"Overcoming Liberalism: A 12-Step Program"

Chron Watch ^ | Monday, January 06, 2003 | Jeremy Robb

[M. Peach]

Several months ago, I heard radio host Michael Savage refer to liberalism as a “mental disorder.” As odd as this concept might seem, I think I actually agree with him. I’ve seen liberalism turn some of the most intelligent people I know into propaganda-spewing robots who care only about the message, not the inaccuracies behind the message. Emotion always trumps logic for them, regardless of the blatantly obvious.

Given the difficulty in bringing liberals into the light, I thought it might be helpful to provide them with a 12-step program that could make it easier for a successful transition into reality. As conservatives, we have to remember that we can only be supportive to liberals in this program. They cannot do it alone, but we also cannot do it for them.

The Program:

Step 1: Admitting that you’re a liberal This is the first step for every liberal on the way to recovery. It is important to understand that you’re not “progressive,” “moderate,” or “enlightened.” You’re a liberal, and you need to be honest with yourself about that fact.

Step 2: Pledge to support your beliefs with facts Realize that truth is more important than moral superiority and is the only way to come over to reality. You must research beyond propaganda from the Sierra Club, Hillary Clinton, and CNN (the Communist News Network) to understand things as they really exist in the world. You can no longer argue based on “feelings” or emotion. You will actually need to back up your arguments with real information. This is a difficult step, because it means you can’t be lazy any more.

Step 3: Love America This may be the most difficult step for those of you who are hippies and peaceniks. Admitting that the country you hate actually stands as a beacon to defend freedom throughout the world can make some of you physically ill. You might want to make a visit to a military cemetery to better understand that these men and women gave their lives so that you could spew hatred. Otherwise, you would currently be living in a police state that would never let you wear that nasty patchouli oil, let alone speak out against your government.

Step 4: Take a college level economics class I’ve always defined a Socialist as someone who’s never taken an economics class. Most Socialists I’ve spoke with would have a hard time balancing their checkbooks, let alone explaining the simple concept of supply-and-demand. It’s time to flush your complete ignorance of basic economics down the toilet and understand how the world actually functions. This concept will be very important for the next steps that involve communism, facts about corporations, and the inefficiencies of government.

Step 5: Say “no” to Communism and Socialism While this concept is obvious to most of the free world, it is an important step in your recovery process. If you have difficulty with this step, spend a week living and working in Cuba.

Step 6: Corporations are not evil If you’re reading this article online or in an e-mail, it’s thanks to corporations. If you get some kind of paycheck, you can thank corporations. If you work for a non-profit or the government, you still have to thank corporations. The non-profit sector and the government wouldn’t have any money to pay you without corporations. It is also important that you understand that making a profit doesn’t equate to “greed” or exploitation. Capitalism has created the greatest society in our world’s history. Even communist countries need corporations to survive, so enjoy a nice, hot cup of reality.

Step 7: The government is inefficient If you are one of those liberals who believe the government should tax us more in order to take care of society, you need to pay special attention to this step. You need to realize that government bureaucracy will waste most of your tax dollars, while the private sector will put your money to much better use. Even most Democrat politicians understand this to some degree, which is why Hillary’s socialist healthcare proposal was voted down by a majority of both Democrats and Republicans. Go to your local post office or call the IRS to ask a tax question if you need a reminder about government inefficiency.

Step 8: The earth is not your “mother,” and she’s not dying The time has now come to stop your donations to Greenpeace, The Sierra Club, and every other EnviroNazi organization to which you belong. Face the reality that the earth, society, and our environment are better off today than ever in recorded history and that they are continuing to improve. I realize that many of you tree huggers will have a very difficult time letting go of the Douglas Fir on this one. I would suggest reading The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg. Mr. Lomborg is a former member of Greenpeace and is currently a statistics professor at a university in Denmark. He set out to prove the world was in bad shape and ended up surprising himself by proving the exact opposite.

Step 9: Stop smoking the wacky tobaccy Okay, some of you might need to enter another 12-step program to complete this step. Marijuana is distorting your sense of reality, and you need to stop using it. Besides, you’ll save a fortune on snacks.

Step 10: Eat a hamburger If God didn’t intend for us to eat animals, he wouldn’t have made them out of meat. You can put your sprouts and tofu on the hamburger, but get some meat into you. You’ll look and feel better than you ever imagined. You can always remind yourself that Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian to get you through this step.

Step 11: Stop re-writing political history It’s now time to admit that Bill Clinton is a lying-cheating-sexist-racist-rapist jackass, Hillary Clinton is one of the worst role models for women in this country, Al Gore really did lose the 2000 election by every vote tabulation you attempt, Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War and didn’t create the homeless problem, John McCain is not a typical Republican, and Jimmy Carter is a nice man but has one of the worst presidential records of anyone in history.

Step 12: Be a missionary Once you have completed the previous steps to overcoming liberalism, it’s time for you to share this awakening with others who are not as fortunate. Go out amongst the liberal sheep and spread the good word of your freedom from the chains of ignorance that once bound you. Congratulations, and welcome to reality.

[M. Peach]

A great place to send recovering liberals - Great stuff!

[M. Peach]

A valuable read for those wishing to convert liberals.

[yeetch!]

Magnificent

[Sofa King]

Step 2: Pledge to support your beliefs with facts Realize that truth is more important than moral superiority and is the only way to come over to reality. You must research beyond propaganda from the Sierra Club, Hillary Clinton, and CNN (the Communist News Network) to understand things as they really exist in the world. You can no longer argue based on “feelings” or emotion. You will actually need to back up your arguments with real information. This is a difficult step, because it means you can’t be lazy any more.

Therein lies the rub. Alot of liberals will never get past this step because it's too easy to use cyclical reasoning to justify their 'facts': My favorite liberal 'intellectual' says that Rush is a liar. Therefore, I cannot trust anything that Rush says. Because of this, I will not believe Rush when he points out falsehoods that my favorite liberal is guilty of. (repeat this with anyone who challenges liberalism, since my favorite liberal calls everyone who disagrees with him a liar) Since there is nobody left to challenge my favorite liberal's credibility, he must be truthful

The only way to get past this step is to do your own truth checking (ie, keep track of what people say and look for internal inconsistencies, check for hypocrisy, take not of things such as the Jason Blair incident) Of course, this can be alot of work for someone who is used to taking the liberal media seriously.

[Arthur McGowan]

Jimmy Carter is NOT a "nice man."

[M. Peach]

We need to keep this bumped.

[M. Peach]

Have you asked your friend to point out specifically where Rush lied? Ask him to provide proof.

[evad]

Emotion always trumps logic for them, regardless of the blatantly obvious..

It also trumps "facts". Liberalism is the ultimate truth distorter.

[M. Peach]

I think he may be giving a minor concession to ambivalent liberals.

[M. Peach]

One of the best descriptions I ever head about the difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals let their emotions and feelings rule their thinking and conservatives their brains and logic.

[Sofa King]

I'm speaking more of how liberals act in general than I am of a specific person.

[rontorr]

Ask him to provide proof. ..........


the only proof libs need is the fact that they said it, it must be true

[Sofa King]

Upon re-reading my post, I have seen where I have given you a false impression-

When I said "my favorite liberal 'intellectual'", I was speaking from the viewpoint of a liberal (ie, that's what the liberal would be saying). The liberal 'intellectual' would be someone on CNN.

[Bob]

Jimmy Carter is NOT a "nice man."

No, but he does pretty well at pretending to be one. That's good enough for a lot of people.

He was perhaps the most incompetent president in recent history.

[The Raven]

wonderful

[M. Peach]

He was as bad as Clinton when he started denegrating Bush's decisions. Ford or Nixon never said a word about his many screw-ups.

[Ditter]

This is great! I just sent it to my lefty cousin in California. I told him to pay special attention to #6 & #8. he he

[evad]

One of the best descriptions I ever head about the difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals let their emotions and feelings rule their thinking and conservatives their brains and logic.

I think that sums it up pretty well for the "true believer" liberal.

However the Hollywood liberal, the Politician scumbag liberal, the sum sucking lawyer liberal, the NAG liberal, the Hitlary and Bill liberals..I could go on forever but that bunch is a whole different bag of nasty nasty worms.

[tiamat]

Arthur McGowan wrote:

Jimmy Carter is NOT a "nice man."

***********************************

THAANK YOU!

That really frosted me, too.

Tia

[Helms]

Pretty brilliant.

[Helms]

Converted it to MS Word and printed, will carry in car. Maybe we need to start passing out at coffee shops err houses.

[4integrity]

BUMP!!!

[Prof Engineer]

ping

[boris]

"Step 4: Take a college level economics class. [period inserted] I’ve always defined a Socialist as someone who’s never taken an economics class. Most Socialists I’ve spoke with would have a hard time balancing their checkbooks, let alone explaining the simple concept of supply-and-demand. It’s time to flush your complete ignorance of basic economics down the toilet and understand how the world actually functions. This concept will be very important for the next steps that involve communism, facts about corporations, and the inefficiencies of government." Or read Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt, and for advanced students, Human Action by Ludwig von Mises.

--Boris

[boris]

Let's try that one more time:

""Step 4: Take a college level economics class. [period inserted] I’ve always defined a Socialist as someone who’s never taken an economics class. Most Socialists I’ve spoke with would have a hard time balancing their checkbooks, let alone explaining the simple concept of supply-and-demand. It’s time to flush your complete ignorance of basic economics down the toilet and understand how the world actually functions. This concept will be very important for the next steps that involve communism, facts about corporations, and the inefficiencies of government."

Or read Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt, and for advanced students, Human Action by Ludwig von Mises.

[M. Peach]

A while back I joined a 12 step program for workaholics - and I'm proud to say I haven't worked in over 5 years....

[evad]

Maybe we need to start passing out at coffee shops err houses.

Hey, great idea.
We could work right next to the Hare Krishna groups at the airports :)

[The Raven]

Liberalism is genetic.

[M. Peach]

"Liberalism is genetic."

I hope you now know that by claiming it is genetic and therefore unchangeable - liberals will now want to become a protected class - entitling them to affirmative action programs and government assistance.

Oh, I forgot - most are already on government assistance.

[DPB101]

The most difficult mental block for liberals to break is to realize that everybody doesn't do it.

[Bullish]

I love the smell of liberals burning in the morning.

[JusPasenThru]

Bump.

[Helms]

Perhaps in a stealth operation, I can post these in the restrooms of Starbucks, Caribou and Indy coffeehouses. Will need to put on both sides and on a single page 8x11. How about at Barnes and Noble too, and nicely tucked into Hillary's new book.

[Helms]

Yes it may be a genetic mutation which allows the pacifist to allow others to do the heavy lifting so they stand a better chance of passing the mutation along to their genotype/phenotype in future generations, which will wind up supporting.

[evad]

..and nicely tucked into Hillary's new book

Hehe..nice touch.

I recommend we put it in Ann's book too for serious distribution.

[BillaryBeGone]

No, but he does pretty well at pretending to be one. That's good enough for a lot of people. He was perhaps the most incompetent president in recent history.

Reminds me of a story my husband (retired Navy) told me. Seems a friend of his was assigned to the White House while Jimmah was Prez. Jimmah wanted to appear as "just a common man." So, every time he walked to Marine One when the cameras were on, he carred a garment bag over his shoulder. An empty garment bag. Yeah, a real "common man." I'd say, more like a hypocrite to beat all hypocrites.

[Quick1]

Step 9: Stop smoking the wacky tobaccy Okay, some of you might need to enter another 12-step program to complete this step. Marijuana is distorting your sense of reality, and you need to stop using it. Besides, you?ll save a fortune on snacks. Step 10: Eat a hamburger If God didn?t intend for us to eat animals, he wouldn?t have made them out of meat. You can put your sprouts and tofu on the hamburger, but get some meat into you. You?ll look and feel better than you ever imagined. You can always remind yourself that Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian to get you through this step. If God didn't intend for us to smoke pot, why did he grow weed? :)

[hoosiermama]

If your friend insists RUsh is a liar... call your friend a "chair with two legs". You'll have an easier time proving he's a chair* than proving he'll have proving Rush a liar.

* Has a back, a seat, arms, etc

[tuna_battle_slight_return]

bttt - great read!

[thoughtomator]

Step 1: Admitting that you’re a liberal This is the first step for every liberal on the way to recovery. It is important to understand that you’re not “progressive,” “moderate,” or “enlightened.” You’re a liberal, and you need to be honest with yourself about that fact.

Sadly even in the first line you've unwittingly given the Left a victory. They are not "liberal". There's nothing liberal about the policies of the Left - it's "whatever is not compulsory is forbidden." Call them the socialists or fascists they are. That's "being honest about it."

[driftless]

A great many college graduates, like my fiancee's daughter who just completed her law degree, emerge from academia as if they are on a mission. Actually most liberals I've met, like this young woman, are in fact very nice people. But they have a sense of righteousness bordering on arrogance, and they want to save the world yesterday. I try to tell this young women from time to time that the world doesn't need saving. It's fine to want to help people who genuinely need help, but giving things to people, who are quite capable of earning them on their own, does not do them any good.

This young women, who by the way has a minor in economics, recently revealed, as we were watching boats go by on the Mississippi River, that if she won the lottery, she would not buy and expensive boat but give most of her money away to help the needy. I offered that if she bought an expensive boat, someone would be employed having to build her boat. She looked at me like I'd just stepped on her piece of chocolate cake. Oh well, I'll try subversive tactics again and see if she eventually gets it.

[A_perfect_lady]

If God didn’t intend for us to eat animals, he wouldn’t have made them out of meat.

LOL! Gotta admit, that was funny.

[M. Peach]

"She looked at me like I'd just stepped on her piece of chocolate cake"

That's a funny story - but how true it is. I remembered when I first graduated from college how brainwashed and liberal I was - until I got a dose of reality and started paying huge taxes to support those who wouldn't work - and didn't want to work even if you gave them a job.

I briefly did an internship at the Unemployment office and the people in line would be laughing about how easy it was to rip off the system. I would conservatively say that over 60% of those collecting did not deserve it and were committing fraud.

At the time, Wall Street Journal did a report stating that anyone on welfare and government assistance would earn the equivalent of $13.75 per hour - tax free - if they took advantage of the system - i.e. medical, food stamps, welfare etc.

At the time, I think the Minimum wage was about $4.00 per hour. What kind of system makes it more desirable and comfortable to do nothing for $13.75 per hour and work at McDonalds for $4.00 per hour?

[A_perfect_lady]

This young women...recently revealed, as we were watching boats go by on the Mississippi River, that if she won the lottery, she would not buy and expensive boat but give most of her money away to help the needy.

Apparently, half the point of being a liberal is making sure everybody knows how morally superior one is. If there were no one there to be awed, I wonder if they'd bother.

[Egregious Philbin]

Characature and ham-fisted humor like this will do nothing to convert liberals. Following his own #2 would be good advice.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> If God didn’t intend for us to eat animals, he wouldn’t have made them out of meat. <<

That was funny. I saw a bumper sticker once that said 'Eat more fast food', it had a picture of a deer in the cross hairs. LOL!!

[DannyTN]

"Go to your local post office or call the IRS to ask a tax question if you need a reminder about government inefficiency. "

lol, isn't that the truth. I don't know about the local post office, those guys manage to look busy everytime I go in there.

However calling the IRS takes at least an hour to get someone on the phone and there is a 50% chance that person will not know the answer and will have to transfer me. If she transfers me, there is an 80% chance she will transfer me to someone else who not only doesn't know the answer, but can't understand why I was transfered to them in the first place.

[Sinner6]

I got a theatre person off liberalism. He did every step but 9.

[SpookBrat]

Thought you might enjoy this. :)

[MeekOneGOP]

Howdy ! Long time no see. I've been wondering where/how you've been. Hope everything is going ok for you.

Thanks for the ping. I'll check it out.

Look at this. Thought you might want to see what's happening in your old stompin' grounds!:

07-08-2003
House passes remap
Veteran Democrats may lose seats if bill goes through Senate

Above article is worthy of showing that a picture indeed is worth a thousand words:
First the Chicken D’s run away to Ardmore, Oklahoma. That didn’t work, so here they are, still having a fit during the Redistricting debate:

As King began his argument for the new congressional boundaries Monday afternoon, about 30 Democrats in the gallery donned white socks as hand puppets to mock King. Every time he spoke, the little white mouths flapped.