country probably for a generation.
Hey erock! Thanks! That seems so obvious now. Duh!
Umm cut and paste it with your profile??? LOL
BD, I did not write this blog with my current profile. I wanted to find it, so I republished it. The only way I could do that was with the Progress profile. If you have a better idea, then I am all ears! Otherwise, shut up!
Most people without a party are "Independents"
Isn't this like the 18 time this has happened to progress/hub city/arch/shadowolf?
WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO NO LONGER USING ALL THESE PROFILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it wasn't even a month ago that you wrote how they were done!!!!!!!!
Yes, I bumped this blog post by my former profile, "Progress." Why? Because I am going to write a sequel to it with my current and permanent profile. After re-accomodating myself with a written book on the US Constitution, as well as some private reflection, I am personally experiencing the sentiment that people can change as I sense my politics are shifting a bit. Stay tuned....
Because that prosperity comes at a cost, and I feel that cost is too high. In trying to maintain a certain level of profit, three million jobs were lost last year. That is a corporation, a nonliving entity, putting its virtues ahead of those who built the company to their level of prosperity, namely, the workers. The CEO doesn't get a cut in his golden parachute, the stockholders still get their dividends, but the worker loses his job, his pension, and if he can't find another job soon, perhaps his house and family. The free markets and most businesses would not only survive, but thrive without the corporate superstructure. Socialism isn't seeking to ban commerce, but it is seeking to recognize the difference between legitimate businesses which play by the rules and pay their taxes, and those which skirt the law. Kempite referred to a Free Enterprise Bill of Rights, and no one could give a working definition of free enterprise. I gave one, and I made a point to separate legitimate business from illegitimate, naming drug cartels, pimps, the Mafia, and global corporations. Business owners are, by and large, people who worked within a given trade, saved enough money, made connections, and took a risk. Such risk should indeed be rewarded, but not at the expense of those who assisted that owner in making that business a success. It should disgust anyone with a soul to see a company lay off thousands of workers, yet upper management's salaries remain the same and CEO's get millions in bonuses. The Walton family is arguably the richest family on earth, the heirs of Sam Walton will never know a day of hard work in their lives, yet their employees make minimum wage, and if they don't like it, they're kicked to the curb and they'll draw from some cheap labor source. The problem with talking about this is perspective, you talk from the top of the pyramid and sing the praises of a single individual at the apex. I'm talking from the bottom up, look at all these thousands of workers who got that man to the top, and at the end of the day, they're treated not as human beings, but as production costs, not as people to reward, but liabilities to slash wherever possible. There aren't many Sam Waltons, but there are millions of workers. I can't defend a system where a tiny fraction benefits from the work of the vast majority, where that tiny fraction sees the overwhelming mass as an irritating cost to do business. Wouldn't a better business model be where workers are paid better, so they could go out and spend their money and feed the economy? What a company lost in labor cost, it would make up for in new customers. I think that's something that is forgotten in all this, that workers are also consumers, and if they're laid off or bring home just enough pay to pay the bills, how does a company generate a base of customers? Personally, I believe the corporate superstructure is parasitic in nature, and once removed, businesses of all sizes would flourish, employees and bosses alike would prosper, and we'd all have a barbecue at Smashey's. I'm bringing the coleslaw.
I can agree with your point Arjay that the government is a product of the citizenry. I however must respectfully disagree with your views on corporations. While I believe that entreprenuers and small business are the driving force behind what makes America what it is, it is also that which spawns corporate entities. No large corporation just springs from the ground. Sam Walton didn't just start building supercenters, Ray Kroc didn't start out by building 2000 McDonalds and Bill Gates didn't build Microsoft out of nowhere. They were all once small busineses that prospered and grew. It is because of the prosperity of these small businesses and the innmovation of thier founders that it became necessary to grow and expand. The demand made the need for an influx of cash necessary. Incorporating and selling stock is how that happens. I have heard the argument that the corporation is beholden to it's stockholder to make a profit. I see it as the corporation is beholden to it's manufacturers, employees, suppliers and stockholders to be profitable. Stockholders are not evil. They take a risk by investing in an idea and a company. Giving that influx of cash that a company needs to grow, hire employees, manufacture goods and services, etc. Without Wal-Mart's (I use them because they always seem to be the target of non-corporatists) investors and thier founders vision, would there be millions of people employed by them today? Would there be billions of affordable products available? If Wal-Mart would have feigned away from going public and remained small and family owned would thier employees have the small amount of benefits they have today? You can preach the bad side of corporations all you want and I am not going to argue that there are issues that have risen from greed. However, the good greatly outweighs the bad. Business can grow but only to a certain point before it either has to stop prospering and growing and remain a small business, or before it needs the shot in the arm of stockholders investment to be able to produce cheap goods and employ additional citizens. Why put a ceiling on that prosperity?
Giving the utmost respect to my colleagues, while I agree that citizens and government must take responsibility for their actions, they are components necessary for the maintenance of society. Citizens are not only responsible for themselves, but also responsible for the government in their name. Government is a product of the citizenry. It was a mistake to ever grant corporations the rights of citizens, because we see every day the power corporations have wielded. One thing that separates socialism from mainstream politics is, Republicans and Democrats embrace corporatism, each seeking to tweek it in their own image. Socialists seek to abolish it, because, after 140 years, we've seen what corporations do. Corporatism is a parasite clinging to legitimate business. As we abolished slavery, corporatism is on the same list.
That last comment hit the nail on the head Progress. That is where I stand in my ideology. There has to be personal responsibility in not only the lives of the citizens of this country but in the corporate world and the government as well. Just as that is, so is the fact that all of the responsibility is tied together. The business and corporate world have to be responsible in regards to thier employees and thier business model. They must realize that decisions should include the impact on the consumer and the employees future, not just on the quick buck for the man at the top and the few holding the most stock certificates. They must also be allowed to be responsible enough to expect to fail if they do not adhere to those pricniples. The government must be responsible to regulate enough to keep others in check but to also get out of the way and let competition and prosperity happen. The government also must be responsible enough to allow failure. In it's businesses and it's citizens. The people must be responsible in how they run thier everyday lives. They must be responsible enough to make the right decisions and responsible enough to live with the consequences of the wrong ones. As you stated there are a few who need our help. Children who cannot make decisions and elderly or the disabled who need assistance with those decisions. You are correct. There must be accountability and responsibility....on all fronts.
Thanks for the input so far. I am not a communist. As Nelson Mandela once alluded to, there are certain aspects of the communist movement that must be given credit-such as women's suffrage, the end of apartheid and racial prejudice, safety nets for the elderly and children, etc. However, just as Nelson Mandela believed, people must have the right to judge what is best for them, and accept the consequences and mistakes of their actions. Communism is kind of like having all of our prayers answered in the affirmative. If God were to say yes to everything we asked for; there would be no personal responsibility. Anytime we made choices that put ourselves in a jam; we would always get out of it. Just think of our economy if the whole country prayed to win a million dollars. It would be meaningless. But if one person wins; it changes their, as well as those close to them's, lives forever. The same is true of answered prayers; and to the occasional miracles of a free market.......There must be accountability. There must be personal responsibility. I believe in providing help to those whose circumstances are beyond their control, like children and the disabled; but to the able men and women of this country, we can not play God and answer their prayers every time they make a mistake. They must learn personal responsibility......That is my take.
Idaho Virginian, Have you ever been to Russia? Dealt with the GRU? I have several russian friends who defected from russia. It in no way promoted freedom. Neither did Ho Chi Mihn. Have you been to the Nam? or are you speaking purly from propoganda and book learnin? Socialism discorages exelence,Promotes mediocraty and total support on government programs, NOT my idea of freedom. Freedom requires responsibility personal and collective. We are not a Fascist Nation we are a constitutional republic.
Mr. Progress, I understand people do not always, if not usually, agree with all the ideals of their particular ideology. I admire you speak out about it, and I must say, you are completely right about corporate greed. If you really like Karl Marx, I must say, congradulations, you and I can safely say we like the idea. Unfortunately, most Communist countries are run by dictators. China isn't Communist. The USSR had a few bad leaders, but they had a few good ones. After all; every country has its bad leaders, and its good leaders. I think Ho Chi Minh was a Socialist that was forced to Communism by the Red Scare and the proceding labelling of Socalists as Communists. Fidel Castro was labelled as a Communist, by America. They liked the corrupt, evil, Batista more, they didn't like a left winger. Therefore, without any allies, Castro was forced into the Communist Block. Personally, I believe in Democratic Communism, as wanted in the Manifesto. I like Socalism too. They BOTH want the people to be free, but also supported, healthy, smart, strong, and incredibly happy. The democratic part of communist ideology would prevent an American Democratic Communist from becoming a dictator [unlike our easy going democracy which is allowing Fascism to prevail, and not letting us run our lives properly]. I might not agree with some of your ideals, but I can understand your viewpoint.
Interesting, facts I discovered this morning. Several states are rejecting the "real ID" cards and declaring soverengty from the current government.
Stop thinking about it so much and take up a hobby. George Bush and Barack Obama are identical in one respect. They couldn't give a shit less about you.
Take up reading, a sport, sailing.
And then before an election, make up your mind.
Wake up every day and make a decision not to think about the stuff you can't change, and to be happy.
Know that bad times are ahead, but they will in all likelihood be followed by good times. Ask yourself; At what specific times in my life have I been happiest? You will find it is time spent with family and friends, and that you have never truly been happy about a politician one way or the other. If you must engage in politics, make it a slice of your life, not your life. You lived under Reagan so you know that whatever he did worked. If you lived in the 70s, figure out what Carter did, and why things didn't work. Use your mind as a tool for the advancement of intellect, not ideology. But do this sparingly.
Set a goal to become a better something, and work towards it. Musician, artist, gardener, something that is all yours.
Be still. Find a place where you can be by yourself and ponder what life is all about. Consider how fast your life is heading towards its inevitable end, and decide if you are on the right track. Use your mind to answer the question, Will any political party or politician make me happier today?
Follow your gut instincts on God and your role in the universe. Think about the nature of yourself and revel in it.
Open your eyes to the things and people around you. Open your mind to the things you see and ask yourself, why is a tree, a sunset, a mountain range beautiful? Where does this appreciation for beauty originate? And then find more things that you find beautiful.
If all of this fails, vote Republican.
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