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cuebald
04-30-2007, 11:12 PM
...What do they all mean? More and more we see ourselves divided into opposing camps by the pseudojournalism of Coulter, Rush, Hannity, Moore, Sheehan, Rhodes and the like. If you think Iraq was the stupidest idea since Pickett's Charge, you must be a liberal. If you keep a firearm in the house, you must be a conservative. If you want to tax the citizenry to pay for government services, you must be a liberal. If you simply put it on the American Express card for your grandchildren to deal with (assuming that China doesn't own the United States by then), you must be a conservative.

These labels have caused the modern day equivalent of bunkers with disagreeing parties scowling over the tops of the berms at each other and issuing statements questioning the humanity, family background, and common sense of the residents of the other bunker.

This is patently absurd, and is the reason Washington is in gridlock. The pseudomedia has whipped up such a frenzy of distrust if not hatred for anyone who doesn't agree with Their Side that there is no room for discussion, understanding, or compromise. They make their money by continually dividing the populace into "Us" and "Them". when in fact it is only "Us" out here. I have said here before that I strongly believe a lot of the world's problems stem from the fact it is easier to kill an opponent than to try to understand him.

I would really like to know what the readers and posters on this board think, the lurkers as well as the regulars, the unregistered as well as the well estblished here. Don't be bashful, folks. If you have never posted before, break the ice. Join in. Your opinions came from somewhere in your background. You weren't born with them. Tell us how you got to where you are.

I have always believed it is possible to disagree without being disagreeable. Let's try to keep it civil and see if we can learn from each other.

Who wants to be the first to take a crack at it. Liberal, Moderate, Conservative. Do they have any meaning at all, or are they merely terms of derision for those who think differently from us? Board's open.

Captain Worley
05-01-2007, 08:45 AM
No, you're right. They are just terms to divide. I usually give up on any kind of debate once 'liberal' or 'conservative (neo-con seems to be the latest catch phrase) get thrown out.

And, IMO, polarization of the masses is what they want because it keeps a viable third party from forming.

cuebald
05-03-2007, 08:55 PM
Captain, it's an interesting phenomenon that these labels are used as verbal clubs and insults, but when you ask a direct question of those who use them as to what they really mean, they don't have a clue what they are talking about.

The longer this regurgitation of sound bites from talk radio goes on, the more I am convinced you were correct when you proposed that politicians should not be allowed to use party labels when they run for office.

Let them run on ideas and ideas alone. If they don't have an idea, let them remain diselected.

I will stand by the statement I made on the Lexco board in the "Stace Day" thread.

swampfox
05-03-2007, 09:51 PM
Labels like these are for the simple-minded who need them. I personally cannot take seriously anybody who would label him/herself or anybody else with one of them.

We sometimes appear to be becoming a nation of fools. Statistics certainly make it look that way. And in SC, we are such a red state, if Gen. Wm.T. Sherman rose from the grave and ran for president, he would get SC's vote, guaranteed.

cuebald
05-04-2007, 06:34 AM
I've stated ehre before, Lucifer could run here carrying a pitchfork with a ribbon on his tail and he'd be elected by a landslide.

He's the right color. So what if he smells like brimstone?

Captain Worley
05-04-2007, 08:36 AM
The longer this regurgitation of sound bites from talk radio goes on, the more I am convinced you were correct when you proposed that politicians should not be allowed to use party labels when they run for office.

I think it would really help A LOT if that could get accomplished. It won't. Shoot, we won't even take the straight party option off the machines, an option that should trigger an automatic "I'm a dolt" sign and void that vote.

swampfox
05-04-2007, 01:36 PM
I'm agreeing with all of that. As far as I can tell the party system does nothing but harm.