Today's Republicans: Dumb (Eric Margolis)

[struggle4progress]

... I've always been a moderate conservative Eisenhower Republican who believes in small government, low taxes, saving, hard work, individual freedoms, and avoiding overseas adventures ...

When I hear "Republican" these days, the words that come to my mind are: Arrogance, ignorance, and just plain dumb. And now, add economic disaster caused by Enron-style fraud and allowing crooks to run the nation's finances ...

Barack Obama is wrong to propose raising taxes but he is no socialist, as Palin charges. Nationalizing the nation's banks is socialist. Urging world domination is National Socialist.

Republicans disgraced the nation by endorsing torture, assassinations, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, secret prisons, kidnapping, kangaroo courts, spying on U.S. citizens and undermining America's Constitution. Too many cowardly Democrats joined this lynch mob ...

http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/2008/10/26/7209586-sun.html

I post this for information purposes only. In particular, my post is not meant to endorse anything and everything Margolis writes. Material at the link does, however, stronly suggest Republicans will have some trouble crawling back anywhere near the real political center of the US

[Stellabella]

1. Obama is right to propose raising taxes on the wealthy.

How the hell else are we supposed to get out of this mess?

And BTW, it's not 'raising' taxes, it's just letting the rates go back to where they were under President Clinton. Although I think they should go up higher. Who needs to make $20, $40, $100 million a year? That's obscene.

(I'm replying to Margolis, not you!)

[hoosier_lefty]

2. " Eisenhower Republican who believes in ... low taxes"

I think he needs to do a little research into Eisenhower and taxes.

[bhbwl]

3. Repukes will NOT be allowed near politics anymore...

After the inauguration, there needs to be trials similar to those in post-apartheid South Africa. The Repukes (American subsidiary of the Afrikaans party) will have their leaders put on public display, their party disbanded and their representatives barred from public office or positions of trust.

Their party will be removed from ballots and ineligible for future elections.

Fat cat capitalists will have their assets taxed back down to a proper living wage, or frozen entirely if they don't come along quietly.

Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Ag and Big Energy will be put out of business for keeps.

Commonsense anti-violence regulation like they have in Japan and Great Britain will bring some much needed sanity back onto American streets.

Like Barack says, "We are the change we've been hoping for."

Look around for the Repukes in your communities, and point them out in public. They've hidden in anonymity for too long--don't let them get away with it any longer. It's time to stop this thing once and for all, but it won't stop until Repukes pay for their past.

[struggle4progress]

4. Consider learning something about South Africa posting about that country: your fictions don't shed

any light

The National Party (sometimes called Nationalist Party) ruled during the apartheid period; a number of Nationalists were involved in the apartheid era crimes, but the South African transition included a Truth and Reconciliation Commission which offered amnesty for many crimes committed by the apartheid regime and by its opponents

Tutu has written a moving memoir of this period, which you should read

It's probably true that de Klerk's decision as head of the Nationalists, to negotiate an end to apartheid, contributed to the eventual demise of his party and to its 1997 renaming as the New Nationalist Party and its disintegration and dissolution in 2005

[bhbwl]

5. Point taken; however, do you have any illusions about Repukes

negotiating an end to American apartheid, even with amnesties out the wazoo? Do you see any prospect of Repukes dissolving of their own accord?

I don't either, and that's a problem.

[struggle4progress]

6. I think that progressives have a fifteen to twenty year struggle ahead of us,

on a number of critical issues -- and I am afraid that even if we win overwhelmingly next week, we may be slapped back harder and sooner than we think

It is true that since the Nixon era, the Republican party has maintained its power through an alliance that increasingly relied upon racists and religious extremists -- a poisonous tactic. But the ultimate dynamics of our struggle will not be associated entirely with party labels. There are strong economic forces that need to be addressed: these include US commitment to a throw-away economy based on gasoline, which historically has driven us to a militarized foreign policy to control world resources and which continues to prevent meaningful changes necessary for environmental protection, for example

Since you mentioned South Africa, I will point out that the overthrow of apartheid involved brilliant political analysis and persistent grassroots organizing across the entire country, until the anti-apartheid movement there was able to say directly to the violent regime in control of South Africa: Look. Everyone knows that we are right. We are organized, and we are prepared to defend ourselves against your violence if necessary. But what good will that do any of us? After you and we have ruined the country, and the survivors are staring across the wreckage at each other, we will still have to talk. Why not talk now and save everyone pain and heart-ache? In this manner, they extended a hand of friendship to their enemies and compromised for the greater good. THats did not solve all problems -- but it solved some

We will never complete a tower that reaches heaven: what we can do is organize around the most pressing issues and win some critical fights, leaving our accomplishments for those who follow us to build upon. The task is not to destroy the Republican party: it is educate and organize people to choose important issues and win victories around those issues in a way that allows us to obtain meaningful partial solutions that are politically stable

[Howzit]

13. I am also looking forward to a one party state

After the Republicans are banned from any form of government, we can save money by dispensing with elections.

Or are you actually more tolerant and inclusive than you sound?

[freesqueeze]

7. Things have changed for the worse for the GOP

My father (God rest his soul) was appalled at the idea of his party nominating Shrub. At least he's not around to see what's happened since then...he might have even turned Democratic!

[Crowman1979]

8. That's reminds me of all the people I met who were home-schooled.

Dumb as rocks

[GSPowner]

9. Broad stroke of criticism there Mr. Grammar....

[Citizen Number 9]

10. I've had quite the opposite experience...

The majority of the home-schooled I've had a chance to talk to are remarkably bright and informed.

Knowing the educational state of the general population, I've been suspicious of home-schooling from the beginning. But, having taken every opportunity to "grill" home-schooled children I know, I'm (sorry) to say they are in better shape than the public-schooled.

Keep in mind that if you have moronic close-minded parents, it's likely that the home-schooling experience will generate a similar result, but research has showed that childrens' attitudes are most strongly formed early and at home, so this might be the case no matter what.

All in all, I'd have to cast my vote in favor of home-schooling where it is wanted. As far as the dumb rocks that you have met, maybe we just have to be happy that makes them easier to identify and steer clear.

[trollybob]

11. How about the fact that they thought that it was somehow legally and morally right,

let alone the wise course of action, to invade another country and overthrow its government?

[Arizone]

12. Obama may not be a socialist

Obama may not be a socialist but don't forget that his voting record is left of a real Socialist, Sen. Bernie Sanders (S-VT).