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Consider the mythology that makes up GOP orthodoxy today. Imagine the contortions that cramp the brains and souls of men and women of intelligence and compassion who seek state and national office under the Republican banner.
Eight myths to chill an old-school Republican soul
• They must believe, despite the evidence of the 2008 financial collapse, that unregulated — or at most, lightly regulated — financial markets are good for America and the world.
• They must believe in the brilliantly cast conceit known as the "pro-growth agenda," in which economic growth can be attained only by reducing corporate and individual tax rates, especially among the investor class, and by freeing business from environmental rules that have cleaned up America's air and water and labor regulations that helped create America's middle class.
• Though rising health care costs are pillaging the economy, and even though health care in America is now a matter of what you can afford, Republican candidates for office must deny that health care is a basic right and resist a real attempt to change and improve the system.
• GOP candidates must scoff at scientific consensus about global warming. Blame it on human activity? Bad. Cite Noah's Ark as evidence? Good. They must express at least some doubt about the science of evolution.
• They must insist, statistics and evidence to the contrary, that most of the nation's energy needs can be met safely with more domestic oil drilling, "clean-coal" technology and greater reliance on perfectly safe nuclear power plants.
• They must believe that all 11.2 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States can be rounded up, detained, tried, repatriated and kept from returning at a reasonable cost.
• Even though there are more than four unemployed persons for every available job, GOP candidates should at least hint that unemployment benefits keep people from seeking jobs.
• They must believe that the Founding Fathers wanted to guarantee individuals the absolute right to own high-capacity, rapid-fire weapons that did not exist in the late 18th century.
By no means is this list complete. It almost makes you feel sorry for the people who pretend to believe this stuff. Almost.
Consider the mythology that makes up GOP orthodoxy today. Imagine the contortions that cramp the brains and souls of men and women of intelligence and compassion who seek state and national office under the Republican banner.
Eight myths to chill an old-school Republican soul
• They must believe, despite the evidence of the 2008 financial collapse, that unregulated — or at most, lightly regulated — financial markets are good for America and the world.
• They must believe in the brilliantly cast conceit known as the "pro-growth agenda," in which economic growth can be attained only by reducing corporate and individual tax rates, especially among the investor class, and by freeing business from environmental rules that have cleaned up America's air and water and labor regulations that helped create America's middle class.
• Though rising health care costs are pillaging the economy, and even though health care in America is now a matter of what you can afford, Republican candidates for office must deny that health care is a basic right and resist a real attempt to change and improve the system.
• GOP candidates must scoff at scientific consensus about global warming. Blame it on human activity? Bad. Cite Noah's Ark as evidence? Good. They must express at least some doubt about the science of evolution.
• They must insist, statistics and evidence to the contrary, that most of the nation's energy needs can be met safely with more domestic oil drilling, "clean-coal" technology and greater reliance on perfectly safe nuclear power plants.
• They must believe that all 11.2 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States can be rounded up, detained, tried, repatriated and kept from returning at a reasonable cost.
• Even though there are more than four unemployed persons for every available job, GOP candidates should at least hint that unemployment benefits keep people from seeking jobs.
• They must believe that the Founding Fathers wanted to guarantee individuals the absolute right to own high-capacity, rapid-fire weapons that did not exist in the late 18th century.
By no means is this list complete. It almost makes you feel sorry for the people who pretend to believe this stuff. Almost.
If you look the Republican party platform of the late 1800s , the party then is nothing like the party now. It is really disappointing what the Republican party has become.
If you look the Republican party platform of the late 1800s , the party then is nothing like the party now. It is really disappointing what the Republican party has become.
Both parties were completely different than they were today. There have been several realignments from 1800 to now.
If you look the Republican party platform of the late 1800s , the party then is nothing like the party now. It is really disappointing what the Republican party has become.
Or even as little back as to Reagan. The basic conservative platform is actually imho much more sensible than the basic liberal one, and it should be easy to find middle ground by just finding the right level of regulation and safety net for the worst off.
But today it's simply about class warfare: the rich using the political system to get all the money and power. There's no thought for doing anything for the country or anyone else in it anymore.
Or even as little back as to Reagan. The basic conservative platform is actually imho much more sensible than the basic liberal one, and it should be easy to find middle ground by just finding the right level of regulation and safety net for the worst off.
But today it's simply about class warfare: the rich using the political system to get all the money and power. There's no thought for doing anything for the country or anyone else in it anymore.
Eisenhoswer era republicans were to the left of today's democrats.
The financial turmoil was the result of too much govenrment regulation, not too little. The housing bubble was the direct result of the government getting into the mortgage business (Fannie/Freddie); the direct result of the government forcing lenders to write loans to people who could never and would never pay those loans back; the government, working to make a market caused the bubble by purchasing billions in undocumented, zero equity and low equity mortgages all with the notion that homeownership is some sort of right in this country. Interestingly, the state of Texas has a 20% downpayment requirement for mortgages. Texas was mostly spared the blowback from the Fed. government and Dem party caused economic collapse for this very reason. The blame for all our problems lies squarely at the feet of the Democrat party and Barney Fwank in particular.
Eight myths Democrats would like you to believe:
• They must believe, despite the evidence of the 2008 financial collapse, that unregulated — or at most, lightly regulated — financial markets are good for America and the world.(Democrats ordered the banks to make bad loans in affirmative action style, see Barney Frank and Freddie mac for starters.
• They must believe in the brilliantly cast conceit known as the "pro-growth agenda," in which economic growth can be attained only by reducing corporate and individual tax rates, especially among the investor class, and by freeing business from environmental rules that have cleaned up America's air and water and labor regulations that helped create America's middle class.(Yes lowering tax rates to about 28% doubled money to the treasury, problem is the Democrats would not stop the increase in social and government union spending)
• Though rising health care costs are pillaging the economy, and even though health care in America is now a matter of what you can afford, Republican candidates for office must deny that health care is a basic right and resist a real attempt to change and improve the system.(FREE healthcare is NOT a basic right, the doctors, nurses all paid a fortune for an education, have large expenses and should be paid for their services. Buy a good policy and you get great care, or go to a hospital without any insurance and pay cash or get a bill. Next is there a right to a free car, house and everything else? NO!
• GOP candidates must scoff at scientific consensus about global warming. Blame it on human activity? Bad. Cite Noah's Ark as evidence? Good. They must express at least some doubt about the science of evolution. (Notice the intolerance of the typical liberal here, they mock God or anyone who would dare have a faith. Yet they want respect for their odd tastes. First, there has always been global weather change and man has almost zero to do with this myth regarding man. There is no evidence for it unless you are referring to water pollution, that is bad. There has been these weather swings in our other planets in the solar system so the myth is busted like the false studies busted in those emails last year about the science of global warming.
• They must insist, statistics and evidence to the contrary, that most of the nation's energy needs can be met safely with more domestic oil drilling, "clean-coal" technology and greater reliance on perfectly safe nuclear power We have clean natural gas that could fuel us for at least a few hundred years, and Obama has refused to allow drilling anywhere making us dependent on places like Iran for our oil. Very bright?
• They must believe that all 11.2 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States can be rounded up, detained, tried, repatriated and kept from returning at a reasonable cost. (Don't need to do that. Require an national ID check, hold the employer responsible to check that and then refuse all great society programs to any illegal unless they are a lawful resident or citizen. If they dropped and anchor baby here, let them take them home and raise them, we are NOT obligated to pay for the lives of the whole family of the anchor baby.
• Even though there are more than four unemployed persons for every available job, GOP candidates should at least hint that unemployment benefits keep people from seeking jobs. No, until you make people look for ANY work they will not try because they will consider the jobs all too low paying or beneath their entitled selves.
• They must believe that the Founding Fathers wanted to guarantee individuals the absolute right to own high-capacity, rapid-fire weapons that did not exist in the late 18th century. They didn't have Obamacare, but a tyrannical group of Democrats are trying to force that down our throats. People are allowed to bare arms against the threat against personal safety or against the government if they get out of control (like if a Castro came along). If someone has a good record I don't mind what they own. Don't let turds like that liberal that shot the congresswoman get one when it was known he was mental.
By no means is this list complete. It almost makes you feel sorry for the people who pretend to believe this stuff. Almost. Like YOU believe we can just keep printing money for government unions and endless great society programs for all? Really, who is the great Pretender? It's you and your party.
Not saying Republicans had it made always going against Democrats offering a plate of treasury dollars for the vote, but at least they are on the right side regarding spending, a Balanced Budget Amendment and cutting back on the size of government.
The financial turmoil was the result of too much govenrment regulation, not too little.
Complete and utter nonsense.
The housing bubble was the direct result of the government getting into the mortgage business (Fannie/Freddie);
the direct result of the government forcing lenders to write loans to people who could never and would never pay those loans back;
In your dreams, that caused the financial crisis.
the government, working to make a market caused the bubble by purchasing billions in undocumented, zero equity and low equity mortgages all with the notion that homeownership is some sort of right in this country.
The gov't had a role. But it was miniscule compared to the role unregulated private interests played.
Interestingly, the state of Texas has a 20% downpayment requirement for mortgages. Texas was mostly spared the blowback from the Fed. government and Dem party caused economic collapse for this very reason.
Guess what that 20% downpayment rule is? Gov't regulation. Go figure.
The blame for all our problems lies squarely at the feet of the Democrat party and Barney Fwank in particular.
Must be nice in that dreamworld you live in. I bet Sinatra sings for you every night in there too, eh?
If I am reading the bold print as the responses of sickofnyc, then I could not disagree more.
Unfortunately, I can only address one fallacy at a time.
Since I am an emergency physician with nearly 35 years experience and have been studying health policy for years, I will address the healthcare issue. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not about stiffing nurses and doctors. It is not about "free healthcare". It is about protecting patients that pay a lot of money for their healthcare. Patients on Medicare and Medicaid (which sickofnyc might consider "free healthcare" already have these protections)
Regarding the healthcare legislation that not one house republican voted for, even Mitt Romney on Meet the Press 2 days ago admitted that "Obamacare" has some important protections for patients. I'll say.
Let me name a few:
1) Dependent children are now allowed to remain on their parents’ insurance policy until age 26 years of age (was 24). I have a personal reason for loving this, saved me $500 a month in COBRA for two years. Now that’s some change I can believe in.
2) People can no longer be denied insurance for pre-existing conditions, or charged outrageous fees. My God-daughter could not get health insurance for her 7 month old after he suffered a stroke. This will no longer be acceptable. 3) You have complete choice of doctors within your plan’s network (exactly what we have now) but in addition you have access to emergency departments outside your network (which most plans do not have now); 4) You have the right to keep your prior (grandfathered) plan if you choose; 5) You cannot be dropped for getting sick, or have your coverage canceled because you made a mistake on your application; 6) There are no longer lifetime caps on essential medical services; 7) You will get a reimbursement check if your plan does not spend at least 85% of its premiums on providing healthcare (I have several friends that have already received them, but they did not know that this was a direct result of "Obamacare"). The truth is that the Republicans know that once people see how this works, they will never be able to repeal it, which is why they are in such a hurry.[/font]
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Go figure.
lmlewis
