Democrats versus Republicans

[wind_magic]

Originally Posted by jgmartis

I just finished watching the documentary Taxi to the Dark Side and have mixed reactions to it which I will not post. I would like to hear from others who watched the movie. I am in no way interested in hearing from those who did not watch the documentary but heard about it form some one else. Please be specific about what part you are reacting to. I would especially like to hear from those who served in the Armed Forces (because I didn't) and would like them to comment about the dedication at the end.

Thank you to all who respond.

In case you hadn't heard - Democrats won the election and now control the House, Senate, and the Executive Branch, it's the Democrats government now. It's time to lead and stop worrying about what Bush did or didn't do, that's over now, he's retired. Republicans are the opposition party now, it's their turn to sit around and cry like a bunch of girls - Democrats are supposed to have more important things to do. Move on.

[jgmartis]

Originally Posted by wind_magic

In case you hadn't heard - Democrats won the election and now control the House, Senate, and the Executive Branch, it's the Democrats government now. It's time to lead and stop worrying about what Bush did or didn't do, that's over now, he's retired. Republicans are the opposition party now, it's their turn to sit around and cry like a bunch of girls - Democrats are supposed to have more important things to do. Move on.

How did you react to the documentary?

[wind_magic]

Originally Posted by jgmartis

How did you react to the documentary?

The unemployment rate is at 7.2%, what are you going to do about it ?

That's my reaction.

[PBzeer]

Not to worry windy. With Bambi reinstating federal funding for places like Unplanned Parenthood, they should be able to do some hiring.

[sailaway21]

I'm not quite as pessimistic as some of my associates here. Try to remember the darkness of the Carter years. The economy seemingly in intractable stagflation. The will and the monies to fight the long twilight struggle with the Soviets both drying up. An activist and frankly liberal Supreme Court with only the prospect for more of the same. The Republican name firmly in the dumpster after the Nixon resignation. The Republican party itself dominated as much by liberal Republicans, country club Republicans if you will, as any other group, in a country decidedly headed in an ever more liberal direction. The Congress seemingly strictly a Democrat preserve. Heck, disco was the music of popular choice! If you were, say, the editor of a conservative magazine such as National Review that had been "standing athwart history yelling, Stop!" for almost twenty years, you might have considered just chucking it all in and moving to Chile.

Then came Reagan. And nothing has been the same since. But, the point being, no one saw Reagan coming. He was Ronald Ray-Gun by Joan Baez' lights (remember her?) and Bedtime for Bonzo to many others. The Gingrich revolution was an outgrowth of what Reagan started and was just one Bush shy of enacting real conservative change. But the conservative message got out and, today, a majority still regard themselves as basically conservative.

We lack a leader. If Gingrich had taken any of his several marriage vows seriously, he might have been that leader or, at least that voice. There's someone out there who'll fit the bill. Conservatives desperately want it to be Sarah Palin. Not so much due to Palin herself, though she's under-rated as was Reagan, but because they're hungry.

The answer is not to give up conservative principles. The Republican party became the Big Tent. The problem was, and is, that once inside the tent the inhabitants started readjusting the tent poles. A tweak here, a tweak there, and all of a sudden we're laying in a mess of canvas. "Kinder, gentler...", "Compassionate conservatism", heck, we defeated ourselves! Name the last conservative Republican candidate for the presidency. Reagan. He's been out of office for two decades. The majority of voters today never had an opportunity to vote for Reagan. They were either not alive as yet or too young to vote.

Compromise? We've been compromising for twenty years. And just what is the compromise position on abortion? Safe, legal, and rare? That's the Dem's position and they sell it, to Republicans currently. What's the compromise position on Federalism? No Child Left Behind was a Republican initiative and a violation of the Constitution. And Republicans bought it because of a "crisis". When you've federalized education, what excuse do you have for not doing so in health care or anything else?

Now there may be other tactics, and I surely hope that the stuff I'm reading from Peggy Noonan and John Fund is not truly what they think is good for the Republic but, they are saying some distressing things. That is, if you think ideas matter.

We're about to witness another likely melt-down within the Middle East. Realpolitik is back. It's the 1970's all over again in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Are we to go along with the Democrat position of more futile talk and support of the Palestinians while looking away from the fact that they've not changed an iota? It does matter just a bit more currently given that the jihad is no longer limited to the Israelis. Prepare yourselves for serious people talking seriously, interminably. We as conservatives know that past is prologue. Let's try not to forget it.

The demise of the American republic has long been prophesied. Hasn't happened. Take this time of seeming despair to reacquaint yourselves with the notion of American exceptionalism. Pick up that old copy of de Tocqueville. The roots of this country grow deep and draw from an unquenchable spring. Fashions, even political fashions, come and go. Mistakes are made. Remedies are half-baked. But the roots of American exceptionalism remain.

Sure you can make the case that most Americans have no idea what is really contained within their Constitution. But they know what it is to be Americans. When they say, that ain't right, what they're really saying is that it violates their sense of what it is to be American. That's the advantage of having your rights being endowed by something greater than any man or mankind. Americans make mistakes. We probably just did on November last. But Lincoln said that you could fool some of us all the time, all of us some of the time but not, all of us all of the time. We correct our mistakes, we strive to make things better than they were. We don't always succeed but we believe that we are blessed by God and who can argue we are not? We are not the country of seeming depression you see all about. We are a nation of optimists. And we've history on our side.

They called the twentieth century the American century. Hah! That was just a warm up. As the nineteenth was for the twentieth. We see only challenges as if that has not already been our entire history. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of an American walking on the moon. Anybody else been there, done that? Is there anybody else, today, even remotely capable of doing that now, except the Americans?

We just deployed our military half a world away to fight two separate wars. Two wars surrounded by hostile factions and nations. We were told that we'd be decimated in the Afghan winter by the very same people that had brought the world's largest standing army to it's virtual knees thirty years before. We were told that we could never win in tribal and divisive Iraq. Al Qaeda studied us and found us weak. Apparently that study didn't include a perusal of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, although those cave dwellers are beginning to understand exactly what "trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored" means to a nation blessed by the beneficence of a Creator that endowed all men with unalienable rights. Whether or not you believe either of those wars were appropriate the fact remains; no other nation on the face of the earth could have accomplished what the young men and women of America accomplished there. The remarkableness of it was actually in the impending defeat and disgrace. Blessed with the singleness of purpose and clarity of vision of a strong wartime president the American forces changed strategy and grasped victory from seeming and sure defeat. That's American exceptionalism in action. That used to be called the "can-do" spirit. Those men and women will come home, as all American forces do, and they'll put down the sword and then they'll get busy rebuilding America. We should have a "VI" day when they do. Have parades. Kiss strange nurses we don't know. Say, well done. Then let's get busy rebuilding America. There's nothing particularly wrong with America or even in need of rebuilding but, that's what we do. We're always rebuilding.

Conservatives have not to ask themselves what they need to change so much as question the last time conservatism was really tried. It's certainly been missing from the national stage the last twenty years. Libertarianism is a wing of the conservative party. Why the sudden thirst for libertarian ideals and the popularity of a Ron Paul? I submit that it's the absence of effective conservative leadership within the Republican party. Too many Republicans are half-baked Democrats. We used to call them RINO's. We can't anymore since they seem to be in the majority in the party. They need to be purged. If that results in some Republican losses for a time, so be it. But the people will not answer to an uncertain trumpet. Our principles have not failed us, they've failed for lack of the trying. I voted for a whack-job Democrat for my congressional representative. He was so lame I don't think he carried the Democrat vote! I voted him for the single and simple reason that I cannot tolerate a do nothing faux conservative entrenched by his own fortune and long tenure. You don't turn the drug dealer into a school teacher; you throw him in prison and find someone else to teach school. If you believe that the Republican party is the rightful home to conservatives, you've got to do all you can to ensure that it is the party of conservatives. get rid of the Demo-wannabes and offer the American people a real choice. For too long they have not had one. As I've said before, given the choice between a Democrat and a Republican acting like a Democrat, the American people will always take the real Democrat. Contrary to popular belief, they're not stupid. That's the Democrat view of them. We have better to offer. If we don't we deserve our fate.

American politics is tidal in nature. We're swimming against the ebb right now. But the flood will come and here's hoping it's a spring tide! Get busy.

[PBzeer]

I wish I could be so sanguine. The irrational exuberance currently on display makes me leery of how far left things will swing. As E J Dionne points out, the Reagan Era is being quietly supplanted by an increased demand for government intervention throughout or lives. And once it's in, that moves the middle that much more to the left.

[PBzeer]

One hopeful sign for the GOP is the eagerness of Congressional Dems to go after Bush. Had they done so while he was still in office, they probably would have had public support. With him out of office, I think most will see it for a witch hunt. Which is what it is.

[SailKing1]

This country has always presented an opportunity for anyone, US Citizen or Immigrant to be whatever they wanted to be. With that said it was based on the desire and willingness of one to achieve. I know many who have. What it has become today seems to be "come to America and we'll take care of you" through government programs.

As I learn about the different generations and the differences between them mainly for employment purposes. I can see the degeneration of ones responsibility to be accountable and take pride in self achievement. If you have not researched the difference in characteristics associated with the four different generations I would suggest doing so. It's quite interesting.

In relation as to how far the left will swing you just have to look at the current generation referred to as millenniums. The majority of this generation has had instilled in them the traits to be dependent upon others and not to think for themselves. Add to that the fact millenniums will be the second largest growth in population only to baby boomer's. This associated with growing welfare class and illegal immigrants leads to a majority that is going to be dependent upon government. Democrats, pandering to the needy will keep them in office for many years to come, barring a catastrophe. Other than the one that is apparent.

[camaraderie]

Sway...a remarkable and hopeful essay! Thanks for that and I HOPE you are right. You ought to try getting that one published on more political sites...it is worthy of more attention than this little group can provide.

[sailhog]

Even though I'm a card-carrying member of al Qaida, I found Sway's essay to be a most excellent read. Well done, Cap'n!