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Sorry, damon, not even close to the target. Take off the blinkers, give me that gun and let me show you how it’s done: A few qualities and examples of conservative optimism: - Truth will prevail over hysteria. - Truth need never fear being confronted or challenged. - People are capable of making up their own minds and acting in their own best interest without government having to tell them how to do it. - The human spirit aspires to and deserves liberty. - The human spirit is drawn to optimism and repelled by pessimism. - The normal state of the human spirit is towards goodness and integrity. - The ability to do good bears with it the responsibility to do good. - The ability to do good is greatest when it is freest from government interference. - Posturing and rhetoric are no substitutes for constructive action. - Honest and law-abiding businesses and entrepreneurs deserve to make a profit. - Wealth deserves to be rewarded and not punished or confiscated. - Money can accomplish far more good in private hands than in government custody. - Lower taxes on business generates higher business income. - Lower taxes on individuals generates more consumer spending and savings. - More business income and consumer spending creates higher long-term tax revenues than do higher levels of taxation. - The best defense is a good offence (V. Lombardi), in sports, in war and in dealing with terrorism.
posted by
WriterofLight
on February 5, 2005 at 10:33 AM
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May I Take a Shot...
...at defining "conservative Republican optimism'? Such a wonderful phrase.
It means we're optimistic that;
- our WMD lies won't be found out
- our no-bid contract scam won't be stopped
- our illegal invasion won't lead to mass impeachments
- our war with Iraq will be over "in days, maybe weeks - certainly not months" (D. Rumsfeld)
- our massive deficit won't strangle the economy, at least until we hand it over in 2008
- our massive shortage of military manpower (as against our imperial ambitions) will sort itself out
- there's really no such thing as climate change, despite what the majority of scientists now say, including over 200 Nobel Prize winners
- the American people won't really think about the war dead providing we can keep them off the TV screens
- that close Bush friend ken Lay can be paid enough to keep quiet
- that Abu Ghraib will just go away
- that bin laden will just go away
- that Palestine will just go away
- that we can keep fooling the American people (the conservative optimists, anyway!) that this phony war on terror is a Good Thing
This is, of course, a shortened version of the list. Any longer and it'll be a post.
D
posted by
DamonLeigh
on February 4, 2005 at 9:50 AM
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Thanks for reading, and welcome to a couple of new commentators! Witchflower, sorry you're not feeling so hot, try some conservative Republican optimism. It'll do you good. In the meantime, would you please be so kind as to provide documentation for your claim that President publicy promised that he would dismantle Social Security step by step?
posted by
WriterofLight
on February 3, 2005 at 5:35 PM
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A great post writer and a wonderful comment Barrett!
The Republicans look forward with a can-do sense. The Democrats whine and moan all the time. Who would you rather have running the show?
posted by
sarooster
on February 3, 2005 at 10:36 AM
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I missed the speech but heard some of the comment Pretty good I thought!
posted by
kingmi
on February 3, 2005 at 4:00 AM
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The Democrats Continue To Wallow In Shameless Bitterness
Let them. They are now on a downward spiral that has no bottom. Dean as the next DNC chair will run the party into the ground and I'm not sure even Hillary can stop the train. When will the moderate Democrats stand up and stop this bleeding?
posted by
Barrett
on February 2, 2005 at 9:44 PM
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I couldn't watch the speech.
It would have sickened me to hear what Bush plans to do with Social Security. He never seems to mention that implementing his suggestion will cost us (taxpayers) at least $2 trillion in lost money being paid out now to Social Security recipients. Investments are not secure, and plans like 401k and IRA are finite; when the money is gone, the person receives no more checks. Social Security is an insurance plan that has been and is being paid out until a person dies. It is not a gift or donation from the government. It is funded by us, the taxpayers.
Had the federal government not borrowed money from the Social Security Trust Fund year after year (this is clearly documented - they do it almost every year to fund the waning sessions of Congress), the Trust Fund would not be dwindling.
Before the election, Bush stated publicly that he plans to dismantle Social Security completely, step by step. This is his first step. Interesting that a person who will not receive SS benefits is so bent on taking them away from those who must rely heavily on them.
I don't know why I'm worrying; I'm in the group he says won't be affected at all. Unless, of course, the Trust Fund is so depleted by implement of the expensive new privatizing plan that there is nothing left to pay me. Then I'll have to depend on government assistance because, thanks to the stock market woes of a few short years ago, my 401k is woefully small. When SS benefits are shrunk already smaller than they are or gone, and the investments have profited no one besides the brokers who get their commission no matter what, the younger generation will also be depending on the federal government for support. Hope there is a president in office then who actually cares what happens to people. 
posted by
Witchflower
on February 2, 2005 at 8:43 PM
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