question for Darkhorse

[callmeslick]

.....do you find American Conservatism at least a wee bit embarrassing at the moment?

[Darkhorse]

More than a wee bit!

[callmeslick]

....and, while some who used to be here years back won't buy it, I find the demise of intelligent conservatism completely depressing. To my mind, the nation needs a robust, ongoing give and take from intelligent liberals and conservatives to maintain the sort of ideological balance that provides a working, functional system. To be able to hear both sides of key issues, presented intelligently, is pretty much what the Founders envisioned as the route to governance and evolution of our system.
When the right side of the equation is dominated by the slow-witted, or even seemingly deranged, that exchange won't work, and clearly doesn't work. This is what gives us government shutdowns, bad compromises and absolute gridlock, in a time in our history(in world history,actually) where so much is changing so rapidly. Anyone with a brain can or should now see that the economic realities of the 21st century are going to be vastly different, and we have to adapt to them, or fade as a nation. We are entering an era with an ever-dwindling need for manual labor(some experts actually forsee a 'post-labor' economy), and the dominance will be with those societies that stress education, flexibility and cooperation on a global scale. The US has the resources, the potential and the economic position to maintain dominance, and literally seems to be pissing it away with hateful rhetoric, proven failed policies and the celebration of both 'celebrity' and greed.

[Darkhorse]

....and, while some who used to be here years back won't buy it, I find the demise of intelligent conservatism completely depressing. To my mind, the nation needs a robust, ongoing give and take from intelligent liberals and conservatives to maintain the sort of ideological balance that provides a working, functional system. To be able to hear both sides of key issues, presented intelligently, is pretty much what the Founders envisioned as the route to governance and evolution of our system.
When the right side of the equation is dominated by the slow-witted, or even seemingly deranged, that exchange won't work, and clearly doesn't work. This is what gives us government shutdowns, bad compromises and absolute gridlock, in a time in our history(in world history,actually) where so much is changing so rapidly. Anyone with a brain can or should now see that the economic realities of the 21st century are going to be vastly different, and we have to adapt to them, or fade as a nation. We are entering an era with an ever-dwindling need for manual labor(some experts actually forsee a 'post-labor' economy), and the dominance will be with those societies that stress education, flexibility and cooperation on a global scale. The US has the resources, the potential and the economic position to maintain dominance, and literally seems to be pissing it away with hateful rhetoric, proven failed policies and the celebration of both 'celebrity' and greed.

I do agree with you but I think you need to not just blame it all on the right side, there are compromise problems on both sides!

[Pudfark]

[callmeslick]

I do agree with you but I think you need to not just blame it all on the right side, there are compromise problems on both sides!

I used to, Lord knows, but all I've seen, when I step back, is a steady progression rightward, with concessions by the left and few by the right for a while now. When Obama came in, voted essentially to push the pendulum back a bit leftward, he was met with unwillingness to move by the right, to the point of threatening destruction of our credit rating and non-functioning government.

[Pudfark]

That's a lie. Obama took office 'owning' the congress for two years.

Years later...some of what you said occurred. This past year a lie, totally.

Obama failed. Sanders is failing. If what you lied about, you believe to be true.

[callmeslick]

That's a lie. Obama took office 'owning' the congress for two years.

nobody, without 60 votes in the Senate, 'owns' anything. That has been explained to you a few dozen times, yet you persist in this bogus excuse.

[callmeslick]

it's telling, by the way, seeing some of the folks who've moved into the Sanders camp in the past 3 months. Not only folks like myself, who will definitely pay more under any part of his plans, should they prevail. One that jumps to mind is a fellow on that other board that Cuda brought me to. He's a rugged individualist....for years, he worked as a real cowboy on a Montana ranch, and worked a few businesses in the wintertime. He got sick of the 'civil war' blather, the focus of the right on hate and fear and suddenly showed up as a Sanders field worker. I was shocked at first, but after a bit of conversation, it was him who sold me.

[Pudfark]

'real cowboy'...no real retirement/pension. Now seeks free handout's from socialists to sustain his lifestyle...truly pathetic, though no surprise...selfish folk seek out the same.