Entitlments will need to be reformed. We all know that. Some smaller steps now would be a good start - like means testing.
However there is more to the Tea Party folks than just entitlements. A good chunk, like myself, want the Feds cut back severely to the duties called out in the Constitution. George Washington had exactly 4 cabinet members/departments. State, Treasury, War, Attorney General (Justice). Truly, what value do the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Education, and Energy give us? How much money could be saved by eliminating these and putting it back on the States where it is closer to the people where it belongs?
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 13.02.2010 @ 08:50
THE ROLE OF RACE IN OPPOSITION TO THE PRESIDENT
I have to agree that racism is still alive in this country, but making the assumption that everyone who opposes him is racist is as much a sin as the racism itself.
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 20.08.2009 @ 14:48
It does nothing for the argument against racism for anyone to jump to such conclusions. The solution to racism is to judge each person by their individual motives and actions. And it works both ways. Don't assume racism as an automatic motivation.
Conservatives will automatically balk at being accused of group think of any kind. We tend to be for small government because we want to be free to live our lives our own way. As individuals.
C'MON, AMERICA! SNAP OUT OF IT!
Re: #1's post, chanting USA... I find it so interesting that since Obama is President, it's now cool to be proud of America. I bet that same person was embarrassed of America and hated this country for the 8 years Bush was President.
Obama *IS* destroying this country. He is slowly and systematically dismantling the framework that makes America exceptional and successful. The problem is not folks like us who are pointing it out; it's folks like you who do not realize just what's going on. I find it admirable that you believe that the spirit of America is strong enough to withstand Obama's Marxist push, but at the same time, I find it distressing that you are naive enough to believe that the political and capitalistic framework that America is built upon is not something that is fragile and needs protection. America is unique in the world when it comes to freedom, and that includes capitalistic freedom... if that is torn down, there simply *IS* no alternative to America on the planet. Frankly speaking, I will pit myself against ANYONE who seeks to dismantle my beloved country, and that includes this current President. But unlike you Bush haters, I will still love my country while hating the administration who runs it.
Oh how little faith you have in this country. And calling me "naive" is idiotic. I am better informed of what is going on in this country than you as proved by your simple minded, exaggerated, critique of what Obama is doing. It is obvious you have a childlike idea of the tenets of Marxism.
(btw - commenter #1 is a good conservative who supported Bush - something you would know if you had bothered to visit his website. In your eagerness to prove what an idiot you are, you mis-identified him.)
Stick to mommy blogging and leave politics to the grown ups.
ed.
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 5.07.2009 @ 08:57
THOUGHTS ON OBAMA'S FIRST WEEK: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
If I'm not mistaken, Bush did have his own "I won" moment in a press conference, when he claimed his victory had given him political capital and he intended to spend it.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, both gentlemen were technically correct, although degree could be debated.
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 26.01.2009 @ 17:37
IS 'BARACK THE MAGIC NEGRO' RACIST?
Perhaps the left could decide to settle on one, coherent, accepted and agreed upon definition of racism rather than simply using the word as a bludgeon to silence their opponents.
Yeah, you know, and maybe while we're at it, those of you on the right who insist that portraying a person as a stereotype is high humor that pokes fun at the stereotype rather than the person you're stereotyping could, you know, stop doing that. In which case, you'd never have to face the "bludgeon" of liberal disapproval in the first place, and wouldn't have to twist yourselves into ridiculous pretzel-shapes in trying to explain how it's really, really not racist to portray someone as a stereotype - even when the stereotype is demeaning. I know it won't be near as much fun to simply state what your disagreements are with any given individual rather than falling back on ridiculing them for things such as race, gender, or sexual orientation, because it won't be as enthusiastically greeted by your fellow travellers who just can't get enough of that stuff. But it would insulate you from being charged with racist/sexist/homophobic behavoir if, you know, you didn't make those things a central part of your argument or make it clear that you consider them to be humorous.
Then again, that would be an infringement upon your free speech right to make as big an ass of yourself as you can, and even good manners should never be allowed to get in the way of you being as offensive as you wanna be.
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 28.12.2008 @ 17:45
Proving to be an idiot by trying to force a questionable point of view is hardly the thing to set me off.
As evidenced by your progression directly from A)claiming that portraying someone per a racist sterotype is making fun of the stereotype, rather the person so portrayed to B) calling someone an "idiot" for pointing out that so-obvious-that-if-it-were-a-2 x 4-your-head-would-be-bleeding point in response to your lame defense. Sure, you're as calm as a summer sky of the deepest azure.
And by gum, you're no racist, either!
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 28.12.2008 @ 15:54
Struck a nerve, did I?
Apparently it escapes you that you are no longer "parodying a stereotype" when you insert a public figure into the mix and portray him as the stereotype. Unless you actually view Al Sharpton as a minstrel, in which case, it certainly says a lot more about how YOU really see African Americans than how you imagine "liberals" do.
Struck a nerve? Oh please. Proving to be an idiot by trying to force a questionable point of view is hardly the thing to set me off.
ed.
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 28.12.2008 @ 12:52
Just as the term "magic Negro" is not racist, having the parody sung by a parody Al Sharpton as a minstrel, complete with the hilarious mispronunciations used to such hysterical effect by the folks who portrayed stupid Negroes in the original minstrel shows 60 years ago - that's not racist either.
If parodying someone on the basis of race isn't racist, and if portraying another person in the process as an ignorant minstrel Amos and Andy character isn't racist, I guess that nothing is. In that case, your analysis of the issue would be right on target.
So what we've got here is a song where even the title is premised on race, sung by someone portraying another person who is black as an ignorant illiterate...yeah, no racism here, move along.
Parodying stereotypes is racist? Right. And perhaps it says something about how liberals really see African Americans. Or did that go over your head?
ed.
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 28.12.2008 @ 12:39
I am another liberal "fan" of your site. I sincerely value honest discourse, and am not remotely interested in hearing schools of thought for the sole purpose reinforce my pre-existing beliefs. I find that here, quite often.
It is entirely likely that I would find a lot of common ground with conservatives if I could get past the sites that focus so much attention on divisiveness for the sake of it alone. It seems to me that the conservative base has been narrowed so dramatically that it will take an unlikely sea change within the blogging punditry to give any self-respecting non-conservative appreciable confidence in the ability of the movement to be inclusive enough to be relevant going forward.
I'm of the opinion that our disparate views can be a force for good in the big picture, but not given the antagonistic tone of today.
The essence of politics is conflict. Ideas and personalities clashing in the great arena trying to win the hearts and minds of free people.
There is nothing more dramatic - or important. I don't share your belief that an antagonistic tone can be avoided. It gives spice to the battle and, as long as it is tempered with a realization that the motives of your opponent are usually honorable, it serves to heighten and highlight the differences.
ed.
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 30.10.2008 @ 15:13
BLACK NIGHT RIDERS TERRORIZING OUR POLITICS
Honestly, it irritates the piss out of me to see the racism term thrown around in these discussions everywhere I turn. Racism isn't the word for what is going on in the rage against Obama. It's broader than that. If it must be given a catchy little name, it's "different-ism". It's "he's not American like us-ism". It's "be afraid: he's risky-scary-dangerous-unknown-ism". And McCain-Palin have spent the past week stoking those fires and lending credibility to the most willfully ignorant among us.
There is just no denying that.
Comment Posted By Jennifer On 14.10.2008 @ 17:09