Proud of this, huh?
and this: 
And also proud of the lady who was happy about getting an abortion, no doubt.
Where does a dialog begin within someone like this?
Posted on 08/03/2004 12:09:31 PM PDT by dead
Opening Statement
Dear FRiends:
I once suffered two great frustrations in being a freelance political writer. First, the loneliness: you put an article out there, and you might as well have thrown it down a black hole for all the response you get. Second, the ghettoization: when you do get response, it would be from folks you agree with. Not fun for folks like me who reliish--no, crave and need--political argument.
Then came the Internet, the blogs--and: problem solved.
I have especially enjoyed having my articles in the Village Voice posted on Free Republic by "dead," and arguing about them here. The only frustration is that I never have enough time--and sometimes no time--to respond as the threads are going on. That is why I arranged for an entire afternoon--this afternoon--to argue on Free Republic. Check out my articles and have at me.
A little background: I am a proud leftist who specializes in writing about conservatives. I have always admired conservatives for their political idealism, acumen, stalwartness, and devotion. I have also admired some of their ideas--especially the commitment to distrusting grand social schemes, and the deep sense of the inherent flaws in human nature. (To my mind the best minds in the liberal tradition have encompassed these ideals, while still maintaining that robust social reform is still possible and desirable. My favorite example is the Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, author of the Serenity Prayer and a great liberal Democrat.)
Lately, however, I've become mad at the right, and have written about it with an anger not been present in my previous writings. It began with the ascension of George Bush, when I detected many conservatives beginning to care more about power than principles. The right began to seem less interesting to me--more whiny, more shallow--and, what's more, in what I saw as an uncritical devotion to President Bush, often in retreat from its best insights about human nature.
I made my strongest such claim in a Village Voice article two weeks ago in which I, after much thought, chose to say conservatism was "verging on becoming an un-American creed" for the widespread way conservatives are ignoring the lessons of James Madison's great insights in Federalist 51 that in America we are supposed to place our ultimate trust in laws, not men.
Finally, in what I see as the errors of the Iraq campaign, I recognize the worst aspects of arrogant left-wing utopianism: the idea that you can remake a whole society and region through sheer force of will. I think Iraq is a tragic disaster (though for the time being the country is probably better off than it was when Saddam was around--but only, I fear, for the time being).
I am also, by the way, a pretty strong critic of my own side, as can be seen in my latest Village Voice piece.
So: I'm yours for the day--until 7:10 pm CST, when I'm off to compete in my weekly trivia contest at the University of Chicago Pub. Until then: Are you ready to rumble?
Respectfully,
Rick Perlstein
Mr Perstein:
Two part question:
Proud of this, huh? and this:
And also proud of the lady who was happy about getting an abortion, no doubt.
Where does a dialog begin within someone like this?
I'm not very familiar with your writing. Your description of the right's sudden shift to "whining and shallow" seems rather vague. Could you explain in exactly what way?
This is a strawman. Of course you can't "remake a whole society...through sheer force of will..." .
What you CAN do is remove a dictator and give the people of the country a fresh start at democracy. I think that is exactly what W. says we are doing. Ultimately, it is up to the Iraqi people, just like it was up to the people of Germany and Japan.
That certainly worked out ok.
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Reinhold Niebuhr
I think that sums up exactly the situation in Iraq. I have faith in God and America.
Why do you believe that Iraq must become true and make complete sense in the immediate context of history?
1 - John Kerry said in his acceptance speech that we will only go to war because we have to - how would you interpret that against prior military actions in Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq and even Korea and WWI? How profound a change is that policy? To what extent do you agree with it?
2 - On Fox News Sunday, John Kerry continued to insist that the president misled the nation about Iraq trying to get uranium ore from Niger, despite American and British findings to the contrary. Do you agree with Kerry? Or is he now lying himself?
Don't forget that kerry/Edwards have better hair (wow, THAT'S deep)
Dear Mr. P,
Can you give us the short course on why you would want Kerry as President without dissin' Dubya? We all hear how much The President is hated by the left...we just want to hear why Kerry is so loved by the left.
Kind regards,
Liberty
Juanita Broaddrick accused Bill Clinton of raping her. Do you believe her?
Anger originates in fear and fear is most often caused by a loss of control. In as much as your emotions are a reaction to a reality that your ideology has lost control, its not surprising you are even more angry as it becomes clearer that the loss in control is permanent.
What is surprising is that the author lets his emotions color and change his previous beliefs.
Priciples, voting, patriotism and Bush.
Mr. Perlstein, I think you've failed to recognize one of the tenents of politics. Voters vote more against a candidate than they are apt to vote for.
A candidate, Bush, isn't going to please everyone. Thing is though, at some point it's not about Bush so much as feel they must vote against Kerry.
I think it fabulous that you'd be willing to come here and see what pops up.
Since I agree with the president on everything you seem to be 'mad at' and disagree on things you'd probably fight to the death to defend: I don't see much coming from any discussion.
I might suggest using words like "church", "Jesus", and "divine" a bit less in your titles - might be showing a bias there.
And, in summary:
9/11, bad
Iraq 2, good but not as good as it might be
John Kerry, contempt, which I understand goes both ways
An American president willing to take action when the world knitting society chose not to do so - priceless.
PS: you might do better by setting out a topic, omitting the words "divine", Etc.
Would you describe yourself as a classic Lockean liberal or the current bastardized version of what a liberal stood for circa 1776?
"I have always admired conservatives for their political idealism, acumen, stalwartness, and devotion. I have also admired some of their ideas--especially the commitment to distrusting grand social schemes, and the deep sense of the inherent flaws in human nature. (To my mind the best minds in the liberal tradition have encompassed these ideals, while still maintaining that robust social reform is still possible and desirable.)"
Presently, the Federal Leviathan has a budget of more than $2.5 Trillion (which is almost 25% of the Gross Domestic Product). Dubyuh has increased discretionary domestic spending by 8% per year, yet all I hear from Kerry and the Lib'ralHorde is that Bush is short-changing the little guy. If Kerry--the most Lib'ral Senator in office--wins in November, I can only see spending increasing even more (unless the House can save US). My question to you is, how much is enough?! At what point do you believe Federal spending is too large and too wasteful? What could a good "liberal" have against devolving Power from the Federal Leviathan and returning Power to the States, Localities, and Individuals. Then, if certain Northeastern states wanna create a socialist Utopia, they can refrain from bothering the rest of us with their big-spending hair-brained schemes.
FReegards...MUD
It's actually the Democrats who want us to put our trust in men, not laws. For example, let's Get Bush Out (Dont trust that man, trust ours instead). And let's not forget the liberal desire to legislate through the courts (let's put our trust in these great liberal minds and ignore that old antiquated constitution thing.)
It's all fine and well to claim that someone's idea's are un-American but if results matter, it looks to me like the liberals are the one's who are un-American, what with voting to deny our troops what they need (Kerry), etc etc.
How sad that a Jew would side with the anti-Israel, anti-semitic left, and brag about it.
A self-hater.
"When we think of Bush's character, we're likely to focus on the administration's proposed budget cuts for veterans"
Overall vet spending is up faster under Bush in ~3 years than Clinton in 8. If that is a "cut," I'm Bill Gates.
---See this
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A4064-2003Jan16
VA Cuts Some Veterans' Access to Health Care
Huge Backlog, Long Waits Prompt Decision
By Edward Walsh
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 17, 2003; Page A21
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced yesterday that it is immediately cutting off access to its health care system to some higher-income veterans, a move the agency estimated will affect about 164,000 veterans who were expected to enroll in the system during the current fiscal year.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony J. Principi said he decided to restrict access to the VA health care system because of a growing backlog of about 200,000 veterans who have to wait an average of six months before receiving their first treatment at a VA health care facility.
The growth in the number of veterans enrolling in the VA system "is eating up all of our marginal capacity," Principi said in an interview. "Our clinics, our medical facilities are full."
The restrictions, which take effect today, apply to what the agency calls Category 8 veterans, the lowest priority in health care. These are veterans with relatively high incomes who do not suffer from military service-related disabilities or health problems. Category 8 income levels vary depending on geographic location, but Principi said generally the restrictions will apply to veterans with annual incomes of $30,000 to $35,000 or higher.
The restrictions will apply only to new enrollees and will not affect the 1.4 million Category 8 veterans who currently receive health care from the VA, he said.
Principi is required by law to set eligibility rules for the VA health care system every year, and the restrictions apply only to this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. But in the interview, he indicated that unless there is a reduction in the patient backlog, the restrictions will remain in place longer. "I would like to reopen enrollment if I can, but not at the expense of meeting our obligations to the highest-priority veterans," he said.
Principi informed leaders of veterans groups of his decision yesterday morning. Spokesmen for the groups said they understood why the restrictions were being imposed, but they lashed out at Congress for what they called inadequate funding of VA health care. "Without proper funding, the secretary is never going to get [the backlog] down, so what he has done is to make the tough business decision," said Bob Wallace, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "If they can't take care of them, it's unconscionable to let them continue to enroll. The real bad guys in this is the Congress because they haven't fully funded the VA. I don't want to see anybody excluded from care, but we can't allow these false expectations and these lines to get longer and longer."
Historically, the VA's health care mission has been to treat veterans with service-related health problems and low incomes, and those needing special services. But that changed when Congress enacted legislation in 1996 opening the system to all veterans. That year, the VA health care system treated 2.9 million veterans. Last year, the number of patients had swelled to 4.2 million.
The largest segment of those entering the system are relatively high-income veterans who fall into Category 8. Principi said more than half of the 830,000 veterans who enrolled last year were classified as Category 8.
In an attempt to soften the effects of the restrictions, Principi also announced that under an agreement with the Health and Human Services Department, veterans who are eligible for Medicare and have been denied access to the VA health care system can still be treated at VA facilities, with Medicare reimbursing the department. He said he expects the program to begin operating later this year.
Dear Rick,
Todays Newsday has an article on what your fellow proud lefties plan to do to upset the RNC convention...
"Activists plan to hold sit-ins at delegate hotels, take over city intersections, block doors to major corporate offices, confront GOP bigwigs and infiltrate events when Republicans come to town for their political convention."
Do you really think this is going to help JFK?
"How I Finally Had To Face The Sterility Of Liberal Dogma And Logged On To Freerepublic.com So I Could Come Up With Some Fresh Ideas- And Now My Articles Just Write Themselves!"
Hey, all the other second and third tier columnists find their stuff here too. Don't feel bad.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.