I found these two articles one from Investors Business Daily on Obama's stimulus and the other from RealClearPolitics on how Conservatives are hypocrites because they are anti-government but supposedly take pro-government stances.
The latter opinion I find to show a certain amount of desperation on the part of Democrats. Is this what they have to bitch about? Over and over again I here about how Conservatives are anti-government but agreed with the bank bailout or the auto bailout. Pathetic because they all know the truth. The bank and auto bailouts while I personally didn't agree with them were unprecedented times in history where it was role the dice. Let the whole financial/auto system collapse or stop it from collapsing with government intervention. Either choice you make, chances are is going to lead to the same outcome, damage to a country that is all ready damaged. The question is what will do as less damage as possible.
Dionne also highlights how politicians against government spend long careers collecting paychecks from taxpayers. This is appalling and insulting because when people start in politics there is no money and a lot of sacrifice. Many get into politics after they have all ready succeeded in the private sector. Regardless, becoming a politician is a noble process and shouldn't be just written off as something it is not.
Is it possible in our modern times to have a 100% government free country? NO! This is profoundly stupid and ridiculous and proof the Democrats are grasping at straws. The principles that surround social security, medicaid, medicare, and all these other noble government policies need not be lost while recognizing we can do better. Taking a naive stance and claiming there is no other solution to the problems these programs are suppose to solve is hurting people. On top of this the propaganda campaigns that come out whenever someone even mentions reform is what is destroying our country.
What do we Conservatives want to change? Shit like what is highlighted in the first link. Obama's stimulus was a complete and outrageous failure. This is what we are talking about. Does the government serve a purpose? Yes, in saying to the millions of businesses, here is $800 billion in LESS taxes you guys are going to have to pay, versus $800 billion in different government programs and ventures that as noble in their intentions do not fulfill the purpose they were designed for. But what are we doing now? Everything that can be seen as anything positive the stimulus is highlighted as the greatest piece of legislation in history. When something bad comes out it was because the recession was deeper than we thought. How long before they can get away with this? Who knows.
I have accused republicans of hypocrisy more in the last few years than any other time in my life. I believe much of this comes from being out of power and trying to get back in along with a seeming hatred for the sitting president. Disliking the policies and wanting to unseat the opposing president is normal, but our present example is especially vitriolic. And it has impeded what could have been better governing
As examples, there have been several instances of Obama wanting to enact ideas that were republican ideas before his election and suddenly are caustic. That is hypocrisy. We have been pelted with changing viewpoints from a short time earlier for the sole purpose of opposition and nothing else. It happened with quite a few over health care mandates and this happened with the ultra-conservative Orrin Hatch of Utah.
Don't get the idea I'm saying hypocrisy is exclusive to republicans. Not at all. If you have followed my comments, you realize I have a great disdain for politicians - almost all politicians. And I was primarily republican until the second bush term.
The right is more radical than I have ever seen them. You cannot condemn everything almost without reservation coming from an opposing side - of right or left. I have seen you write several times, including this post about doing better with what we have. I agree completely. We need to repair what we have and need to substantially increase items such as infrastructure and cut in some areas such as military bases. We don't need 900 of them.
When times are such that everything on one side is considered wrong, when one side absolutely refuses to work with the other and fight for a better way, you will swim in hypocrisy and detrimental governing. I am not saying the left has or has had the answers, I am asking if you will agree the right has, in its hatred and refusal to compromise, impeded governing for the American people in the last four years. I am asking you if the republicans had been a force in the health care debate instead of concentrating on record filibuster, we might have a better health care bill?
I realize that the left has screwed up in places (since I'm now 10% to the left). Will you admit the right has screwed up its fair share? You state the democrats are grasping at straws. And the republicans aren't? Really?