As a republican, I oppose George*W*Bush

[rogerashton]

Notice the small r? What does a republican believe in?

Historically, republicans oppose monarchy, and since the American and French revolutions, republicans also oppose aristocracy. The idea that anyone could attain to political power because he is somebody's son or somebody's son's friend is offensive to a republican.

Republicans believe that the rule of law applies no less to those in positions of power than to other people -- "government of laws, not of men." The continual scofflaw practice of the Bush dynasty is offensive to a republican.

Republicans believe that those who exercise authority ought to be responsible to those over whom the authority is exercised, in the political realm. As an extremist republican, I want to apply that in the economic area as well. Let the employees elect the bosses. This is called "worker cooperation," and worker cooperatives have been functioning successfully for a century and a half -- a great republican innovation!

http://www.usworkercoop.org/

http://www.ica-group.org/1st%20Row/workercooperative.html

http://www.iisd.org/50comm/commdb/list/c13.htm

[wtmusic]

1. Which worker cooperative has been functioning

successfully for a century and a half?

[Just Me]

2. I appreciate your post.

The way this administration basically throws away the "rule of law" is what inflames my outrage at them.

I honestly did not know the republicans stand on labor. What the hell happened to that concept, "worker cooperation"?

[DearAbby]

5. This administration has opened the vault of the US treasury and

His buddies, Big Corps, are looting. How can republicans stand by and allow that? I dont hear any republicans standing up and denouncing this.

By the way thank you for posting. Maybe have some great conversations on topics.

[Old and In the Way]

9. "worker cooperation" means communism to today's Republican Party.

Republicans hate communism....therefore they hate worker co-ops. The Republican Party only serves the ownership interests. They could give a rat's ass about the workers.

Funny thing is, their agenda will ultimately create the very social system they hate. When the service economy is finally destroyed, people will be forced into creating a bartering economy with co-op's and communes to survive.

[annabanana]

3. republicans, we can work with.....

Because they truly want what is best for America. The philosophy and path may differ radically, but the desired result is the same, the greatest good for the largest number of people.

How can we work together to re-energize the true republican party?

[Old and In the Way]

4. Too bad the current version of the Republican Party is run by a

bunch of criminal fascists who want totalitarian power for themselves. I have never seen a more unprincipled bunch of lying hypocrites who are so willing to take down our system of government to further their own economic interests.

[TWiley]

6. You sound more like a contemporary democrat to me.

Here, take a political test.

http://www.okcupid.com/politics

I have a friend who always called himself a republican. As it turned out, the definition he learned in school had been moved out from under him as the party went to the extreme right.

Give the link a little peck, and answer the questions. I was categorized as a "Strong Democrat" when I took it.

I would be curious to know what your results would be.

[mermaid]

12. I Came Up As A Socialist - And I'm Not Surprised

I have described myself as such for years.

And a Socialist is NOT to be confused with a Communist. they are very different things.

Anyway, I was a Social Liberal 71% permissive
and I was an Economic Liberal 10% permissive

Which puts me almost dead-center of the Socialist area of the political spectrum.

Again, it does not surprise me, as I have described myself as a socialist for years.

[TWiley]

14. I have a several friends who

consider themselves socialists. Capitalism does need to have a more fair and humane emphasis. I have long felt that the division should be between the rights of the Capitalists, and the rights of the rest of us. The rest of us would include all races and sexual orientations. Also, it would include the rights of the planet, and all living creatures. To my mind, this is where the battle line should be drawn.

[CrispyQ]

7. I've always thought that part of a performance review of

someone who manages people should include feedback from the people who are managed. Who knows better what type of manager the manager is?

Not to stereotype all management, law enforcement, & politicians, but they are occupations that have power over others and they seem to appeal to the very types of individuals who are prone to abuse that power. That said, when you find a good one, they are worth their weight in gold!

[CoolOnion]

8. Thanks for your post.

I hope there are more republicans like you who can see what's happening in our country, instead of blindly following a label. Calling Bush "republican" is like being brand loyal to a product that used to be made in the USA, but is now made in Malaysia.

[Toots]

10. I suppose that is why Republicans came out in droves to support Bush*

What BS. Republicans respect only power. They have no real moral compass. They vote in lockstep for one and only one reason. POWER.

[Just Me]

11. I know of many registered democrats that voted for GWB, too.

:shrug:

I think the radicals who are getting way too much attention in the CM have totally warped American's "moral compass".

[rogerashton]

13. I did try to call attention to the small r!

I'm a republican, not a Republican! The Republican party, so far as I know, opposes most of what a real republican stands for -- and that was the point of my unnoticed irony!

(I did register and vote Republican in my first election. But, hey, that was 1963, it was in another country, and besides, the wench is dead).

On worker coops -- the worker coop was often described as The Republic In The Workshop in the 1830's-1850's when the first ones were being established in England and France. For serious studies of the history of worker cooperatives, see for example

BONIN , JP and JONES DC and PUTTERMAN L (1993), “THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL-STUDIES OF PRODUCER COOPERATIVES - WILL EVER THE TWAIN MEET ,” JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC LITERATURE v. 31, no. 3 (Sept.) pp. 1290-1320.

PDF at

http://www.jstor.org/cgi-bin/jstor/listjournal/00220515/.31-.35

[FreedomAngel82]

15. My close family

are all republicans too. Some are Republicans who have been brainwashed by Bush's good "Christian values." Thankfully my mother isn't one of them. This time around she and her parents voted for Kerry. It's so hard to know when there's a republican and a Republican. There are still some good republicans out there but they're just being out controlled by the loud mouths like Limbaugh, Coulter and O'Reilly.