Maybe Republicans Are Starting To Make A Comeback

[the 4th hanson bro]

Such as?

And don't say "war on terror".

War on Fundamentalist Islamic Extremists

How is that?

Smells like the same bullshit with a different wrapper on it.

The problem with that is that once you declare war on an idea, or a nationless or pan-national group, you have free reign to look for the bogeyman in every closet, because you don't want the fundamentalist islamic extremists to win.

That also allows an ever increasing reduction in civil liberties, privacy and freedom because if you're not with us, you're against us. A dangerous, slippery slope.

If you have reasonable suspicion and probable cause - go for it, but to tap ISPs and phones because the bogeyman has used them in the past, GTFO.

 

[Captain X]

I just love how war or some other threat is always used as an excuse to whittle away at rights. Our rights are there precisely for times like these. These are not "fair weather" only things, these are for all times, and just as freedom of speech means that even hateful, unpopular speech must be protected the same as popular speech, so must our rights be protected even in time of war or great threat. If we give up these rights and freedoms in the name of fighting an enemy that wishes to take them away, then the enemy has won because we have done their job for them.

The most pathetic thing about this thread though are the people who openly support fascism. It honestly boggles my mind that there could be any such person on this board, so I'm guessing you guys are big fans of the Cardassian Union or the Dominion. In any case, whoever said that if fascism came to this country it would do so wrapped in an American flag was 100% right, because that's exactly what's been happening. One only needs to look as far as the name of the "USA PATRIOT ACT" and what it does to know that. One need only look as far as the things Bush and his supporters have been saying while they break the very Constitution he was sworn to uphold and protect. The fact people like that call themselves American disgusts me.

 

[Neopeius]

Anything to hide that's criminal or anything to hide that's personal?

Criminal was what I was thinking about.

But I'll admit to being more than a little suspicious of people who prattle on about privacy.

And you don't believe the government will abuse that power to pry into private lives? Maybe find something embarrassing and use it for personal gain?

 

[TedShatner10]

Why would a political organization who oversaw the destruction of jobs even when the economy was fine, start costly brushfire wars that every leadership avoided since Vietnam, and are malignant enough to introduce invasive spying on the population 'for their protection' would be voted in again anytime soon? How else would they be stupid and arrogant enough to allow a unqualified nitwit like Sarah Palin anywhere near the levers of power?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

But I'll admit to being more than a little suspicious of people who prattle on about privacy.

Good to know. By the way, what's your social security number?

 

[Dayton3]

Criminal was what I was thinking about.

But I'll admit to being more than a little suspicious of people who prattle on about privacy.

And you don't believe the government will abuse that power to pry into private lives? Maybe find something embarrassing and use it for personal gain?

Why would they?

The government doesn't have "personal gain"

And to one of the above posters, I resent Sarah Palin being insulted. She obviously does something right to be elected overwhelmingly Governor of Alaska.

 

[trekkerguy]

Why would a political organization who oversaw the destruction of jobs even when the economy was fine, start costly brushfire wars that every leadership avoided since Vietnam, and are malignant enough to introduce invasive spying on the population 'for their protection' would be voted in again anytime soon? How else would they be stupid and arrogant enough to allow a unqualified nitwit like Sarah Palin anywhere near the levers of power?

Exactly.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

And you don't believe the government will abuse that power to pry into private lives? Maybe find something embarrassing and use it for personal gain?

Why would they?

The government doesn't have "personal gain"

The government as an entity does not, but the elected and appointed officials in positions of power within that government certainly do.

You're being incredibly naive and ignorant of history if you don't think government officials can and do abuse their position and law enforcement / intelligence services for personal gain or to cover something up.

 

[Sci]

And to one of the above posters, I resent Sarah Palin being insulted. She obviously does something right to be elected overwhelmingly Governor of Alaska.

When asked if she agrees with the Bush Doctrine, she couldn't answer because she didn't know what the Bush Doctrine was.

When asked if there were any US Supreme Court decisions she disagreed with other than Roe v. Wade, she couldn't name any USSC decisions.

When asked what newspapers she reads, she couldn't give any specific answer.

When asked about the economic meltdown, she gave a completely incoherent answer that didn't even obey the rules of grammar.

And on top of all that, now we hear that this woman didn't even know that Africa is a continent and not a country.

Sarah Palin may have been able to use her charisma to get herself elected Governor of the State of Alaska, but she is patently unqualified to serve as President or Vice President of the United States.

 

[Kryton]

Sarah Palin makes floaty turds look intelligent.

 

[Dayton3]

Poor interviewing skills have nothing to do with intelligence.

And the Africa thing has already been debunked.

 

[Squiggy]

Poor interviewing skills have nothing to do with intelligence.

This is how an interview works.

Step 1: Interviewer asks question
Step 2: Interviewee answers question.

It's not hard. There aren't really any "skills" involved.

 

[trekkerguy]

It's not about interviewing skills, she constantly and consistently
showed she was severely lacking in any department of intelligence.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Poor interviewing skills have nothing to do with intelligence.

And being unable to answer a simple question like naming one newspaper or magazine you've read after being given three tries has nothing to do with poor interviewing skills. That's just willful ignorance. Hell, say something, even if you just glanced at a Time Magazine in line at the grocery store once.

But forget Palin, you were telling us how government officials wouldn't abuse their power or collect information unethically for personal gain. If you can believe that given your vast knowledge of history, the continued defense of Palin's ignorance starts to make a lot more sense.

 

[Sci]

Poor interviewing skills have nothing to do with intelligence.

No, but a complete inability to recall basic pieces of information is.

Plus -- she can't even handle Katie Curic. If she can't handle Katie, how's she going to handle going toe to toe with Vladimir Putin, or Hu Jintao, or Hugo Chavez, or Osama bin Ladin, or Mahmūd Ahmadinejād, or any number of strong-willed monsters out there?

 

[Kryton]

It's popular on the right these days to celebrate stupidity. That there book learnin' is for them lawyery-types out to confound and befuddle you...only the "straight talkin'", blatently stupid and uneducateable need apply (SEE: "Joe" The Plumber, "Sarah" the Governor, "George" the Decider, "Hank" the Money Fumbler, et. al.).

 

[Squiggy]

I so wish this thread was in TNZ.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I so wish this thread was in TNZ.

 

[Lord Garth]

Interesting thread but let's wait until at least 2010, preferably 2012, and then we'll talk about whether or not "maybe Republicans are starting to make a comeback."

 

[TedShatner10]

The Republicans claim smaller government but they're really using it as an excuse to hollow out essential public services and unchain selfish corporations, amassing personal wealth for themselves and their corporate cronies. For so-called small governmentalists they're putting a lot of effort into spying on the citizens and trying to prevent them from marrying if they're of a atypical sexual orientation, while blowing countless billions on pointless wars and failed banks (not on basic healthcare or education). Not only are they Libertarian loonies, they're outright racists in blaming recent ills like Katrina fiasco and the housing bubble on non-white ethnic minorities living on welfare (when they're both mostly caused by Libertarian ideology).

The ingrained problem of promoting morons like Sarah Palin up to a high position in the Republican Party seems to be reflected in many big corporations as well.