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tricky mutha
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Here is an opinion by Fareed Zakaria- considered a political moderate and supporter of free markets and free trade. It seems the time has come for the 28 year pendulum to swing the other way. Considering the state of affairs in this country, that would be a welcome change. Read, and of course, comment:
Conservatives are a gloomy bunch at the moment. Many believe that their party—the Republican Party—has lost its way and that it has done so by abandoning its principles. Aside from his foreign policy and Supreme Court appointments, conservatives find little to love about George W. Bush. His signature domestic policies include a vast expansion of government-financed health care (prescription-drug benefits), and increased funding for education while halfheartedly promoting vouchers and school choice. Bush also signed into law campaign-finance reform and supported a proposed immigration bill that would have allowed illegal aliens a path to citizenship. The Republican Congress is even worse, having indulged in an orgy of irresponsible spending. And now the party is set to nominate John McCain as its presidential nominee, a man who on several key issues has broken with Republican orthodoxy and voted with Democrats. For conservatives, a return to principles is the only way to be returned to power.
David Frum, a former Bush speechwriter, begs to differ. "On the contrary," Frum writes in his smart new book, "Comeback," "the evidence suggests that a more consistent, more principled, more conservative administration would have been even more soundly rejected by the public than the unpopular Bush administration ever was." As Frum documents, every Bush policy that conservatives decry is in fact wildly popular. Public support for prescription-drug benefits ranges from 80 to 90 percent. And every Bush policy conservatives favor is regarded by the public with great suspicion. A majority of Americans regard the Bush tax cuts as "not worth it," and would prefer increased spending or balancing the budget to cutting taxes. In the one area where Bush remains unfailingly popular with conservatives—foreign policy—public support has also collapsed. According to the Pew Research Center, the number of Americans who believe that military force can reduce the risk of terrorism dropped sharply between 2002 and 2006, from 48 percent to 32 percent.
Conservatism grew powerful in the 1970s and 1980s because it proposed solutions appropriate to the problems of the age—a time when socialism was still a serious economic idea, when marginal tax rates reached 70 percent, and when the government regulated the price of oil and natural gas, interest rates on checking accounts and the number of television channels. The culture seemed under attack by a radical fringe. It was an age of stagflation and crime at home, as well as defeat and retreat abroad. Into this landscape came Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, bearing a set of ideas about how to fix the world. Over the next three decades, most of their policies were tried. Many worked. Others didn't, but in any event, time passed and the world changed profoundly. Today, as Frum writes, "after three decades of tax cutting, most Americans no longer pay very much income tax." Inflation has been tamed, the economy does not seem overregulated to most, and crime is not at the forefront of people's consciousness. The culture has proved robust, and has in fact been enriched and broadened by its diversity. Abroad, the cold war is won and America sits atop an increasingly capitalist world. Whatever our problems, an even bigger military and more unilateralism are not seen as the solution.
Today's world has a different set of problems. A robust economy has not lifted the median wages of Americans by much. Most workers are insecure about health care, and most corporations are unnerved by its rising costs. Globalization is seen as a threat, bringing fierce competition from dozens of countries. The danger of Islamic militancy remains real and lasting, but few Americans believe they understand the phenomenon or know how best to combat it. They see our addiction to oil and the degradation of the environment as real dangers to a stable and successful future. Most crucially, Americans' views of the state are shifting. They don't want bigger government—a poll last year found that a majority (57 percent) still believe that government makes it harder for people to get ahead in life—but they do want a smarter government, one that can help them be safe, secure and well prepared for political and economic challenges. In this context, conservative slogans sound weirdly anachronistic, like watching an old TV show from ... well, from the 1970s.
"The Emerging Democratic Majority," written in 2002, makes the case that perhaps for these broad reasons, the conservative tilt in U.S. politics is fast diminishing. It gained a brief respite after 9/11, when raised fears and heightened nationalism played to Republican advantages. But the trends are clear. Authors John B. Judis and Ruy Teixeira note that several large groups have begun to vote Democratic consistently—women, college-educated professionals, youth and minorities. With the recent furor over immigration, the battle for Latinos and Asian-Americans is probably lost for the Republicans. Both groups voted solidly Democratic in 2006.
Political ideologies do not exist in a vacuum. They need to meet the problems of the world as it exists. Ordinary conservatives understand this, which may be why—despite the urgings of their ideological gurus—they have voted for McCain. He seems to understand that a new world requires new thinking.
From Newsweek Magazine isuue of 2-25-08 |
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"Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there"- John Steinbeck |
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Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:44 pm |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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We shall see what happens after 4 years of an Obama reign. 
OBAMA’S LIBERAL FISCAL AGENDA: OVER $874 BILLION IN NEW SPENDING
If Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Could Enact All Of His Campaign Proposals, Taxpayers Would Be Faced With Financing $874.35 Billion In New Spending Over One White House Term:
Updated February 14, 2008: Obama’s National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank Will Cost $60 Billion Over Ten Years; Equal To $6 Billion A Year And $24 Billion Over Four Years. Obama: “I’m proposing a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over ten years.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Economic Policy, Janesville, WI, 2/13/0
Obama’s Health Care Plan Will Cost Up To $65 Billion A Year; Equal To $260 Billion Over Four Years. “[Obama] campaign officials estimated that the net cost of the plan to the federal government would be $50 billion to $65 billion a year, when fully phased in, and said the revenues from rolling back the tax cuts were enough to cover it.” (Robin Toner and Patrick Healy, “Obama Calls For Wider And Less Costly Health Care Coverage,” The New York Times, 5/30/07)
Obama’s Energy Plan Will Cost $150 Billion Over 10 Years, Equal To $15 Billion Annually And $60 Billion Over Four Years. “Obama will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 25)
Obama’s Tax Plan Will Cost Approximately $85 Billion A Year; Equal To $340 Billion Over Four Years. “[Obama’s] proposed tax cuts and credits, aimed at workers earning $50,000 or less per year, would cost the Treasury an estimated $85 billion annually.” (Margaret Talev, “Obama Proposes Tax Code Overhaul To Help The Poor,” McClatchy Newspapers, 9/19/07)
Obama’s Plan Would Raise Taxes On Capital Gains And Dividends, And On Carried Interest. Obama’s tax plan includes: “[i]ncreasing the highest bracket for capital gains and dividends and closing the carried interest loophole.” (Obama For America, “Barack Obama: Tax Fairness For The Middle Class,” Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/8/0
Obama’s Economic Stimulus Package Will Cost $75 Billion. “Barack Obama’s economic plan will inject $75 billion of stimulus into the economy by getting money in the form of tax cuts and direct spending directly to the people who need it most.” (Obama For America, “Barack Obama’s Plan To Stimulate The Economy,” Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, 1/13/0
Obama’s Early Education And K-12 Package Will Cost $18 Billion A Year; Equal To $72 Billion Over Four Years. “Barack Obama’s early education and K-12 plan package costs about $18 billion per year.” (Obama For America, “Barack Obama’s Plan For Lifetime Success Through Education,” Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, 11/20/07, p. 15)
Obama’s National Service Plan Will Cost $3.5 Billion A Year; Equal To $14 Billion Over Four Years. “Barack Obama’s national service plan will cost about $3.5 billion per year when it is fully implemented.” (Obama For America, “Helping All Americans Serve Their Country: Barack Obama’s Plan For Universal Voluntary Citizen Service,” Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, 12/5/07)
Obama Will Increase Our Foreign Assistance Funding By $25 Billion. “Obama will embrace the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty around the world in half by 2015, and he will double our foreign assistance to $50 billion to achieve that goal.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 53)
Obama Will Provide $2 Billion To Aid Iraqi Refugees. “He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 51)
Obama Will Provide $1.5 Billion To Help States Adopt Paid-Leave Systems. “As president, Obama will initiate a strategy to encourage all 50 states to adopt paid-leave systems. Obama will provide a $1.5 billion fund to assist states with start-up costs and to help states offset the costs for employees and employers.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 15)
Obama Will Provide $1 Billion Over 5 Years For Transitional Jobs And Career Pathway Programs, Equal To $200 Million A Year And $800 Million Over Four Years. “Obama will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 42)
Obama Will Provide $50 Million To Jump-Start The Creation Of An IAEA-Controlled Nuclear Fuel Bank. Obama: “We must also stop the spread of nuclear weapons technology and ensure that countries cannot build -- or come to the brink of building -- a weapons program under the auspices of developing peaceful nuclear power. That is why my administration will immediately provide $50 million to jump-start the creation of an International Atomic Energy Agency-controlled nuclear fuel bank and work to update the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.” (Sen. Barack Obama, “Renewing American Leadership,” Foreign Affairs, 7-8/07)
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:45 am |
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tricky mutha
F L I N T O I D
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Good discourse TT- the key word for any President and their vision is "if"- furthermore, are you alreay conceding the office to Obama? It is a long way to November.
Fiscal policy comes from Congress- all 535 of them- our problems today are complex and can't be solved by the dogma that has dominated the last 28 years, or, for that matter, the previous 48 before that. Think of it like the Kobayashi Maru from Star Trek II- we need innovative thinking. Conservative I am not- these chains have shackled us with an endless war, debt piled upon debt, & the explotation and highjacking of Christianity (see- Terri Schiavo and the ludicrious idea of having a constitutional amendment to ban "gay" marriage). The idea of Liberal and Conservative make good talking points, but offer limited solutions for our future.
Finally your post, though laudible, simply affirms what many who have opposed the last 28 years of "leadership"- reckless spending. As said before- all politicians tax and spend- it is who you are taxing and where you are spending that counts. |
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"Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there"- John Steinbeck |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:02 am |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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Well it sure looks like Barack will be the candidate unless the Clintons have a big one up their collective sleeves. As far as Barack actually winning we shall see their are a lot of right wingers who sit on their butts that might just go vote against instead of for.  And dont forget he has had a free ride with the media and the republican attack machine has sat idley by why he and Hillary duke it out and also add ammo for the Repubs. Once he gets the nod their will be a full blown campaign to constantly bring up the fact he is the most liberal, most anti second ammendment, biggest tax and spend senator out there. |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:20 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| What bothers me is Obamamania. In some ways, it's almost a cult-like following. |
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I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:59 am |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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| Ya all the fainting, glassy eyed, short of breathe, obamagazamers sure makes him seem a little like one of those "Here Drink this KOOl aid types" |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:15 am |
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Adam
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I think 2008 and maybe even 2010 will be excellent years for liberals. Eventually however when the liberal suffering really hits the conservatives hard we will no longer be able to support our master (federal government). History is also on the conservatives side. We have seen throughout histroy what happens with socialistic empires like ours.
Too Flint schools and schools across America don't teach much about histoy and people like William Bradford. http://www.businessreform.com/article.php?articleID=11584
I think part of the problems are most Republicans are too liberal and let Democrats like Clinton and Obama get away with promising new programs when we could instead be offering freedom from governmental slavery (taxation). |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:32 pm |
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twotap
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| And let us not forget what happened two years into the slicksters first term. The libs are still having nightmares over that one. |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:58 pm |
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squash
F L I N T O I D
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http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/report/summary_summary.html
Sadly I agree with you Adam. Our schools are doing an astoundingly poor job of teaching American history. Those "people on the street" bits that Jay Leno likes to do are pretty accurate. I'll bet most teachers I know could name very few important dates in American History, let alone the factors that led to wars, or enacting legisaltion etc. But it's not just us public school teachers doing a poor job our colleges and unversties are equally to blame. I do know that our focus is literacy. We spend huge amounts of time teaching kids to read, with limited success, so things like science, history and the social sciences take a back seat. I've also heard of teachers being confronted by parents about the types of lessons they should be teaching. One friend of mine in a local rural district is ready to give up history teaching altogether because of parents who nit-pick evry lesson looking for bias. |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:13 pm |
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twotap
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quote:
parents who nit-pick evry lesson looking for bias.
Do they ever find any that is not slanted to the left?  Why does the guy have a problem with parents being involved and keeping track of what their kids are being taught unless of course he is attempting to interject his own personal slant on things.I thought parental involvement is what society is clammering for?
Last edited by twotap on Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:04 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 4:17 pm |
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tricky mutha
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Good info Adam- but I don't agree we are a socialistic empire. Sure, we don't live totally by the the gospel of Milton Friedman, but we have the best free market system the world has ever known.
Any elements of socialism or the federal government being "the master" are more readily exploited by corporate welfare anyhow (Halliburton) as opposed to helping someone poor make ends meet. |
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"Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there"- John Steinbeck |
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:12 pm |
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Adam
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quote:
tricky mutha schreef:
Good info Adam- but I don't agree we are a socialistic empire. Sure, we don't live totally by the the gospel of Milton Friedman, but we have the best free market system the world has ever known.
Any elements of socialism or the federal government being "the master" are more readily exploited by corporate welfare anyhow (Halliburton) as opposed to helping someone poor make ends meet.
I would classify corporate welfare as a form of socialism/communism. The federal government should not be trying to control the private sector. The government even helps kill thousands of americans a year with farm subsidies for unhealthy foods.
It appears we are around 50% taxation. Yes this is better than 60% or 70% but I think it's a little high. Eventually we will probably be forced to go back to our nation's conservative roots because we are going broke.
Although liberals like Obama and Clinton sound good Liberals will eventually have nothing at all to offer America once we can no longer pay for the feel good programs. |
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Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:18 pm |
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squash
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quote:
Do they ever find any that is not slanted to the left? Why does the guy have a problem with parents being involved and keeping track of what their kids are being taught unless of course he is attempting to interject his own personal slant on things.I thought parental involvement is what society is clammering for?
I tend to agree with you. I favor an open discourse. My point is that history is a difficult thing to teach objectively. Given that there is no single cause for important historical events people apply their own values. Here's a revelation: Many educators lean to the left. I think it is this dillemma that causes teachers to avoid giving their best effort when it comes to teaching history. Let's stick to the safe stuff and avoid being called to the carpet by right wing nut jobs.  In the end I think we all lose by putting educators squarely on the fence. |
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Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:39 pm |
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Adam
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Sun Feb 24, 2008 6:25 pm |
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Demeralda
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"History is also on the conservatives side"
This is laughable. On the contrary. Conservatism is the reason for the fall of the Spartans -- they couldn't CHANGE, ADAPT.
The conservatives during the revolution would be considered the loyalists, not the rebels! There'd be no USA if conservatism worked.
Every way of thinking has its correct time and place. There are times to take risks, spend more, invest, etc., and there are times to hunker down and wait it out: liberal vs conservative, if you like.
But the one and only reason every society that has failed in history has done so is because of over-use of resources. See Jared Diamond, Collapse. |
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Mon Feb 25, 2008 12:32 pm |
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