Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Hello, you seem to think that "liberal" government over the last 35 years is responsible for most of the ills that beset this country. I find this odd for a few reasons, one of which is that the New Deal was in the 1930s, not the 1960s, and another of which is that conservatives are usually primarily skeptical of government's ability to change society, not convinced that government is so effective at doing so. You also seem to think things are bad that I don't think are so bad. Weird.
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Let me make a few concessions and points of order here:
1. Nixon provided over a huge expansion. For that he is hatable. For other reasons, he is despised. So not just "liberals", though I use it as perjorative shorthand. That said, the New Deal has had disastrous consequences once it wasn't cancelled on December 8, 1941 (when poor people had sufficient reason to, e.g., join the military).
I guess you could say the bigger problem is that we start programs on a broad scale without testing them first, and without ending them when they have proven themselves useless (or at least no longer useful).
And yo, I ain't just blaming liberals for crop subsidies and highways to nowhere etc.
2. I wouldn't really say "most" of the ills. Hey, this country has some unique traits (like 45% gun ownership in households or something like that... yikes!).
3. Conservatives aren't merely skeptical that the G can change society... more like, conservatives are skeptical that the G can change society in the way that the G might think it can. Exhibit 1: section 8/public housing; Exhibit 2: Welfare (pre-Gingrich).
But I think society can if its vigilant. You might call this practical conservatism. If something ain't working, either fix it or end it, but don't whistle Dixie and pretend it ain't broke.
4. You and 1 or 2 others here know my background more-or-less. Which is to say, you've got to excuse me if I'm a bit cynical about how things are in America, though things are just beautiful in Virginia thank-you-very-much. I'm not saying America can't be fixed. I'm just saying that we need a willingness to try, and we aren't going to get this willingness if people (almost entirely on your side of the aisle if this board is any reflection of society) refuse to acknowledge how messed up things are now.
Ironically, I think its the best platform the Ds can have in 4 years if they want to have a serious domestic platform.
Hello
