What Does "Conservative" Really Mean?

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are [a] few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

Some might call the President who uttered these words a socialist. Some might call him a partisan liberal. Some might call him radical or irresponsible or a commie.

But those who knew him called him "Ike." Yes, this is a quote from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 11/8/54.

For those of you who don't know, Ike was a Republican.

Do you know which President presided over the largest peace-time tax increase in US history?

The correct answer is Ronald Reagan.

My point is this: the perception that being conservative means always opposing raising taxes and always wanting to cut social programs is simply a distortion of reality. Highly lauded and beloved GOP members have participated in raising taxes and funding social programs because they believed in doing the right thing. They were (apparently) not wholly-owned subsidiaries of corporations and billionaires.

I don't know exactly when being "conservative" required a person to exhibit moral superiority and fiscal cruelty. But somewhere along the road it did. At some point, the conservative platform became (1) judge everyone who believes something different, (2) advocate free enterprise to the point of eviscerating the environment, (3) call the poor "lazy free-loaders," (4) belittle and vaguely threaten anyone who dares to disagree with you, and (5) protect big businesses and the wealthy at all costs.

In today's political climate, neither Ike nor the Gipper would survive a GOP primary, and yet they are widely regarded as two of the better Presidents of the 20th Century. Republicans still get teary and - dare I say it, "woody" - when they utter Ronny's name. But politically, he would be to the left of several Democrats in the Senate and House right now.

I grant there is a tone of mockery in this. But really, I'm just asking for some perspective. Not all government spending is bad. Not all tax increases are bad. And I acknowledge that not all government spending is good - some of it needs to go (if we can pry the pet-project dough out of the hands of members of the House and Senate).

Remember the movie, "Dave?" Kevin Cline sat in a room with the budget and cut idiotic spending out of the budget. I love that! Don't we all? Unfortunately, budgets come from the House, not the White House. And all House members have their pet idiotic projects. As do the Senators.

The problem is actually not with medicare or social security. The problem is that we don't want to pay for them. The only solution is for we, the people, to step up and (1) turn down the money for pork projects and (2) be willing to pay for the government services we demand. And these actions takes sacrifice.

I also know that cutting medicare and social security is not going to prevent bridges to nowhere, and it is going to result in greater suffering.

The reason our politicians are so crappy is because we, their constituents, want our government services but we don't want to pay for them. We either have to pay, or give something up. When we learn this lesson, and commit to making the changes necessary, then our government can work correctly again. This is what I think it means, in part, to be "conservative." In this regard, I consider myself to be conservative. (Don't hold your breath waiting for me to staple tea bags to my straw hat anytime soon.)

Word of the day: Jingoism

Pictured is Soviet Premier Kruschev, beating his shoe on the podium while speaking to the UN, promising to crush the capitalistic west. "Vee Vill Krrush You!"

People who think God works in mysterious ways have not been introduced to my mind. By comparison, God is an open book. My mind is about as random and bizarre as anything you could ever encounter, supreme being or otherwise. I was sitting around wondering what I could blog about, and the word "Jingoism" popped into my head.

Jingoism is defined as "extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy."

I don't know if I have ever actually used this word. And I'm sure I have not heard it for months, even with all the political commentary I absorb. But you have to admit, it is a cool word.

Using it in a blog will forever commit it to my vocabulary for daily use. (I know my co-workers are really excited about that!)

Since I studied Poli Sci in college, I have rolled my eyes at the somewhat obnoxious sense of superiority some Americans walk around with. "America is the best country in the world!" I always wondered, "at what?"

We are best at basketball (usually).

We have the biggest military by a very large margin (which to other countries probably make us the scariest, even if they don't think we are the "best.")

We still have a larger economy that any other country, though that is not the case if you compare our economy to that of the European Union.

We have more than 40 million people here who do not get adequate health care because they do not have health insurance. According to a recent study, 45,000 American deaths every year are linked to lack of adequate health care.

We have some states with infant mortality rates comparable to lesser developed countries.

We have crazy people walking around with legally purchased guns with legally purchased clips that shoot 30 rounds before reloading. And they use the guns to kill and maim innocent people. Lots of them.

We have exploding debt because we want the government to serve us, but we don't want to pay for it, and because the former Jingoistic administration attacked a country that did not attack us and posed no threat to us or our allies. And lied to do it.

Patriotism is not a bad thing. There are many things about America that I love and am very proud of. Our heroic beginnings, taking on the most powerful empire in the world to be free and self-governing, for example. Or the relative peace and mutual respect that almost all of us show each other every day, even though we are very different from each other. And that we are free to vote for and choose our government, and that power changes hands peacefully and without guillotines. Also, that we reward hard work and innovation. That we protect peoples' innovations with laws protecting patents, copyright, and trademarks. That we eventually adopt changes to our laws to create more equality among our citizens (though sometimes it takes longer than it should). That we genuinely believe in freedom of speech as a core value in our society. There are others, but these are some key things.

But when I hear people belittle other countries, it kind of irritates me. Where I live, one favorite is saying, "These policies are going to ruin our economy just like they ruined Europe's." Well, first, who said Europe's economy was ruined? Greece, Spain and Portugal are messes (much like Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, and most of Texas) but the stronger European countries are helping them out (just like the northern states' federal tax dollars help southern states). But they are democratic, free countries that have health care that is more available to more people. They have higher unemployment and higher taxes, but they also get like 4-6 weeks of vacation each year. Yes, it is different, but that does not make it better or worse. They are better at some things and worse at others.

A friend of mine was given Mitt Romney's book for Christmas. He didn't get very far into it before he put it down. It was all about American superiority and being the strongest, most powerful, blah blah blah. Jingoism.

If your neighbor thought himself superior to you, you'd think him a douche bag. And yet we are shocked that Americans (though not America necessarily) are disliked by people all over the world. A little self-examination might shine some light on it. Or maybe, they are just not smart enough to understand why we are so much better than they are. Riiiiiigghhhttttt.

I will grant that there may have been a time when our society needed to think we were better than everyone else. I'm not sure of this. I just acknowledge that it could be true. But surely, that time, if it existed, has passed.

Whenever you hear someone extol the inherent superiority of the US or Americans, remember today's word of the day: jingoism. America may be great for you and me, but that does not make it "the best" for everyone.

Yes, Words Do Matter.

About 25% of Americans think this ridiculous, holier-than-thou, unthinking, hate-monger should be President. She actually targeted Congresswoman Giffords in her cross hairs map.



She's not just a joke. She's a prophet. Or a leader. She told her minions to reload, and that's just what one did. He took a gun and attacked a freely, duly elected Congresswoman, and at least ten other people, killing a 9 year old girl and a federal judge.

And now I see a bunch of GOP members on TV calling the guy a lunatic, saying that it is not about politics. Bullshit! You cannot invoke violent rhetoric, telling people to "reload" and engage in "second amendment remedies," and encourage people to come to political rallies armed, and then claim total shock and surprise when some right-wing nut pulls a gun and does what you told him to do! Charles Manson didn't actually kill anyone either, but we all know he was the one responsible for those deaths.

The GOP spent a year telling Americans that the world as we know it is coming to an end. "It's the end of a free America! OMG, what are we gonna do? We're gonna feed the tree of liberty with the blood of patriots! Get your guns! Prepare for revolution!"

Most people know stupid rhetoric when they hear it. But obviously, not everyone is that discerning. Look at the murders of abortion doctors. Religious groups put "Wanted - Dead or Alive" posters online, and nuts killed them. It's really quite simple.

Words matter. Perhaps the words said in the context of political rivalry matter even more, because they trigger deep emotions. But I'm guessing there will be no political consequence for the hateful vitriol that led to this assassination, both attempted and actual.

Here's the video from the whack-job. He's a nut. But that does not excuse the violent rhetoric that fueled him.

How about an apology to the families of these victims from Sister Sarah, from Sharon Angle, from every Tea Partier that invoked violent language in a political campaign? *crickets*

This is not a banana republic. It is a modern democratic republic. It is not "American" or "Patriotic" to threaten revolution or violence when you don't get your way, and it has not been since the War for Independence ended. Oppression by tyranny justifies violence. Losing a free election does not.

This is sad and frustrating and infuriating and sickening. But what is most frustrating is that the media is totally giving a pass to the hate-mongers whose rhetoric fueled this violence. Maybe they'll get on it when the story settles, or maybe when we know more about the perpetrator. We'll see.

What Crawled Up Your Butt?

A recently colonoscopied woman was (luckily) found to be clear of any polyps or other indicia of cancer, but she was (ickily) found to have a cockroach in her colon.

The link takes you to the text of the report by the physician.

The doctor noted that the woman recently suffered a cockroach infestation in her home and must have accidentally swallowed it with food. I have my doubts.

Fist, I chew when I eat, don't you? And that cockroach is intact. So unless little cucaracha was surfing down in the soup or a scoop of yogurt, I'm not buying it.

Second, there are 2, count them, 2 routes to the colon. One begins at the mouth, and goes through the esophagus, stomach, and intestines before arriving in the colon. There are other hurdles and pit-stops, but you get the gist. The other route - the shortest route - is the same path taken by the scope for the colonoscopy.

So, which is more likely? That she accidentally swallowed a cockroach whole while eating without knowing it? Or that it crawled up her butt while she was asleep?

Think of me while you're not sleeping tonight. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA