Posted on 04/10/2014 1:42:37 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Conservatives in Congress are the prime suspects in Washington’s dysfunction. Veteran congressional watchdogs Norman Ornstein and Thomas Mann called the previous session the “worst Congress ever,” and they did not hold back in assigning blame: “The Republicans are the problem,” they said. After a fruitless government shutdown last fall, even House Speaker John Boehner lashed out at conservative groups and passed bills over the opposition of his caucus.
In response, conservatives make two simple claims: Most policies under debate are liberal, and Republican leaders sacrifice conservative principles when they compromise. History shows they are right on both counts.
I combed through hundreds of history books covering American public policy since 1945, tracking the most significant domestic policy changes that made it into law and the actors that historians credit for those changes. Of the 509 most significant domestic policies passed by Congress, only one in five were conservative, in that they contracted the scope of government funding, regulation or responsibility. More than 60 percent were liberal: They clearly expanded government. The others offered a mix of liberal or conservative components or took no clear ideological direction. When significant policy change occurs in the executive branch, it is even less likely to be conservative; only 10 percent of the executive orders and agency rules that policy historians cited were conservative....
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
In my 70 years, we have sucked the hind teat, with the exception of Ronald Reagan. Am I missing something, or someone?
Duh!
Wapoo! Drives me nuts to listen to talkie hosts refer to this rag as the voice of authority. As if the whole of America cowers around every word it prints. The average American didn’t even notice or was affected during the so called shutdown. And because it wasn’t doing so the regime had to shut down access to parks and monuments it runs plus pull off other stunts. Then called the slowdown in spending a “failure” by those nasty conservatives. Which the GOPES,gop elite snobs, eagerly bought into.
They suck at math too. It has been over 80 years since their hero FDR started ramming his socialist crap through.
Not surprised by this one. Hubby has been saying that we’ve been on the downhill slide since the so-called great social programs were introduced in the 60s.
Having grown up in the 60s, I believe it was a great turning point, all around. Our morals (sex and drug) were on a fast moving train from then on. Yea, sex and drugs were around before then, but not okay with the general public, like “the next big thing” that was pushed at us repeatedly.
The one thing I don’t want to see happen to this country is that the government (i.e., monarchy) taxes “the peasants” so much that they cannot afford to support their families. That is one of the major reasons our forefathers fled their native countries. We’ve allowed our representatives to believe that they are our monarchy and not “our servants.”
We need future “watchmen” to make sure this never happens.
Try like more for 100+ years.
AlexW wrote:
“In my 70 years, we have sucked the hind teat, with the exception of Ronald Reagan. Am I missing something, or someone?”
I have 8 years less to judge than you Alex, but I believe you are ‘spot-on’.
In short, for those attempting to noodle the 70 years, we’ve sucked at nation policy making since the year before the end of World War II, when the First Socialist President, F.D.R., was still alive. (Obama being the Second Socialist President.)
Further with the changes in the teens. Taxes and senators and fed.
Jack hydrazine wrote:
“Try like more for 100+ years.”
Hmmmm ... could you be a-thinking to the time of Alvin York, before he was a-soldierin’ in France? (That’s 1914.)
Could you be a-thinkin’ that mebbe all those Southern DEMOCRATS, that got ‘that war’ a-started, shoulda bin just shot, an’ not given their seats back? (Is that the ‘hundred plus’ you mean, Jack?)
Say what you mean, boy.
If you think it's bad now, just wait. It's getting worse.
When a country acts like a banana republic long enough, they become one.
It did start with Wilson, FDR was just phase II.
He’s right. With rare exceptions all policy making has been about how fast conservatives should retreat.
That’s where I see it change, too.
See post #11.
Isn’t it interesting that Rome was a republic for 75 years before it started down the road of empire while America lasted for 76 years as a republic (1789-1865)?
“Isn’t it interesting that Rome was a republic for 75 years before it started down the road of empire...”
When do you date the start of your 75 years?
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