tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post8753056882890330350..comments2023-10-22T07:23:03.102-06:00Comments on Conservative Convictions: When writer's block happens? ... just type away ...Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17457956739752722879noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-25482244313510914542008-12-29T20:31:00.000-06:002008-12-29T20:31:00.000-06:00Wow! I was waiting for the end to make a comment. ...Wow! I was waiting for the end to make a comment. The oly thing I can really comment on is the Intelligence community. Many have heard of the woman to made it against the law for one security agency to speak or share informatin with the other agency which might have stopped 9/11....Oh yes she was part of the committee to investigate 9/11 and now she is still in there....Wow!! what do they eat in Washington. Common sense is certainly not one of their virtues. Of course there should be a complete investigation of the intelligence community and a much needed streamlining closing of about 50% of the current agencies. Look at the mess as a result of the 9/11 investigations more added..No streight line of command....It looks crazy and the release of classified material....they might get a little clerk but nothing coming down on the people who should have been cited.......I ramble....stay well....Taplinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00161842191574184492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-33095388220154712272008-12-18T03:28:00.000-06:002008-12-18T03:28:00.000-06:00TP,Can we go back in time? No. We cannot return t...TP,<BR/><BR/>Can we go back in time? No. We cannot return to the pre FDR days and we cannot return to the days of Reagan. <BR/><BR/>We operate in the world of today. We operate in a world where the concept of conservatism has been, for worse, defined by George Bush. We may know better but there are not enough of us to win an election to a school board...<BR/><BR/>Thats the reality that we have to deal with. That is also why I detest GWB so much.<BR/><BR/>If we are going to rebuild and reestablish conservative ideals then we have to do so from this day and with the history that is real...because we have to convince and or convert millions of our fellow Americans who do believe that that GWB represents conservatives. <BR/><BR/>For right or for wrong that is our legacy. <BR/><BR/>I also do not want to win in the future because someone else failed. I do not want to win because Obama destroyed this country. Beating a loser is no real win....<BR/><BR/>Besides if Obama fails, and with the situation being what it is, then conservatives do not stand a chance because it will be the real socialists and communists that end up taking over.<BR/><BR/>Thats the reality of our situation.TAOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452702225885449029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-35080700922942338522008-12-18T01:37:00.000-06:002008-12-18T01:37:00.000-06:00Jenn:I hope to see you soon... your absence is not...Jenn:<BR/>I hope to see you soon... your absence is noted, and (after hearing your voice in TLLTCT's BlogRadio program) I always look forward to your out-the-box commentary. Be well Girl...Dardin Sotohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06860312622246919118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-73386333371377406802008-12-18T01:04:00.000-06:002008-12-18T01:04:00.000-06:00LOL TP.....It's been a long day! A long couple day...LOL TP.....It's been a long day! A long couple days I should say! Awesome post, and one day when I have more time, I give you my long awaited opinion.....( I can hear you laughing now!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-84777452172426475702008-12-18T00:12:00.000-06:002008-12-18T00:12:00.000-06:00Since I'm so far downwind, let me just respond to ...Since I'm so far downwind, let me just respond to the two comments above.<BR/><BR/>TP: You're dead on about Powell, except he merits more tongue lashing just so the GOP doesn't wander off to the Kool-Aid stand he's working with McCain (who's his buddy now that McCain doesn't have to suck up to conservatives any more).<BR/><BR/>Tao: And you chastise me for my unrelenting focus on the perils of overreaching and intrusive government?<BR/><BR/>But at least with the tax audit I'm sure that's another point in my favor of making you a FairTax convert.Patrick Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16377933168305160179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-41174348024771806242008-12-17T23:09:00.000-06:002008-12-17T23:09:00.000-06:00Well, can't nobody say I don't make good cheese......Well, can't nobody say I don't make good cheese.... <BR/><BR/>A few points to the commenter s:<BR/><BR/>1. Politics as usual, well; it will always be just that. As long as there is an opposing view,... dissent will always be vocal and -at times- heated. We can be statesmen yet vociferous at the same time. <BR/><BR/>2. That our is a mixed economy and (here it comes) semi-socialist? True. There is a grander element of socialism in our Government than I care to accept or desire. To close an eye and be blind to the fact that it has been incremental is to be naive. The genie is out of the bottle, and has eaten 3 dozen Kripy Kreme's since it left. With the aging population and demands for social entitlements to increase, it will be nearly impossible to return to pre New Deal days. Let's just accept that and work towards making slight corrections to the big ship USA... its not gonna turn on a dime. <BR/><BR/>3. Patrick M: I found your noticing of Tao's contradictory musings... well, delicious to see.<BR/><BR/>4. Trabue: I hope you don't think I glossed over your challenge of my calling the war on poverty a failure. I simply decided to make it a topic of a posting all by itself. Facts, figures, statistics, interviews... and personal experiences will be put forth. I still may not convince you, and you probably have your own set of facts and views to support a contrariwise view. I respect and have considered all of your well explained points herewith. I hope you allow me the courtesy of the same consideration in the future?<BR/>(By the way, Liberals invented eating their own..., Conservatives just perfected it,...IMHO)<BR/><BR/>5. Tao: I really respect your diligence, patience and emphasis to be fair and (when needed) correct previous "confession" sort of speak. I don't think I've ever met a more voluminous contributor to any of my postings... than you. I truly thank you for the efforts and time.... (you too Dan T.)<BR/><BR/>6. Jenn: I will see you after school..Dardin Sotohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06860312622246919118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-6946384661350704942008-12-17T22:57:00.000-06:002008-12-17T22:57:00.000-06:00Sorry, those last two comments were from Dan at pa...Sorry, those last two comments were from Dan at paynehollow, not Jordan. My fault.Dan Trabuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14303597141397042669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-12563518957130614262008-12-17T22:56:00.000-06:002008-12-17T22:56:00.000-06:00As to the efficacy - or not - of the programs in q...As to the efficacy - or not - of the programs in question, I'd suggest that liberals and conservatives could unite behind a theory of efficacy. We ALL are opposed to wasting money. No one likes paying tax dollars that they feel are wasted. NO ONE. Stereotypes be damned.<BR/><BR/>And so, we create programs and end programs <I>as they are needed or not and as they make good societal and fiscal sense</I>. Allow me to illustrate:<BR/><BR/>We have the world's largest penal system. We also have a problem with recidivism. Too many inmates return back to prison over and over. This costs taxpayer dollars and creates a bigger gov't.<BR/><BR/>However, study after study after study shows that efforts to educate and rehabilitate prisoners leads to lower recidivism. Not only that, but they pay at such a rate as to <I>save money</I>.<BR/><BR/>It may cost $1 million to maintain a prisoner education program which help reduce recidivism. However, if we remove that program and recidivism increases, the resulting costs to prison, the court system and society may cost $2 million. So, while we don't want to spend $1 million to educate prisoners, it would be stupid not to, if the cost of NOT educating prisoners is $2 million.<BR/><BR/>In other words, it is fiscally responsible (and leading to a smaller gov't) to educate prisoners and fiscally irresponsible (and leading to a BIGGER gov't) to not educate prisoners. Study after study confirms this.<BR/><BR/>Therefore, conservatives and liberals should be able to unite behind programs that educate prisoners, create smaller gov't and benefit society. It's a no-brainer.<BR/><BR/>If we look at all our programs like that - not only what their costs are, but what are the costs of NOT having them - and do simple cost/benefit analysis, we could go a looong way towards uniting behind fiscal responsibility and smarter gov't.<BR/><BR/>Wouldn't you agree?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12888352652178308081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-11527663126693263062008-12-17T22:46:00.000-06:002008-12-17T22:46:00.000-06:00GW said:do we have a source for our belief that li...GW said:<BR/><BR/><I>do we have a source for our belief that liberal social programs don't go away, just grow? How about HISTORY. Let's start with Social Security. Medicare. Medicaid. Welfare...</I><BR/><BR/>Okay, so your source for your belief that liberals only want to grow programs is history? Since social security, and welfare have grown, that is your evidence that liberals only want to grow programs regardless of their efficacy?<BR/><BR/>I suppose you do realize that the population of the US has grown since welfare began? Since social security began?<BR/><BR/>So, yes, we ARE spending more on welfare and SS, but we are also spending more on roads and a WHOLE lot more on the military. We are spending more on prisons and more on police. We are spending more on everything. <BR/><BR/>Does that mean that liberals are at fault for all of these increases - in the military, in our penal system, in roadwork? OR would it not make sense that, because we are a larger society, we are spending more?<BR/><BR/>For the record, spending on welfare (for instance) <I>as a percentage of the population</I> grew up until the 1970s, and then it leveled off. You can see a chart and read more about it <A HREF="http://www.neoperspectives.com/welfare.htm" REL="nofollow"> here</A>.<BR/><BR/>So, setting aside emotional arguments (of welfare queens and the like) and looking for more rational, dispassionate data, it does not surprise me at all that a larger society is spending more on many programs. We're dealing with more miles of road, more police work needing done, more educational needs, more social needs. <BR/><BR/>That we're spending more than we did 50 years ago is not evidence to support the thus-far unsupported charge that liberals only want to grow programs regardless of their efficacy.<BR/><BR/>Do you have any other evidence? A source or reason or <I>anything</I> why I should believe such a charge? Because, quite frankly, I find it unbelievable. <BR/><BR/>As I have stated, I do not know a single liberal who believes as you suggest, nor have I ever read or heard of any such liberals. I suspect they are a fiction, much like the conservatives who hate the poor.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12888352652178308081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-44847977141056088162008-12-17T22:41:00.000-06:002008-12-17T22:41:00.000-06:00If you don't mind me putting my 2 cents worth in, ...If you don't mind me putting my 2 cents worth in, I'd say that Ronald Reagan was a true statesman. He had the big picture in mind in almost all of his decisions. Being a statesman doesn't mean you won't make mistakes, it merely means that instead of looking to the next election, you're looking to the next generation. <BR/><BR/>I agree with you guys that we have a severely limited supply of statesmen at the moment.Greywolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17381047844269105368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-44824283676717684042008-12-17T22:19:00.000-06:002008-12-17T22:19:00.000-06:00Robert,If our current congress was facing a person...Robert,<BR/><BR/>If our current congress was facing a personally dire situation I think they would resign their positions and seek asylum in another country. Much like what I expect to occur in Iraq once we pull out.<BR/><BR/>I do believe that we need to move the timeline up a bit and focus more on the recent history of this country. I think we have had statesmen a in this century...I can think of Barabara Jordan, Barry Goldwater, Shirely Chissom...<BR/><BR/>I am sure that I am missing a whole bunch..but we need to look into our own history and think about about this...Barry Goldwater would never compromise his beliefs for anything. Now we have nothing but compromise.<BR/><BR/>They say that great men rise to the occasion...could it be that we never had an occasion for great men to appear? If you look at Abe Lincoln, you also need to add most of his cabinet to the list and his opponent to the list...he did not achieve greatness in a vacuum.<BR/><BR/>Plato always believed that one needed to create a class of people to govern...and I cannot help but believe that that is actually what we have achieved.<BR/><BR/>McCain and Fiengold are further examples...McCain is a very principled senator but I believe because of his flyboy background he is not really a leadership type of guy (you know as well as I do that figther pilots are a strange breed....and are very independent and do not make good leaders)<BR/><BR/>Do we as a people respect leadership and or leaders today? Could we spot a person of superior makeup and respect and follow them? <BR/><BR/>I have a problem with GWB believing that by not compromising his soul for popularity that somehow that is an achievement. Thats just stubbornness and it does not necessarily mean that you made wise decisions.<BR/><BR/>Eisenhower is another example...I always admired his speech about the military industrial complex. You may not agree with FDR but you have to admit he did lead this country and his was a great judge of people...he found Eisenhower and promoted him above quite a few other generals...and the same holds true with him finding General Marshall.<BR/><BR/>So, who else ranks as a true statesman today or in the last 50 years?<BR/><BR/>People like the founding fathers, Lincoln, Jackson are few and far between...but as a society are we incapable of creating great leaders now?TAOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452702225885449029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-72412835087283992672008-12-17T20:20:00.000-06:002008-12-17T20:20:00.000-06:00TAO, you are singing a song that I have been singi...TAO, you are singing a song that I have been singing for years - the demise of statesmanship. One of the critical junctures in our nation's histpry is the Great Compromise, or the final outcome of the debates about establishing our government. I have written about it multiple times and even did so on my first post in this blog. I won't bore you with it, as I would imagine that you already know it.<BR/><BR/>We did have statesman. People such as George Washington who wanted to return home to Virginia after the war, yet was pressed into accepting the first Presidency; he did so quite reluctantly. Compare that to the One Billion dollars spent by ego maniacs wanting an office to press an agenda....I don't deny that an ideology is good, and that opposing parties are good, but do you think if the nation was faced with the same situation as the representatives of the Constitutional Convention that we would see a Great Comptromise today? I think we would see media whores and government shutdowns, special interest moneies being thrown about, votes bought and sold not because of the best interest of a nation, but to achieve personal power or pet projects. <BR/><BR/>I give you an example of the big picture. President Lincoln personally opposed slavery in the 1860s. Yet when the Civil War (Or more appropriately to my southern brethren, The War of Northern Aggression) began his focus was the preservation of the union. He set aside his personal preference for the big picture. <BR/><BR/>When was the last time you saw a Congress work to achieving something without the partisan hoopla for months? As far as I am concerned, the government is at its best when Congress is in recess.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17457956739752722879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-60557151769630599522008-12-17T19:45:00.000-06:002008-12-17T19:45:00.000-06:00Robert,You bring up a good point about the focus o...Robert,<BR/><BR/>You bring up a good point about the focus on Monica Lewisky rather than the change involved with the destruction of the Berlin Wall...<BR/><BR/>Are we capable, as a people of debating the big picture? Were Americans ever capable? <BR/><BR/>Was it that before we had Statesmen who could formulate a big picture that we could understand and now all we have are Politicians....<BR/><BR/>Have we failed ourselves? Or have our politicians failed us? <BR/><BR/>Did we quit having statesmen when we stopped focussing on the future and leaving things better for our children to being more concerned about the present and tax cuts and spending programs that benefit us personally?<BR/><BR/>That is a real interesting question...<BR/><BR/>Its like an ongoing conversation I am having with my nephew...we are discussing the recent poll that shows kids cheat on tests...he says it is true and the reason kids still believe they are good even after acknowledging that they cheated is because they cheat due to all the pressure that is put on them to be successful and do well in the future inregards to college.<BR/><BR/>I asked him if he thought that the pressure him and his generation felt was something new that no other generation experienced?<BR/><BR/>I told him that I was beat by my father if I brought home a bad report card and I asked him how many times did his dad beat him when he brought home bad grades.<BR/><BR/>I asked him exactly how successful did they think they were going to be if they achieved the grades but not the intelliegence. At some point they were going to fail...<BR/><BR/>This kid is in his first year of college and graduated from high school with a 3.5 GPA...and he said he had never looked at it that way...<BR/><BR/>I then asked him if he thought cheating was so prevelant and accepted because teachers were being personally rewarded for raising test scores....TAOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452702225885449029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-43408744615697347442008-12-17T16:41:00.000-06:002008-12-17T16:41:00.000-06:00Greywolfe...I never once attacked you for supporti...Greywolfe...<BR/><BR/>I never once attacked you for supporting McCain...you attacked me for my vote to Obama and I defended my vote very logically. You attacked my logic and I defended it. I do not vote often but when I do I do so very logically and very factually. <BR/><BR/>Tax cuts work because they give people money to spend...Tax cuts will not work now because this is not a traditional business cycle recession...this is an ECONOMIC MELTDOWN. You cannot shop your way out of a complete economic meltdown brought on by easy credit.<BR/><BR/>So, why the focus on tax cuts? When personal debt is at a level never seen before, government debt is at levels never seen before and our trade imbalance is through the roof....<BR/><BR/>Realistically Obama could come into office and declare the whole year a tax holiday and it wouldn't be of benefit to anyone...it would be like those stimulus checks in 2007, for a few months things would settle down then they would go back to meltdown.<BR/><BR/>But I am not going to rant blinded by my own ideology...and I did not see one single conservative offer up a another plan for the future to counter the socialism of Obama. I can only assume that conservatives realized they had no solution for this mess.<BR/><BR/>If I am out of business in four years I will NOT blame Obama...I will put the blame right square where it belongs...and that is George Bush...<BR/><BR/>I am also thinking that if what you say is correct then I need to cease operations now and just walk away; just pull an Atlas Shrugged...<BR/><BR/>Realistically the stock market is a suckers game that no one will want to invest in and the banks have tightened their hatches to save themselves, the real estate market will most likely take decades to bounce back, like it did in Houston in the mid 1980's <BR/><BR/>With credit being tight from now on it will be a long time till consumers return to shopping then with the way commodity prices are falling it is obvious that deflation has returned and that makes everything worse....oh and the Fed Reserve has dropped their lending rate to almost zero....<BR/><BR/>Yeah, so I voted for the little socialist....and I hope that he can find a bottom to our self inflicted mess without a hard landing...we are going to have to hit bottom and the only issue is do you hit it hard like the 1930's or do you land a little softer?TAOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452702225885449029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-46731840641659166202008-12-17T16:24:00.000-06:002008-12-17T16:24:00.000-06:00Dan... do we have a source for our belief that li...Dan... do we have a source for our belief that liberal social programs don't go away, just grow? How about HISTORY. Let's start with Social Security. Medicare. Medicaid. Welfare. Income taxes, IRS, medicare drug coverage, and my personal favorite gistapo organization Dept. of Health and Human Services.<BR/><BR/>All are liberal ideas that just keep growing and growing. And before you spout about how G.W. and the Republicans voted/signed it into law, I'd have you remember/check previous posts here and elsewhere where among other things we lambast the GOP for being democrat-lites.Greywolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17381047844269105368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-56159983240726148922008-12-17T15:57:00.000-06:002008-12-17T15:57:00.000-06:00I've gone and had to go back on my earlier promise...I've gone and had to go back on my earlier promise to keep my yap shut...<BR/><BR/>Looking backt through EVERYTHING I posted here and in the past, I don't remember EVER saying I was a Mac fan. In fact, if you'd take the opportunity to look at some of my older posts, you'd find that I detested the man. Also, you will note that I don't go out of my way to throw parades for the Republican party either. And I believe that bush was a catastrophic mistake in a lot of different areas. <BR/><BR/>So your entire tirade about the difference between barry and mac was pointless. You put words in my mouth (figuratively speaking) that don't show up anywhere in this conversation. <BR/><BR/>As for your comments about gladly paying taxes, well uncle barry thanks you. However, I will point out that it was the Reagan tax CUTS that brought us out of the financial debacle of the 70's and again, Tax CUTS that kept us out of a recession following 9/11. As for myself, I'd just as soon the government stop thinking that they have the right take anything from me and give it to those that don't produce.<BR/><BR/>And I'm not worried about offending you. I've never shied from pointing out irrational thought in anyone. <BR/><BR/>Aside from the above, I congratulate you on keeping what you have. Hope you and yours are still around in 4 years.Greywolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17381047844269105368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-15714688756013874732008-12-17T15:03:00.000-06:002008-12-17T15:03:00.000-06:00I will allow that there is a tendency in any progr...I will allow that there is a tendency in any program - gov't or private, conservative or liberal or otherwise - to become inwardly focused and to lose sight of the Big Picture or to ever ask, "Is this really necessary?" And so, it is a good thing to have conservatives and liberals constantly questioning the efficacy of, for instance, welfare, or warfare or corporate welfare or whichever program we want to talk about.<BR/><BR/>But I see no evidence to suggest that this is limited to liberals.Dan Trabuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14303597141397042669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-20173517274878214552008-12-17T15:00:00.000-06:002008-12-17T15:00:00.000-06:00The point here though is actually that the liberal...<I>The point here though is actually that the liberal idea is that once a program is started whether it is a success or a failure is not what matters ONLY that more funding and growth of the program follows. That is how liberalism works.</I><BR/><BR/>? Oh really? Do you have a source for that? That liberals ONLY want more funding and growth of programs - regardless of the need for or efficacy of the program?<BR/><BR/>I have never met any such liberals - not one - nor have I ever read any liberal writers advocating such. I'm sure it may seem that way to some people - just as it seems to many that conservatives don't care about the poor or that they love war - but appearances aren't always reality. <BR/><BR/>For more serious analysis of actual positions (as opposed to strawman arguments), I'd suggest I'd have to have some evidence to back up such a claim. Fair enough?Dan Trabuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14303597141397042669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-75144290262467830002008-12-17T14:22:00.000-06:002008-12-17T14:22:00.000-06:00Correction: the war on drugs began under Nixon. W...Correction: the war on drugs began under Nixon. While this is true one also must remember that Nixon also began several other less than conservative programs. Socially Nixon was almost liberal in some of his ideas and programs implemented. Dems and Republicans have thrown millions into this never ending, mismanaged black hole of failure.<BR/><BR/>The point here though is actually that the liberal idea is that once a program is started whether it is a success or a failure is not what matters ONLY that more funding and growth of the program follows. That is how liberalism works. In fact that is how government works.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunatly both GOP and Dems fall into the spending trap!<BR/><BR/>TAO, I fully agree with you that McCain would not have been a conservative if elected to office, but he would not have been a socialist either.<BR/><BR/>As far as conservative principles are concerned, that is why this site exists to discuss what they are and also to make known these principles to hopefully, allow those in Washington or at least we who vote for those that go to Washington the tools and knowledge necessary to STOP just voting for the lesser of two evils and actually have candidates whose true stance is conservative and will govern as such if elected.<BR/><BR/>Conservatism has not failed, it still exists. But those who claim to be conservative fail in acting or governing as a conservative and that is where the failure has taken place.The Liberal Lie The Conservative Truthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07082308076603570611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-8950629758040141252008-12-17T13:34:00.000-06:002008-12-17T13:34:00.000-06:00Greywolfe,Oh, and you support a party that does wh...Greywolfe,<BR/><BR/>Oh, and you support a party that does what? Goes from a projected surplus to what? 10 trillion in debt?<BR/><BR/>Yes, based upon my own calculations McCain would have cost us 5.6 trillion and obama could cost us 3.8 trillion...so in truth I went with the fiscal conservative....<BR/><BR/>Earlier, you agreed with 90% of what I said...now you want to paint me as a hypocrite....kind of funny isn't it?<BR/><BR/>I am not going to sit here and claim to be a conservative and then lambast the liberals but keep very quite about the Republicans...because if truth be known no matter what Obama does in the next four years he will not hurt this country as bad as bush did.<BR/><BR/>But you cannot claim to be anymore of a principled conservative by voting for Bush or McCain anymore than I can for voting for Obama...<BR/><BR/>So, whats another trillion dollars in pet projects to the trillions spent in the last year years for pet projects? After the last eight years a trillion looks affordable to me....<BR/><BR/>Care to educate me on why a liberal spending a trillion gets you all worked up but a conservative, and he calls himself that, spends 10 trillion and you do not say a thing?<BR/><BR/>Or do you want to sweep GWB back into the closet and hide him?<BR/><BR/>Yeah, I voted for Obama...and I hoped by doing so that we eventually end up with a party that I can respect and support rather than continually voting for the lesser of two evils....<BR/><BR/>Which this election and based upon their own plans ended up being Obama if you sit down and did the math....<BR/><BR/>I make well over $250,000 a year and if the government wants to raise my taxes 10% then be my guest. Because at least the democrats normally create a better economy for me to make money in, a better economy increases my income and if the government wants 10% to increase my base....<BR/><BR/>Then tell me where to send the check. Its not theory...its facts. Theories do not pay my employees facts do. Theories do not make my income facts do. <BR/><BR/>I don't hire employees based upon theories or ideology nor do I hire anyone for a tax credit...I hire when sales justify the need. <BR/><BR/>I didn't start focussing on selling overseas because it sounded like a good theory...I did it because I figured, last year already, that this country was headed down the tubes.<BR/><BR/>I didn't decide to start selling via the internet because a bunch of young people said it was a good idea...I did it because I feared that my retailers weren't going to make it and I was not going to sit around till the day that I had no way of getting my products to consumers.<BR/><BR/>I love conservative theory...but it does not exist in this country in any realistic form right now.<BR/><BR/>I have to make all of my decisions based on reality because I have too many people depending on me not to be stupid.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and don't worry about offending me....I can handle my own quite well....I have been doing it for years without the help of anyone, without financing and I sure haven't gotten anything except audits from our government....TAOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452702225885449029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-89618165536173110522008-12-17T13:32:00.000-06:002008-12-17T13:32:00.000-06:00Dan, your point in exactly what led to the creatio...Dan, your point in exactly what led to the creation of this place here. There have already been some "conservatives" who have swarmed here and in attack mode over an opinion I expressed on another blog. <BR/><BR/>When Jennifer and I first discused our focus here, we were of the opinion exactly as you expressed. The factions of the party insist on a candidate for their moral/social/economic/ideological issues that we see the enemy as ourselves and not the opposition. Real conservative values have fallen by the wayside in an attempt to appease those in the middle and in the press. <BR/><BR/>Homeland Security was a conservative creation, but one that should have been done 20 years ago. The modern corrections system is a by-product of conservative leadership with good intentions perhaps, but very little foresight. <BR/><BR/>You are right, government has expanded since 1994, and the financial situation has been exacerbated by a refusal to govern effectively and with deliberation. The party spent more time delaing with Monica Lewinsky than they did with the consequences of the Berlin Wall collapse. <BR/><BR/>We have many things to find in commn, bickering about individual items is not the firection we need to flow.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17457956739752722879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-10365119701622181142008-12-17T13:26:00.000-06:002008-12-17T13:26:00.000-06:00re: my comment about world's largest prison system...re: my comment about world's largest prison system, a <A HREF="http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/539/US_prisoners_all_time_high_2.3_million" REL="nofollow"> source</A>.Dan Trabuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14303597141397042669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-54457045054475086602008-12-17T13:21:00.000-06:002008-12-17T13:21:00.000-06:00We are all fighting the same battle, unfortunately...<I>We are all fighting the same battle, unfortunately we have allowed ourselves to be dividedon the battlefield and are observing different objectives...</I><BR/><BR/>I appreciate your angle here, Robert, and more power to you: may your tribe increase.<BR/><BR/>But I think you can see here an inherent problem in modern conservatism - y'all tend to eat your own. If you aren't in lockstep agreement with MY type of conservative (too many neo-cons think), then you're no conservative at all!<BR/><BR/>Or at least that's how it looks from here.Dan Trabuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14303597141397042669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-49859009112326352842008-12-17T13:18:00.000-06:002008-12-17T13:18:00.000-06:00The liberals create everything that involves a gov...<I>The liberals create everything that involves a government program.</I><BR/><BR/>Are you suggesting it was a liberal that came up with the program to give tax credits to folk who purchased Hummers? How about Homeland Security - LIBERALS were behind that? The world's largest military - a liberal design?<BR/><BR/>Come now, let's be reasonable. The truth is that the gov't grew more under Reagan/Bush/Bush than any presidents in our history. I don't find Reagan to be a conservative at all.<BR/><BR/>And, as noted, the War on Drugs is a conservative invention - or at least certainly not a liberal one - and the corresponding largest penal system in the world is a Big Gov't byproduct.Dan Trabuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14303597141397042669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1110704082323083773.post-79148052336180977302008-12-17T12:45:00.000-06:002008-12-17T12:45:00.000-06:00Greywolf:No apologies needed.... I love a good hij...Greywolf:<BR/>No apologies needed.... I love a good hijacking... I just finished my second bowl of popcorn just reading you guys... , I'm well into my third,... <BR/><BR/>To all:<BR/>I appreciate the lively banter and back and forth..., I have pretty thick skin so (pardon the reference) bring it on. Now I wish I would have done an in-depth expose of Messier Powell..., that may have gotten the comment section to a DefCon 4 status.... <BR/><BR/>.... who's next?....Dardin Sotohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06860312622246919118noreply@blogger.com