Bring On The Crazies: The GOP's Kooky Problem

[noah617]

View attachment 345637


Do you like this one better?

How did I know that I'd find this picture on the Drudge Report. The same right wing feeding source where the avatar came from. Kind of proves the point of this thread.

 

[palemale]

That isn't remotely true. Just because you aren't aware of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You should also stop equating conservatism with republicans. They are not the same thing.

As for the second part; there's plenty of things conservatives have done. The one that most immediately comes to mind is forcing the nation to abandon slavery (Lincoln), preventing FDR from completely destroying checks and balances during the new deal, and generally preventing the country from moving either too far left or too far right during periods of upheaval.

Most conservatives are not the right wing loons that you, Alfie, and others paint us to be. We're moderates. We don't like too much government, we don't like too much spending. But, at the same time, we're willing to compromise if it is the best thing for the nation.

The majority of republicans in and out of congress are not conservatives. You're right, they don't have principles, but that's because they're not conservatives.

Droid, you are making the mistake of equating Republicans with conservatives. Tx-Beau is correct. Lincoln was no conservative by any stretch of the imagination. There is a long history or Republicans who were politically very progressive. Theodore Roosevelt was a Republican, but he started the National Park system, pioneered anti-trust legislation, and instituted regulation of the railroads, and food and drugs. He was also supportive of labor unions. Robert La Follette was the Republican Senator from Wisconsin, yet he opposed American involvement in WWI, was for regulation of railroads, championed child labor laws and women's suffrage. Both Roosevelt and La Follette left the Republican Party and joined the Progressive Party, where both men ran for presdient. Fiorello LaGuardia was a Republican mayor of NYC, who championed progressive causes and was extremely supportive of Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal.

While conservatism is a British concept, so is liberalism. In the European context, a liberal is pro-free markets, limited regulation of business, pro-civil liberties (as long as civil liberties don't interfere with markets or business). Pope JP2 criticized capitalism, and referred to its champions as "neoliberals," if memory serves me right.

 

[CGHJ]

You now what, I have to revise what I said.

Originally I argued that there were kooks on both sides. And this is certainly true. There's plenty of kooky dems.

Also, I hate the generalization of the republican party as being entirely represented by nutjobs. I think it's a loud minority dominating a party that until recently had a lot to offer, and that I mostly agreed with. I am a conservative myself.

But from what I've seen recently, the GOP does have a kook problem. The tactics being brought out at the healthcare town halls, these are brownshirt tactics. In it's infancy...mobs of uniformed private security thugs are not yet beating up opposition candidates, but that's the road we're heading down now.

A small cadre of vocal zealots has somehow wormed its way up to the leadership position of what was once a venerable and enlightened institution. They did not get there on merit, they got there because a small set of people set out with a plan to get power, and then use that power. Hitler did the same thing. Yes I just compared them to Nazis.

Check out this guy: He's broadcasting breathless reports from his garage about how a listing he found on a job posting site that indicates Obama is about to put us all in internment camps. It's a posting for

"Internment/Resettlement (I/R) Specialists in the Army are primarily responsible for day-to-day operations in a military confinement/correctional facility or detention/internment facility. I/R Specialists provide rehabilitative, health, welfare, and security to U.S. military prisoners within a confinement or correctional facility; conduct inspections; prepare written reports; and coordinate activities of prisoners/internees and staff personnel.

Is this guy totally aware that Bush created these camps and one of them is at Guantanamo Bay? In fact, this same guy is probably apoplectic that Obama wants to shut Gitmo down. There's camps in Iraq and Afghanistan...I'm not fond of them but these and also refugee camps are a fact of life. Frankly I'm happy that the army wants someone to inspect them and co-ordinate activities, otherwise they'd be a flipping mess.

Concern for our liberties is good and something I share. But spinning one job posting into "The army is going to be running prison camps for patriotic americans wo question healthcare reform" is definitely FUCKING KOOKY AS SHIT!!!!

So yes, the GOP does officially have a kook problem now. And it's making me very sad.

 

[JB3]

You now what, I have to revise what I said.

Originally I argued that there were kooks on both sides. And this is certainly true. There's plenty of kooky dems.

Also, I hate the generalization of the republican party as being entirely represented by nutjobs. I think it's a loud minority dominating a party that until recently had a lot to offer, and that I mostly agreed with. I am a conservative myself.

But from what I've seen recently, the GOP does have a kook problem. The tactics being brought out at the healthcare town halls, these are brownshirt tactics. In it's infancy...mobs of uniformed private security thugs are not yet beating up opposition candidates, but that's the road we're heading down now.

A small cadre of vocal zealots has somehow wormed its way up to the leadership position of what was once a venerable and enlightened institution. They did not get there on merit, they got there because a small set of people set out with a plan to get power, and then use that power. Hitler did the same thing. Yes I just compared them to Nazis.

Check out this guy: He's broadcasting breathless reports from his garage about how a listing he found on a job posting site that indicates Obama is about to put us all in internment camps. It's a posting for



Is this guy totally aware that Bush created these camps and one of them is at Guantanamo Bay? In fact, this same guy is probably apoplectic that Obama wants to shut Gitmo down. There's camps in Iraq and Afghanistan...I'm not fond of them but these and also refugee camps are a fact of life. Frankly I'm happy that the army wants someone to inspect them and co-ordinate activities, otherwise they'd be a flipping mess.

Concern for our liberties is good and something I share. But spinning one job posting into "The army is going to be running prison camps for patriotic americans wo question healthcare reform" is definitely FUCKING KOOKY AS SHIT!!!!

So yes, the GOP does officially have a kook problem now. And it's making me very sad.

Oh please. The left hyperventilated nearly once a day that Bush was setting up secret CIA internment camps in the US built by Blackwater. (obviously not true)

What we're seeing now is the same kookiness from the right that we saw from the left after GW won. It'll settle, and it isn't indicative of anything at all.

 

[Sausy]

Call all those who don't think like you do crazy....though I think Sarah Palin is more silly than crazy....Ann Coulter is more just a nasty attention whore,a bigot and reactionary but not crazy.Beck is somewhat short of a full deck,at least he plays that well but even in his craziness as dead on a lot of the time about the insidiousness of the left.Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly are too often blowhards,you may vehemently disagree with them but even they have their moments.I especially have been keeping track of O'Reilly,and I think he is way off base on some things,especially culturally and on gay issues...but he is a lot saner and a lot fairer than the left's favorite egomaniac,Keith Olbermann(and even a self absorbed mirror licker like Olbermann I give credit was spot on sometimes)....I just don't like those wingnuts who go out there and disparage all those they oppose with the same tired old shit.