Political Hippo Circle Jerk - America, farg YEAH!

[Munson]

Blame Canada!

[Hawk]

This movement is already becoming entrenched with moveon.org, so I don't know how you can argue it doesn't have political leanings. 

IGY were your parents conservative/liberal, because unless they were conservative, you're just as "Brainwashed" as me.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YIp_Kjo-ms

What are the odds IGY hangs out with this dude in DC.

"That's the Bank"

[rjs246]

The ACLU teams up with the NRA from time to time on second amendment issues.

MoveOn (who I'm not the biggest fan of) sees an issue that they support and got on board. OWS recognizes the need for a higher profile and welcomed their support. Like I said, John McCain was a champion for this stuff for a long time. Not everything is Right/Left. Try thinking outside of the framework of democrat/republican, it can cause brain cramps and runs contrary to our 'my team vs. your team' sports rivalry political atmosphere but give it a try anyway.

[ice grillin you]

This movement is already becoming entrenched with moveon.org, so I don't know how you can argue it doesn't have political leanings. 

of course it has political leanings...no one on the right would ever be against punishing the criminal rich and saving he poor....the poor are poor because they are lazy and dont wanna work...while the rich have worked their nails to the bone to get where they are...this is what makes the tea party so ridiculous....they are poor uneducated stiffs yet vote for billionaires and mock movements like the 99% when they should be in step with them...

the civil war and civil rights movement had political leanings why the farg wouldnt this....its just a matter if you are on the right or wrong side of it

btw anyone see joe the plumber threw his name out there for a possible congressional run....be proud right wing

[MDS]

he should win, hes a perfect depiction of american conservatism

-his name isnt even joe
-hes not a plumber
-he doesnt own a business
-he has no talent
-but he wants to, and damnit, when he does, you better not tax him
-hes not going to

thats the beauty of the right. they all think tomorrow is the day their zesty business hits the big time or the lotto ticket comes through. then theyll be rich, like they think they deserved to be all along. which is why they dont want to tax "the job creators" an extra pointless 3% because tomorrow they expect it to be them.

[phillymic2000]

This movement is already becoming entrenched with moveon.org, so I don't know how you can argue it doesn't have political leanings. 

of course it has political leanings...no one on the right would ever be against punishing the criminal rich and saving he poor....the poor are poor because they are lazy and dont wanna work...while the rich have worked their nails to the bone to get where they are...this is what makes the tea party so ridiculous....they are poor uneducated stiffs yet vote for billionaires and mock movements like the 99% when they should be in step with them...
the civil war and civil rights movement had political leanings why the farg wouldnt this....its just a matter if you are on the right or wrong side of it

btw anyone see joe the plumber threw his name out there for a possible congressional run....be proud right wing

Uneducated stiffs? LOL, I'd take their work ethic over the ows people that have been on youtube and the news. keep trying to put the loser, defecating, violent, racist, law breaking majority of the ows folks over the tea party group.

[Rome]

You just described Tea Partiers exactly.

*** Irony meter officially vaporized.  ***

[rjs246]

this is what makes the tea party so ridiculous....they are poor uneducated stiffs yet vote for billionaires and mock movements like the 99% when they should be in step with them...

This is actually not accurate at all. The majority of people who associate themselves with the Tea Party are educated and relatively wealthy (according to a few demographic studies that were done last year).

Your assessment, however, is spot on for the larger Republican party. If you're poor, uneducated, white and live anywhere outside of the Northeast / Iron Belt you're more or less guaranteed to be a Republican. Despite the fact that the Republican party's policies do absolutely nothing to support you and your well being. Because the GOP managed to get a stranglehold on religion the poor (who tend to be way more religious) flock to them for social reasons. Somehow the GOP has managed to attract the wealthy through regressive economic policies AND the poor through rigorous religious dogma, despite the fact that their interests collide in almost every instance when it comes to actual policy. Pretty impressive when you think about it.

[Diomedes]

Not to be contrary, but I really don't think it's that impressive.  Playing to the lowest common demoninators when you address the mob while handing policies that increase their wealth to the elites is a fairly straightforward and historically effective strategy.

[rjs246]

It's impressive to me because I actually take the time to research issues and develop my own opinions rather than eating what's fed to me and some naive part of my brain expects others to behave in a similar manner.

But I supposed you're right. Expecting other people to think for themselves when they could be watching The Real World / Road Rules Challenge or playing Call of Duty or whining about their taxes is a little optimistic of me.

[Diomedes]

Do you think it's a coincidence that the right values education less than the left?   

[rjs246]

From a policy perspective I actually align with the right more than the left on education reform, so...

All hail Arne Duncan and Michelle Rhee.

[Diomedes]

Nevermind reform.  My point is this: which "philosophy," for lack of a better word, benefits more from ignorance:  liberalism or conservatism? 

I argue the latter.  It is not a coincidence that, across any given population, the highest educated are also the most liberal.  That is because learning IS liberal.  When someone learns, they are less prone to follow the leader.  They are more likely to dream up something for themselves, than to honor the authorities.  The more people learn, the less they respond to arguments for keeping the status quo.  Nuance is liberal.  Complexity is liberal. 

Conservatives in this country are no different than in any other.  In Afghanistan they have the Taliban, here we have the Tea Party.  The latter is obviously much better...but only because, despite themselves, they are more educated. 

[rjs246]

Yes yes, I've heard your education-is-liberal speech before. I agree with you in theory but disagree with your choice of syntax. Education is Progressive, is more accurate. Conservative and Liberal have too many other connotations to use in making a general argument.

[Diomedes]

I'm so sorry to bore you.  I think your criticism is accurate; progressive is the better word.   But only because people are too dumb to disassociate political connotations from the word "liberal," which has a far broader application than it's political usage.   I will use progressive in the future, though grudgingly.

Back to the point I'm driving at:  do you disagree that conservatives have a vested interest in keeping our population as ignorant as possible?   Who benefits more from poor education, liberals or conservatives?

Is it not obvious to you, to a lot of people, that the conservative cause is weakened by education?  For example, they want people to learn God myths instead of science, why?  Because the former teaches obedience and the latter indepenence.  It is much harder to take advantage of people who have learned to think and question than those who have been told to listen and follow.