Posted on 05/25/2003 4:25:19 PM PDT by Michael.SF.
The old Chinese adage says: “May you live in interesting times.” No one would argue that indeed we have lived in some interesting times during the past 15 years.
Although generally moving to the left of center, we have recently seen the shift of the political spectrum take a dramatic shift back towards the center and in fact, many would say that this shift has gone dramatically past the center and too far to the right. I for one have shifted my party affiliation from the Democrats to the Republicans, as I believe many of my generation have done. This ideological shift came about as we matured from our youth during the sixties, to a solid foundation of family, faith, friends, economic security and concern for the future of our children.
Part of what has prompted this change for me, was the fact that I finally began to listen to both sides, and I also finally began to measure both ends of the political spectrum with the same yardstick. It is amazing what you can learn when you finally start to listen, while also holding others accountable for what they have said and for what they do.
With that in mind, let’s look at some of the things that ‘they” have said over this time period:
They said it was the “worse economy in fifty years.” Yet, they chose to over look the Carter years and completely ignored the previously unsurpassed growth of the Reagan-Bush years.
They said we were in a “health care crisis” in ’92. But the solution was so frightening, that it possibly cost them control of Congress. Then suddenly the crisis was over, at least until they needed another campaign issue.
They decried the ‘politics of personal destruction.’ Sure, tell that to Robert Bork, Billy Dale, Trent Lott and numerous others.
They said the “Era of big government was over.” Yet, they have never voted to reduce government.
They said it was OK to elect a man who “loathed the military.” Now they claim a Vietnam veteran has earned a special right to speak out on military issues.
They said character should not matter, as their President was impeached. Now they decry any Republican who does not live up to the bar of character, whose height constantly seems to be shifting to suit their needs.
They said that private sex did not matter. Yet, their supporters offered hundreds of thousands of dollars for the dirt on men like Henry Hyde and Bob Livingston.
They said Newt Gingrich was unfit because he received an inappropriate advance of funds. Yet, they stood by as the newly elected Senator from New York cashed an eight million dollar check.
They said Thurgood Marshall was a Black American hero because he was a Supreme Court Justice. However, they write letters of protest whenever Clarence Thomas is invited to give a speech.
They said, “Every vote should count.” However, they wrote memos on how to throw out the military vote.
They said that thousands were disenfranchised in Florida. However, not one person testified to this before the civil rights commission. Not one.
They said the Supreme Court selected George Bush by a 5-4 vote. However, they ignored the 7-2 ruling that said the methodology used in the recounts was illegal.
They said it was the intelligence community that failed us on Sept. 11th. However, they stood by as shackles were placed on the intelligence community during the 90’s.
They said the first President Bush was wrong to not have gotten rid of Sadaam Hussein back in ’91. Now they say George Bush II was wrong to do so today.
They voted to support military action. Then they stabbed the President in the back and were “saddened, deeply saddened” on the eve of the campaign.
They said it was a unilateral action that was being taken. They said this as a coalition of 40 countries agreed the action was required.
They said we needed to support the UN. But the UN stood by in silence as 17 resolutions were ignored, and as tens of thousands of Iraqi’s were slaughtered and tortured.
They said it would be a quagmire and that tens of thousands would be killed. However, they remained silent when history was made with the quickness of the victory and in regards to the remarkable accuracy of our strikes, which prevented an untold number of deaths.
They said that it was “photo op” politics, as the President thanked the men and women on the USS Lincoln. A photo op. A term virtually unknown in the lexicon of the pre-Clinton era.
They said that dissent was being stifled and we were loosing our ‘Freedom of Speech.’ Yet, Michael Moore was free to embarrass himself on a worldwide platform, as he spewed forth with his anti Bush venomous diatribe.
They say they believe in ‘Freedom of Religion.” However, their constant actions seem to indicate that they believe in ‘Freedom from Religion.’
They say they want to judge based on the content of one’s character, and not by the color of their skin. Yet, they go to court to allow people to be selected for college based, in a large part, on the color of their skin.
They said that the tax cut was only for the rich. However, they ignore the “Tax Rebate” of three hundred dollars per person given to those who do not pay any taxes.
They said we were not spending enough on education. They said this even as they approved the highest education funding in history.
They say they support the children and only want what is best for all of the children. They say this as they profess their right to kill unwanted fetuses.
They say they believe in being open-minded. Yet, they hide behind a filibuster to prevent opposing voices from being heard.
They say they want choice. Yet, they deny us the choice of where to send our kids to school by denying us our tax money for educational vouchers.
They said that we need more government funds for virtually everything. Do they ever say anything else?
I for one think they have said enough. It is also high time that everyone should stop believing in what they say and judge them for what they do.
Dennis D. Lund
DDL
The Democrat party has been taken over by the socialists whose goal in not in the best interests of this country or it's Constitution.
The dumb, inept, gutless Republicans have been replaced in the White House by the Bushies. Thank God.
The Bushies(not to be confused with Republicans) know how to beat the Socialists at their own game.
I fear when the Bushies eventually go it will be back to the Orin Hatch- Trent Lott and John McCain types, vs the American hating socialists of the Democrat party. - Tom
I have said that many times here, but I'm now beginning to think that its the Communists who have taken over the Democrat Party by pretending to be Socialists that are hiding behind the Liberal label.
Are you sure it's not the Democrats who have taken over the Socialist Party by pretending to be Liberals that are hiding behind the Communist label?
Okay okay, beddy-bye for Maxie...
I believe you're right.
Here's one from the Irish:, "May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead".
What are you refering to? - Tom
Excellent, Dennis. I registered as a Democrat when I was in college. I had no interest in politics at the time. As I got older, I became interested. Finally started to listen to what all politicians had to say. Then I became informed, read up on issues, looked at both sides. And I realized, I was a lot further to the right. I am now a Proud Republican.
"If you're not a liberal when you're twenty, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative when you're forty, you have no brain."
I don't know who quoted the above. I think as we get older many folks become more conservative.
BTW, if you've got a ping list, please place my name on it. Thanks
Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart;
to be one at thirty is proof of want of head.
-Francois Guisot (1787-1874)
which was later changed by Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) into:
Not to be a socialist at twenty is proof of want of heart;
to be one at thirty is proof of want of head.
What is a socialist? One who has yearnings
To share equal profits from unequal earnings..
-Dean (William R.) Inge (1860-1954), 1925
http://www.freerepublic.com/~landolincoln/
My favorite quote? I have several but one that comes to mind is from Winston Churchill: "If you are not a liberal by the time you are twenty, you have no heart. If you are not a conservative by the time you are thirty, you have no brain".
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