I'm Going Conservative

[Static Universe]

I've been wrestling with my conscience lately and have finally accepted the fact that I'm no longer a left-leaning centrist.

Some friends of mine, all active protest types, got a nasty shock this weekend when it was inadvertently revealed* that I was in fact a supporter of the Gulf War II, and a big fan of the Laura Ingram radio show**.

The ball started rolling much faster several weeks ago, when we all went to see a documentary on Noam Chomsky and 9-11. They loved it. I hated it. They couldn't understand why I did not like Chomsky, and I wondered if they were watching the screen as me. What's to like?, I thought.

They were very upset when I said I thought America had done a pretty good job helping people all over the world. I freely admit there have been problems, most of which I blame on Henry Kissinger.

It further came out that I thought:

1) Dennis J. Kucinich, their favorite son, was a doofus and completely out of touch with both America and reality. A recycled vegetable oil powered bus? WTF?

2) Al Franken is a woodchuck and his evidence and argument against Bill O'Reilly was a about as devoid of logic and wit as possible. I'm no O'Reilly fan, but for Franken to claim he's any closer to objectivity is a joke. He was mildly amusing in the 70s-80s when I was a kid, with his "Al Franken Decade" bit, but I'm grown up now. I accept that he was never funny.

3) Bill Clinton was a sexually-harrassing scumbag and Hillary is an evil carpetbagger.

4) Even if the 2000 election was stolen, which I still believe it was, I was happy Al Gore wasn't in the White House.

5) Michael Moore was a manipulative a-hole. I constantly see him claim himself a "life-time" member of the NRA, as if he had been a member of the NRA for life. Newsflash: He bought a lifetime membership right before he made Bowling for Columbine. Why do people who like Moore refuse to see the spin he puts on this fact? And all the other facts Moore manipulate as well? His book was crap as well.

6) I've always liked Richard Nixon (This hurt them the most, I think). I've even read several of Nixon's books and thought they were quite good.

7) Liberals have ruined education, not conservative. Last year, I was reading some documents*** from the Eisenhower Program, the section of the Dept of Education dealing with reforming the educational process for K-12 students. Their stated purpose was to destroy the dominant ideology in the United States. Okay, but what do you replace it with? Some ideology must be dominant in the US. There were no answers found in the document. I went to public schools and a public university, and I feel I basically educated myself. Stop coddling these kids. You cannot manufacture self-esteem. It must be earned.

8) Marijuanna is a gateway drug and shouldn't be legalized. The pro-legalization people like to make it seem harmless, but having watched others, and myself, deal with drug problems in the past, I can tell you it isn't harmless.

9) The borders should be restricted. Yes, I recognize our special relationship with Mexico and the immigrants that come from there. Mexicans have always played an important part in building America, and the fact that we are going to bilingualism reflects our acceptance of this. Very few else need apply, IMO. Don't send us women who have no rights in their own country then complain when we ask they remove their veil so we can get a driver's license photo. Have you no gratitude?

10) No one in America is being persecuted. All my life people have been telling me "the government is gonna get you, the government is gonna get you". From my experience, people are more free than ever. You can say whatever you like, and if the people don't listen, just sue them. Nobody's speech is being curtailed, so stop complaining that it is.

11) No, the government cannot help you solve your personal problems. When it tries they just get worse.

The job I've had the last six months takes me out of the big city**** several times a week, and I travel all around small towns in Missouri and Illinois, where I've been meeting a lot of interesting people. It's refreshing to be surrounded by people who do their jobs, live their lives, and seem to be pretty happy about it. They don't constantly harp on anti-government rhetoric, or worse, Illuminati theories.

I still have some problems with the corruption level in the Bush administration and America's corporate sector, which I feel is a way too high, but I do feel genuine reform is coming.

That's where I'm at right now.

* Blame the oatmeal stout
** Her bitter right-wing sarcasm turns me on
*** I went through a phase where I ordered every free government publication I could find offered on the web. Interesting reading.
**** Yes, St. Louis is a big city. Have you seen that Arch thing we got? That qualifies us.

[Shi Huangdi]

Congradulations and welcome to the Dark side.

[Asher]

It always amazes me how people can flipflop around the political spectrum.

What's wrong with consistency? Maybe some people just don't put much thought into it.

[Q Classic]

1. if kucinich can make a recycled vegetable oil powered bus work, and work cheaply, more power to him. if he chooses to make a company out of it, give him the same breaks that detroit gets.
2. al franken is a funny @ss, but should be taken for as much credibility as o'reilly, who's a real @ss.
3. bill clinton was a horndog, hillary was a carpetbagger, and the bush co's take on civil rights worries me.
4. al gore is a tin man, and needs to be dunked head-first into a vat of oil.
5. michael moore is a funny, manipulative, liberal a-hole. as long as limbaugh, hannity, and o'reilly get to spin facts, so should moore.
6. nixon's a loon. a smart one, but i value his character about as highly as i view clinton's, which is to say none at all.
7. liberals may have destroyed education, but i don't think any plan the conservatives have put forth will fix it.
8. i hate the smell of pot, but if people can keep it out of my air, i don't give a damn what they do. legalize it, ban it, the result's the same--people will smoke it because they think it's harmless. as long as they don't turn to crime, let them.
9. borders should be restricted, yes. the case of that id woman should be thrown out, with her license revoked until she follows our law--and the law of virtually every other islamic state where women drive, in which their faces are uncovered for the photo. translations for government documents are a waste of money--learn english if you're going to live and work in the us, because english should be the common means of interfacing here. if an asian coming to america has to learn the goddamned english language to get by, so should every latino--spanish is far less of a jump to english than say, korean, japanese, chinese, vietnamese, or hmong.
10. free speech is something that should be defended with gusto. the aclu, as foolish as it may appear sometimes, does serve its purpose. as do groups like the eff; people who feel persecuted need someone to turn to who will listen and help them, even if they really have nothing to complain about.
11. the government doesn't help personal problems: social workers and child services, for instance. it does help, however, with other ones: federal financial aid for college, for instance; perhaps even living wage, but the jury's still out on that.

being moderate is the way to go. not conservative, not liberal.

[Cruddy]

As people grow older, they tend to get more conservative.

Imagine what Marx was like in his youth

But I hope you are embracing all of Conseratism, not just the points that appeal to you.

Same goes for lefties really. They harp on about Utopia but wouldn't recognise it if it kicked them in the face.

[Nubclear]

I really don't know what to say.....Other than:

5) Michael Moore was a manipulative a-hole. I constantly see him claim himself a "life-time" member of the NRA, as if he had been a member of the NRA for life. Newsflash: He bought a lifetime membership right before he made Bowling for Columbine. Why do people who like Moore refuse to see the spin he puts on this fact? And all the other facts Moore manipulate as well? His book was crap as well.

Yes, but.....Do you really think Bill Oreilly, Rush Limbaugh, or even George Bush is any better?

"Iraq threatens the world......with weapons of mass destruction."

6) I've always liked Richard Nixon

7) Liberals have ruined education, not conservative.

Last I checked, the conservatives were the ones who voted to cut education spending. Not the liberals Here in Logan....all the schools shut down for the day because there were no teachers at all. In Utah it's predicted that by the time 2010 swings by us, the classroom size will jump from 38 (it's present) to about 80 because Utah just isn't building the schools because it has no funding (and teachers aren't coming aboard).

But those are liberal lies aren't they!!! Utah is known for its liberalism, so of course the liberals would accuse the conservatives about the educational state in Utah. But it's not true. Of course. Seriously.

8) Marijuanna is a gateway drug and shouldn't be legalized. The pro-legalization people like to make it seem harmless, but having watched others, and myself, deal with drug problems in the past, I can tell you it isn't harmless.

I can also attest to this (I know quite a few.....people who have 1st hand experience with the drug). However, Marijuanna has it's legal uses, and to prevent those who can benefit it from getting it just because there are people who misuse the drug is like saying....Well.....Because Prozac can be misused, we should ban it completly

9) The borders should be restricted.

You do realize the life-blood of America is BECAUSE of immigrants?

Yes, Germany, France, Russia, Korea, China, Japan, India.....Their scientists will go elsewhere. But thats bad for the US. Very very bad

Nobody's speech is being curtailed, so stop complaining that it is.

Well, I was never harmed during WW2.....So all those Jews who claim that Nazi Germany threw them in concentration camps should just stop complaining, cause it never happend.

Just because YOUVE never had the experience, doesn't mean that no-one else has

They don't constantly harp on anti-government rhetoric, or worse, Illuminati theories.

Yes, only the left has rhetoric. The Republican Party always tells the truth. The democrats are Counter-revolutionary anti-american capitalists!!!! communists!!!!

Qi Lai

but I do feel genuine reform is coming.

I agree.

BTW, did you know that certain republicans are now saying that the WoMD can't be found in Iraq because............they shipped EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM off to both Syria and Iran, and that we must invade them immediately because they "threaten the world with dangerous weapons of mass destruction".

[monolith94]

Holy **** - I'm not moving to Utah!!!

"4) Even if the 2000 election was stolen, which I still believe it was, I was happy Al Gore wasn't in the White House."

So tampering with the constitution to make sure that it's 'your man' in power and not the other guy is ok with you? Basically destroying the democratic foundations this nation was built on is all-systems go so long as the 'right' people are in power??? Yes - you belong in the conservative side, because frankly... WE DON'T WANT YOU.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Cruddy
As people grow older, they tend to get more conservative.

That is true. Do you know why? Because as people grow older, they resist change.....So, if a child is raised a liberal, they will have LIBERALISTIC VALUES but be a conservative in that their views cannot be changed at all

And BTW.....Most people accept what appeals to them. I don't accept EVERYTHING that far-left wing democrats say.....Banning all guns would be a stupid thing to do, and allowing aboritions even during the last days of pregnancy is murder. Republicans aren't always lying, and pornography.....

A lot of people percieve me as ULTRA ULTRA left.....But thats mainly me trolling. In fact, the Iraq war wasn't nearly as bad as I say it is, tax cuts aren't completly HORRIBLE, and yes part of the economy is clintons fault. Clinton was not the most desirable of persons (I consider even looking at porn cheating on someone you love....But actually acting it out!!!! ), and I'm no atheist (A mix of Buddhism and Christianity for me), etc etc......But i'm not NOT extreme on certain things. I do think communism is a glorious path, and that the Iraq war was for oil, and that the government IS lying to us presently.

Because I don't completly accept conservatism, but nor do I completly accept liberalism, nor do I completly accept centerism....What am I?

[cinch]

Wow, it's like an impromptu questionnaire!

1) Yes, how dare he attempt to find all-natural alternate fuels! He should learn to use good, honest, old-fashioned fossil fuels like them decent folk out in the country, who do their jobs with smiles on their faces.


2) Franken be funny.

3) Clinton was a flawed but still very good President. I don't see why everyone hates Hillary so much. If she wants to stay with him, that's fine with me. She seems like a good enough person, regardless.

4) I like Gore. He's smart and calm. Why does the President have to be showy?

5) Moore is definitely manipulative. I'm not his biggest fan.

6) I don't care much for Nixon.

7) What is the dominant ideology you speak of?

8) I believe in the argument that marijuana is a gateway drug because, since it's illegal, you have to go buy it from a drug dealer, who will lead you to worse things. If you bought it at the corner store, then it might not be such a problem.

9) Immigration is the lifeblood of the Americas.

10) I would actually have to agree with Tass on this one. To say that no one is being persecuted is a little over the top, even for a conservative standpoint.

11) Well... Okay.

[Lancer]

Once you pull your head out of your ass its amazing how the view changes.

[monolith94]

Of course, coming from you those words are merely hypothetical...

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by Tassadar5000

Yes, but.....Do you really think Bill Oreilly, Rush Limbaugh, or even George Bush is any better?

Not at all. O'Reilly and Limbaugh are gasbags, and both on the way out, IMO. Their time has past. Franken is an elitist out of touch with the simple folk.

Last I checked, the conservatives were the ones who voted to cut education spending. Not the liberals Here in Logan....all the schools shut down for the day because there were no teachers at all. In Utah it's predicted that by the time 2010 swings by us, the classroom size will jump from 38 (it's present) to about 80 because Utah just isn't building the schools because it has no funding (and teachers aren't coming aboard).

But those are liberal lies aren't they!!! Utah is known for its liberalism, so of course the liberals would accuse the conservatives about the educational state in Utah. But it's not true. Of course. Seriously.

The educational system is wasting most of the money now. The system needs to be reformed and then it will work fine under current spending levels. The system should be returned to the state and community level.

I can also attest to this (I know quite a few.....people who have 1st hand experience with the drug). However, Marijuanna has it's legal uses, and to prevent those who can benefit it from getting it just because there are people who misuse the drug is like saying....Well.....Because Prozac can be misused, we should ban it completly

I support medicinal use and mild decriminalization, but not the complete lifting of the prohibition some are trying to foist on us. It will only lead to more problems. Crime. Addiction. More breakdown of the family.

You do realize the life-blood of America is BECAUSE of immigrants?

True, but during our finest years, the simple fact is we knew to keep the riff-raff out. I say turn them back at the gates. We seem to have forgotten this. And I don't mean those with darker skin than mine. I mean those who leech off our fine system and then stab us in the back with their words and actions. If you don't want to be part of us, then don't come here.

Well, I was never harmed during WW2.....So all those Jews who claim that Nazi Germany threw them in concentration camps should just stop complaining, cause it never happend.

Just because YOUVE never had the experience, doesn't mean that no-one else has

When America throws someone in a concentration camp, let me know.

Yes, only the left has rhetoric. The Republican Party always tells the truth. The democrats are Counter-revolutionary anti-american capitalists!!!! communists!!!!

The Democratic party has been taken over by people who no longer act in the interest of their constituency. They talk, talk, talk, all the while selling them down the river.

BTW, did you know that certain republicans are now saying that the WoMD can't be found in Iraq because............they shipped EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM off to both Syria and Iran, and that we must invade them immediately because they "threaten the world with dangerous weapons of mass destruction".

Who is to say this isn't true. I forgot: Saddam and his sones were such a wonderful human beings.

[Lancer]

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by Cruddy
As people grow older, they tend to get more conservative.

Funny thing is, I started out as a conservative. I was a College Republican in, er, college, and cast my first vote for George Bush I. Then I lost my way...

[monolith94]

"Franken is an elitist out of touch with the simple folk."

Says the person who supports silver-spooned Bush...

"When America throws someone in a concentration camp, let me know."
Ever heard of 'reservations'?

"True, but during our finest years, the simple fact is we knew to keep the riff-raff out."
Excuse me? Riff-raff like my great gran parents? Yeah - you've got a real great attitude. And when where these supposed finest years???

"The system should be returned to the state and community level."
Oh, how I love this argument.. Isn't this the one where the rich people live together and have beautiful, well funded public schools which are renowned for their academic excellence, whereas other, less prosperous areas are left to languish? Oh, please, tell me more of this delightful scenario...