'We' are as bad as 'they' are

[renie408]

I started off really being energized and wanting to make a difference. I started paying attention to politics because I am alarmed at the way things are going in this country. I do think we need to move the current administration out of office and the Democratic party seems to be the best vehicle for doing that, but I am really disheartened by things I have read here and other places over the last month or so.

All Republicans are devils and Bush is the anti-christ. Anyone who doubts that is a freeper. Some perfectly nice-seeming guy is running for congressional office in rural NC and immediately people started dissing on him because he is a Republican and a member of a conservative message board. If a Republican said it, it must be a lie because they are all neo-cons. Whatever the fuck that REALLY means. All Republicans have a terrible hidden agenda and they are out to quash free speech, justice and oh yeah, lest I forget, they want to steal candy from babies, which is why they are pro-life....more babies to steal from!!!

This is as bad as the Rush's on their side talking about Democrats like they are all bleeding heart, whining liberals who want to do...something bad, I never listen to Limbaugh, so I don't know exactly what he says about Dems.

I really do wonder if it would be better to be independent. Isn't it conceivable that a Republican could be a good person? Or have a good idea or be the better representative of their area?

What on earth is the REAL distinction between Republicans and Democrats anyway? Weren't Republicans originally for strong state's rights and against a large federal government? And Dems were for a stronger federal government with more control over the states? Haven't we slipped far away from that and fallen into Liberal vs Conservative? And what is the definition of THOSE terms?

I hate to always be asking so many questions, but many people here sound so SURE of themselves when I always feel like all I can come up with are a ton of questions about everything.

[bowens43]

1. The individual is not as important as the agenda.

Yes, it's possible for a good person to be a republican but the republican agenda, especially the neo-con agenda , is inherently evil.

In the US government, numbers are everything. The power isn't in the presidency or the congress, it's in the committees. You control the committees by having the greatest numbers. This is where the agenda lives or dies.

As far as congressman billy bob is concerned, jump over to free republic and see the kind of folks he considers to be compatriots.

Anyone who hangs out on that board is part of the lunatic fringe.

[soleft]

3. And if you like a moderate republican like Giuliani or Bloomberg

(not saying I do) but the problem is they go off into other states like New Jersey and West Virginia and campaign for the most regressive intolerant wing nuts in their party. SNL did a wonderful skit with someone playing Giuliani doing these glowing personal endorsements for candidates he'd never heard of just because their GOP.

If you're a republican you support the republican platform, compare it to the democratic platform and tell me which one has the potential to do more good than harm.

[w4rma]

2. democracy is better than war. IMHO, democracy is essentially war.

That said, we have a serious problem in America with a few wealthy individuals' controlling too much power in America. We are building an aristocrasy and the Republican leadership, IMHO, knows this and prefers this to democracy.

Imagine the types of things that supporters of King George might have parroted during the Revolutionary War? IMHO, alot of the rhetoric passed down from the Republican leadership could have been used by the Tories/Loyalists/Royalists.