Monday, July 25, 2005

Carpe Diem

I feel that I should help the liberals out a little and put down a bit of what I don't like about our current crop of conservatives, including GW. I think it comes down to pandering to the lowest common denominator for votes, to make a long story short. They are gutless.

Bush put forth some great agenda items during his campaign for a second term: reform the tax code (i.e., a flat tax or some other massive restructuring of the code to simplify the tax system and make it more fair for all taxpayers), reform social security (although this goal in itself is a good example of the attitude which I am condemning-social security should be abolished, not reformed!), end lawsuit abuse, and close bankruptcy loopholes so that duty-shirking morons will need to pay for what they buy. Now, we all know that liberals want people to get stuff for free (that is, they want the government- taxpayers- to pay for it) and they want people to be held unaccountable for bad decisions (you know people are just mindless idjits, controlled by every advertisement they see on the tube and slaves to corporate megalopolies). This means that any real, meaningful reform of these systems would be opposed tooth and nail by the Democrats anyway. Why not use the power of the bully pulpit and go for the gusto?

During the months after 9/11 Bush had a most prodigious bully pulpit to use. He was immensely popular and should have used this to his (and our) advantage. Did he? Absolutely not. He has yet to use a veto! He worked with Ted Kennedy to co-opt a sensible education reform bill into a money-sponging nightmare. He campaigned for and celebrated a medicare reform bill that furthers, rather than fetters, a leviathan government boondoggle. All the while he has watched and said little (veto, anyone?) while congress has continued to increase both the size of government and the cost of those "services".

Yes, you say, but this is because he has been preoccupied with a war. The War on Terror. Let's look at that success story. It all started with "Shock and Awe", right? Where did that go? We are concerned about civilian casualties beyond reasonable belief. The most precise, pin-point accuracy in bombing achieved by any military in history is apparently not good enough to the world and it's US liberal cohorts. To them we will always be the colonialist bad guys, no matter what the engagement. Can you tell me what lessons we learned from Vietnam? Again, since the liberals will always criticize, regardless of the humane nature of our actions, why not do the job right? How much criticism do you hear from the world, liberals and muslims, when the terrorists bomb a mosque in Iraq? Not a peep! How many accolades do we get from these same quarters when we wait out bloodthirsty murderers in Sadr City/Fallujah for months, rather than squashing them and their terrorist-harboring citizens as they deserve? Not a peep! Go for the gusto.

Now we see Bush's opportunity to place a strict constructionist on the bench of the Supreme Court. He places a guy, John Roberts, who has apparently lived for fifty years without saying or writing anything at all controversial see Ann Coulter. After hearing what liberals will condemn, with absolutely no reasonable justification, why wouldn't you use this opportunity to place a solid constructionist on the bench? No, let's choose a guy the libs can't complain about, even if he turns out to be a Souter in disguise! Very disappointing.

So, as this screed is getting far longer than I intended it to be, I will close by saying that conservatives need to get on the stick! Seize the day! It may not last long this conservative majority. We need to enact lasting change, now! That may mean hurting the feelings of some of our liberal friends, calling a dingbat a dingbat (Ted Kennedy, anyone?), and perhaps actually killing some terrorists (and maybe even some collateral damage among those not pointing them out in their neighborhoods), but I think it's worth it.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Beerme,

First of all your post is not in the "screed" catagory as it is not tiresome.Also,thanks for making this an easy access blog for comment with the "other" option.

In total agreement with you post,I find that instead of "Carpe Diem"
Congress is full of 'Carping Dems'.

ps.... please put me on your notification list for new posts.
Great job,Beerme.

Anonymous said...

I forgot to ask, what is a "firkin"?

Note:It is 10:30 am here in North Carolina and HOT>>>HOT>>>HOT.

Beerme said...

Maggie,

It is also HOT, here in Michigan! Supposed to be 91 today and I believe it!
When I named the blog I wanted something that mixed the topics of beer and politics, I stretched (beyond reasonable belief)the old Marxist phrase "bread and circuses" which described a government's attempts to keep the public occupied with spectacle and unconcerned with the political activities of their leaders into "beer and firkins". A firkin is a keg of beer, usually tapped without a propellent and drawn with the CO2 naturally produced in the keg, and by gravity. It is the way all beer was drawn before the advent of CO2 driven systems in the modern era.

Stay cool!

Beerme said...

I have added a Google Group to notify people of new posts. I don't know how this will work out, but if anyone wants to be added to the group for post notifications, I will need their email addy. The group is private and does not get posted for anyone's view but mine, I think...
Only I can modify it or add people to the group. I can change this to allow others to join the group, with restrictions-I would need to screen out lefty hooligans-so let me know if you think that would be better. Then I wouldn't have to ask for addresses...

camojack said...

Beerme:
Don't hold back, brother! Tell us what you really think.

But seriously:
"During the months after 9/11 Bush had a most prodigious bully pulpit to use. He was immensely popular and should have used this to his (and our) advantage. He has yet to use a veto!"

But why would he veto the product of the Republican majority or its agenda?

"He worked with Ted Kennedy to co-opt a sensible education reform bill into a money-sponging nightmare."

This, unfortunately, is symptomatic of his "reaching out"...for all the good it's done him.

Beerme said...

Camojack,

Don't get me wrong, I love Bush for all of the obvious reasons:
-He says what he thinks
-He does what he says
-He swaggers, and the libs hate that
-He doesn't normally pander to those who hate him (NAACP, for starters)

But, just going along with the Republican majority congress does not a conservative make!
And yes, reaching out is a BIG (Land Whale-sized) mistake!

camojack said...

Beerme:
I'm not sure that Dubya qualifies as a conservative; he's more like a moderate...

Beerme said...

I apologize for being gone most of the day yesterday. I had to work in the yard and number two son works midnights, so I had to work late in the afternoon so as not to wake him.
Took my wife to see War of the Worlds ('cause Batman Begins was only playing at 9:45PM). That movie sucked! Spielberg's great on special effects but there was very little plot to work with. My wife summed it up about halfway through by saying this is boring, all they're doing is running away from the aliens. It would have been a decent TV movie, but I can see why it isn't making the money they thought it would.

Now we know why Cruise made such a fool of himself with Katie-PR for the movie!

MargeinMI said...

I also think W could be leaning on the R's in the Senate more.

I admire that he never shoots back at some of the lobs at him, although it can be infuriating just the same!

I thought 'firkins' was like mutterings: "firkin congress, firkin dimocrats, etc." ;o)

Beerme said...

Howie,

You are priceless!
"Those on the right are driven by a desire to be uncontroversial and to be liked"
How exactly like our progressive wing to point out hypocrisy and take unpopular stands...
Amen, brother, Amen! Ooops! Forgot about that stain-glass ceiling thing.

Beerme said...

I forgot to say...firkin liberals!

MargeinMI said...

"firkin liberals"....

Thanks Beerme! You made my night!

:o)

P.S. Did I hear right on the radio tonight? High of 68 tomorrow????? Firkin Global Warming!

MargeinMI said...

No, America. That is not a typo. I said 68 degree F.

(isthisinRevelations?!?!?!)

Anonymous said...

Howie looks just as I had pictured him, a "firkin liberal clown"

Beerme said...

"Carping Dems", "Firkin Liberal Clowns"... You're on a roll, Maggie!

Now Marge, I really don't think Howie is a liberal. I may be wrong but he says the darndest things. Here is an example:
"We progressives are committed to an agenda; we have the wear with all to see an issue through to passage, whether throuhg the legislative process or the courts. Those on the right are driven by a desire to be uncontroversial and to be liked, and will sacrifice their agenda for this."

Now if that isn't satire, I don't know what is! Progressives haven't got an agenda. They hold conferences every other week, still trying to define their "core values". Kerry's still working on that plan of his. There is no agenda, just like there is no crying in baseball.
Secondly, what about this contention that "those on the right are driven by a desire to be uncontroversial and to be liked"!!!

If that's not a description of liberals-er, progressives, I don't know what is.

So you see, although Howie may never admit it, he is no progressive. He even admits that at minimum, he expects the status quo to be preserved, that's a conservative thing, Howie. We OWN that agenda.

Anonymous said...

Beerme,
After seeing kajun's last comment,I must tell this.

Two friends were fishing and drinking and getting careless.As fate would have it,one of the men lost his wallet overboard.

Weeelll,a fish grabbed it and began tossing it to one another playing keep way with the fishermen.

Do you know what this game is called? Ready?

Carp to carp walleting.

Beerme said...

Whooo-oo-wee! maggie! That was a streeeetch! A good one, though, as it involves fishin'.
Good thing they weren't walleye, eh?

Anonymous said...

Beerme,

Just checking to see if my last post was deleted.You are a brave soul. lol

Anonymous said...

If you smoke Carpe(in a little smoke house, not a pipe) for a whole Diem they are pretty tasty.

Anonymous said...

The fun of a stinky pun like Maggie's , is telling it to someone else.
I thought a firkin was a pickle.

Beerme said...

That sure was a stinky pun! But I ain't deletin' it, no.