By Brad on Jan 28, 2009 in America, Bush Administration, Congress, Economy, Federal Government, GOP/Republican Party, Politics, Quoteworthy, Worth Considering | comments(1)
President Bush, along with a sloppy and incontinent Republican majority in Congress, managed the feat of discrediting free market economics without ever practicing it. It was the Republicans who passed the Medicare prescription drug bill, and the bloated farm bill, and the transportation pork. This disqualifies most Republicans from challenging the gigantic new trough feeding that is about to begin under the Democrats.
— Mona Charen, nationally syndicated neoconservative
columnist, political analyst and author
By Brad on Nov 20, 2008 in America, Blogosphere, Politics, Quoteworthy, Worth Considering | comments(0)
Jim Henley at Unqualified Offerings writes:
For a long time, I was kind of amazed by the libertarian rhetoric of the GOP, the way that somebody could argue for torture and corporate welfare and unchecked police powers and massive deficits and a global empire, and then follow it up with “Because I believe in limited government and the free market.” The cognitive dissonance wasn’t what bugged me (I’m cynical enough to take it as a given that politicians know how to lie) but rather that they would even bother appealing to the small government crowd that they feel free to screw over. I mean, aren’t we, like, a miniscule faction?
And then it hit me–it was never about us. All those dog whistles that libertarians respond to whenever Republicans blow the whistle? Those were for other people. Second amendment? It’s a cultural thing, not principle. Free markets? Intellectual cover for corporate welfare. Limited government? This is their way of saying to the subsidized farmers of the Great Plains and the employees of the Military-Industrial Complex and all the other beneficiaries of GOP-style redistribution “Don’t worry, you aren’t a welfare recipient like all those city folks that I bash. You’re better than that. You’re a hearty, self-reliant person who supports limited government.”
I already knew that all of the stances that the libertarians like were just there for other elements of the GOP coalition. But I used to think that the “limited government” rhetoric was a way of fooling us. Nope, it was never about us. The fact that too many of us were fooled was a coincidence (one that Republicans probably still laugh about over drinks). It was for everyone else in the coalition. The fact that we fell for it was just a coincidence. The fact that some of us actually provided them with pet intellectuals was just icing on the cake.
What brought a lot of this to the fore was seeing libertarians swoon over Sarah Palin as she blew dog whistles. I was never fooled by the whistles, but I did miss the purpose of the whistles: It was never about us. It was about the rest of Team Red.
By Brad on Sep 23, 2008 in America, Politics, Things That Make You Shake Your Head | comments(0)
Andrew Sullivan found this gem from this year’s Republican Party Platform:
“We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself.”
The irony would be more poetic if it weren’t so pathetic. But, then again, it’s what we’ve come to expect in the last seven-plus years and it’s why I left the Republican Party five years ago.
By Brad on Sep 22, 2008 in America, Not-so-funny, Quoteworthy, Worth Considering | comments(0)
From Jim Henley:
Who imagined that the great opportunity for joint progressive and libertarian advocacy and activism would end up being economic? But that’s where we are. This loathsome bailout plan is a slap in the face to anyone who believes in either free-market principles or social justice. William Greider calls it “a historic swindle.” Paul Krugman says, “No Deal.” Radley Balko decries it. Arnold Kling says, dueting with Luigi Zingales (pdf), “the government officials making these decisions are seeing things from the perspective of Wall Street, which is kind of like seeing the auto industry from a Detroit viewpoint or seeing the movie industry from a Hollywood viewpoint or seeing elections from a Washington viewpoint.”
[...]
If libertarians fail to oppose this bailout, they stand revealed as the hypocritical apologists for corporate power their detractors have always accused them of being. If Democratic leaders fail to oppose this bailout, they will prove to be the phonies and weaklings of stereotype. If managerialists go along with it, then every argument against the State as guardian of the general welfare will bear out. Right now a corrupt and spent corporate class is on the brink of getting a corrupt and spent governing class to perpetuate its privilege by almost dumbfoundingly transparent means. Anyone with a soul needs to oppose them.
By Brad on Mar 7, 2008 in Worth Considering | comments(4)
BritGal Sarah has rapidly become one of my favorite daily reads.
First of all, our family has a great fondness for the Brits and we feel a special kinship with their country. Our dream and goal one day is to travel to the U.K. for a family vacation, hopefully before the girls “leave the nest.” We already visit vicariously through our favorite Britcoms and television shows on BBC America.
Second, she’s interesting, entertaining and funny — very enjoyable to read.
And third, as I mentioned in the previous post in which I quoted her, I enjoy listening to the observations of people who live or have lived outside our country, like Sarah, to gain a perspective outside of ourselves. These “outsiders” help us see a side of ourselves and how others see us that we simply can’t do from within ourselves. (Make sense?)
Once again, she offers another interesting perspective, this time about our healthcare system, which just so happens is quite timely. Continued
