Posted on 08/31/2004 12:09:16 PM PDT by NonValueAdded
FWIW, I'm not an American, so I'm not entirely aware what old Republicanism meant. I do know old Democrats were pro-slavery and pro-Lenin.
But I am an Adam Smith laisse faire conservative. IMO, what made America great is not protectionism, but free trade and its ability to feed and mechanize the world. How are current Republicans any different than Democrats when it comes to the all embracing of John Maynard Keynes communistic ideals, I'm not too sure? Central Banking, currency manipulation, mercantalism, the dependence on government to solve our economic ills, the misinformed desire to eliminate business cycles (may as well eliminate human emotions while we're at it, funnelling of dollars to big business who should have been allowed to fail (airlines). The list can go on.
Thanks 7.62, the audio link is indeed working now.
You should read my posts more closely, because you would then know that I'm not doing that. As I said in my very first post on this thread, it is entirely appropriate to talk abot difficult questions here in FreeRepublic, or when we're far from election day.
It is another thing altogether to expect Rush Limbaugh to challenge Bush on issues that he's not being conservative enough on, with only two months to go before a close, bitter election---with millions of listeners, many of them undecided, listening. It is counterproductive to the greater cause of advancing conservatism. Frankly, just as John McCain did last night, Rush was right on target to set aside any notion of infighting for the sake of the candidate.
Right now we have to rally behind Bush, the clearly superior candidate. John Kerry would be a mortal blow to the conservative cause, if for no other reason than our next President is going to be appointing at least two, and possibly up to four, Supreme Court justices.
But again, in the meanwhile, it's quite reasonable to criticize our own man in sympathetic audiences such as this.
You are right about abortion. We live in a heathen land. I do believe Bush is doing all he can though.
Having been adopted from birth, I too have some pretty strong feelings about abortion - after all, I wouldn't be alive today had my mother not had the sense at her young age to carry me full term.
That said, I have come to look at abortion in a morbidly positive note. Why? Because it is not conservative women who are having abortions. It is the leftist women who use abortion as a method of birth control. Not just in the US, but worldwide. The result of this is that there are that many fewer liberals being born - never take away your enemy's weapon while they are shooting themselves in the foot - hand them more ammo. If current trends continue, the left will by default become more marginalized every day. The few of them that are not gay and can breed, choose not to - by whatever means. Factoring in AIDS, along with other lifestyle issues, and the left will become extinct in short order. So I'm now content with their ability to kill their own, and at the same time feel comfortable with the morals that conservative parents pass along to their daughters regarding abortion. Just look at the Bush twins, and then compare them to Kerry's offspring. Upbringing shows.
No, I don't agree with the president on immigration. Economically, I'd like to see the IRS disbanded and replaced with a flat tax system which rewards savings and investment. On trade, I think that is something which should be negotiated between trading partners without the onerous anti-americanism of the WTO. Likewise, the UN MUST GO. World policeman? No, but any nation who desires to hinder Americans from the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness should not be allowed to project power anywhere. If that means turning China to glass, so be it.
It matters not how old you are, or where you've been in your life, only your beliefs matter in here. How you convey your views and opinions to others is vitally important, but so is having an open mind. Being open minded is one of the main things that separates us from the left. We don't need to be crass or condescending to others, because we generally take the correct or logical stand on the issues. Being new here, you need to show some tact, if not respect. It sucks being new. Deal with it.
BTTT
Not much difference anymore. Both parties are sliding into socialism, our Constitution is being bastardized, and the ideals of our founding fathers have been all but forgotten.
What do you want, A State of the Union in 10 minutes? He addressed the issues that needed to be addressed for the 15 minute slot. The big buzz today was his comments yesterday to Lauer.
Yes.
many of them undecided, listening.
No, I wouldn't say that.
Right now we have to rally behind Bush, the clearly superior candidate.
True, I would be uncomfortable with Rush getting hateful in this situation, my reaction was to those, not necessarily you, who just absolutely jumped down FrankWild's throat. I mean, one guy was calling him a "moron" and others calling him a liberal. Its just dangerous to go to these extremes to "rally" behind. Nearly everyone has made their choice, but the undecideds, ironically might be MORE swayed by Bush explaining his reasoning behind the prescription entitlement, lack of prosecution of illegal employers etc...ok that may not go well...But hey, he might make a pragmatic, political explanation that while the stay-home people on here wouldn't accept because they believe in limited government or Americans working the jobs, would still understand the logic behind his plea, the honesty in his desire to navigate the political seas, and they would trust the man again.
You speak of undecideds, I think Bush needs to work more to shore up the so called base from his 4 years of policies then he needs to reach out to "the great moderate majority "of undecideds that the media forces us to all believe in. With all the hate in the media the past 6 months, most people have made up their mind, the movement is going to come in turnout. Therefore, I get very worried when I see posters on here jump down Frank's throat. Difficult questions would give Bush the opportunity to do himself some favors.
LOL. Yes, you have a great point, and that's actually where my opinion stands. I use to be much more opposed to the Bush Admin, but now realize, especially after M Moore's lies, how badly all conservatives need to side with the best option we have at this time. Kerry is far far worse - and likely the key to Hilary's coronation.
But I'm a little tired of abortion being such an orphan of an issue even among conservatives and Republicans when its devastation is so vast.
It is sad. It obviously is an issue that is sacrificed to accomplish other agendas by maximizing votes.
Unless one resides in a state (or Congressional district in those states which split the electoral votes) that is very safely in the Bush column, then and only then, can one safely give a boost to ones third part of choice cannidate. The same logic applies in Congressional and lower races. Since the Incumbent wins most of those anyway, the danger in voting third party is even less, but check to be sure in your district.
Soon the Democrats will implode. Exactly what "soon" is, I can't say. But when they do, you can be assured that new party, or new parties, will be formed. I could see the less rabid Dems joining with the McCain wing of the Republicans and the more conservative Repulicans becoming something else, hopefully something which holds the basic principals of the Constitution in higher regard than either major party does today. Those basic principals, aside from protection of individual liberty and rights, include separation of powers, federalism, and most importantly limited government.
I know where you are coming from. Where the American socialist movement, helped by the FDR administration, failed - they succeeded in the field of economics. The bastardized economics of Keynes was the worse thing to happen to Western thought. The Soviet Union fell, but America, like most of the West, has fallen for the charms of "mixed economies". All you have to do is read stuff by John Kenneth Galbraith to understand the thinking behind economic policy of most Western governments. "Jump starting" the economy. Managing downturns. It's all from the playbook of socialized nations. Whether you call them facist or communist. Interest rates are suppose move in a FREE market, yet America allows an unelected (and politically compromised - he worked in the investment bank industry) Alan Greenspan set short term interest rates.
Some may wonder why, since I'm a Canadian, should I care? Because, as much as my compatriots may deny it, the US leads the Western world. We follow. The US goes down the road of fiscal deficit spending. So do we. American capitalism falls. So does ours.
I'll tell you what: I would fully support a shift to an approval voting based system. Basically, you can vote for as many candidates as you want, (though at most one vote per candidate of course :)) This lets people vote for third party candidates without fear of serving as a spoiler.
Dittos
bump to listen later
Let's get him in office then deal with details and issues like immigration and money. Otherwise you'll be dealing with sKerry, and I don't think he knows how to spell one and mama handles the other.
The dems do PLENTY of Presidential grilling. Rush didn't have to and didn't. Works for me.
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