This is a post I periodically re-post about once a year especially before elections. It is the case against conservatism but if you hold a mirror to it, it’s also a case for progressivism I try to add to the list to keep it current and ask people to add their thoughts.
The election a week away will decided the direction we go in as a country. Are we going to continue to progress under President Obama and at least a Democratic Senate or are we going the reactionary and hate filled teabagger route. Ironically outside the American bubble no democratic nation would ever vote for the current extreme brand of the GOP. But in the case of the US many people think this election is white America’s last stand.
- Conservatives wanted to stay loyal to England.
- Conservatives wanted to make President a life-long appointment.
- Conservatives fought against bringing in slave-free states without slave-holding states.
- Conservatives fought for the 5/8 rule that counted slaves.
- Conservatives fought for secession from the Union because they wanted to keep slaves.
- Conservatives fought against woman’s suffrage movement.
- Conservatives fought for prohibition.
- Conservatives want to conserve everything but the environment, natural resources and energy.
- Conservatives think science should be driven by ideological not that science should be used to make policy.
- Conservatives wanted to keep us out of WWI and WWII and lied us into war in Iraq.
- Conservatives created Jim Crow laws.
- Conservatives terrorized African Americans by lynching thousands.
- Conservatives fought against integration.
- Conservatives put up “whites only” signs.
- Conservatives fought against the civil rights act.
- Conservatives wanted to stay in Vietnam but not serve in Vietnam like Romney.
- Conservatives don’t believe in the separation of church and state.
- Conservatives believe in torture and keeping Gitmo open.
- Conservatives eliminated state-run asylums and put those with mental health problems out in the street.
- Conservatives do not believe in organized labor and fight to break unions.
- Conservatives brought you homelessness and huge deficits.
- Conservatives back corporations and big business by giving them all the tax cuts and tax loopholes.
- Conservatives eliminated most welfare for people but support corporate welfare.
- Conservatives want to keep gay Americans 2nd class citizens by denying them the same rights the rest of us enjoy.
- Conservatives deny Global Climate Change and fight ANY environmental legislation.
- Conservatives fought against Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
- Conservatives are still fighting against the ACA even after the SCOTUS deemed it constitutional.
- Conservatives before 9/11 demoted the director of counter terrorism to a non-cabinet position.
- Conservatives gave us the Patriot Act.
- Conservatives only represent the interests of rich white men and corporations.
- Conservatives think corporations are people but only want to represent real people who agree with them.
- Conservatives want higher standards in schools but do not want to build new schools or pay teachers what they deserve.
- Conservatives want to teach Intelligent Design in schools instead of the scientific theory of evolution.
- Conservatives want to end Roe v. Wade even in cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother.
- Conservatives are so radical now they want to make contraception illegal with personhood bills.
- Conservatives deregulating Wall Street was responsible for the worst financial crisis since 1929.
- Conservatives believe we are a Christian nation want religion imposed into all aspects of your life.
- Conservatives advocate going back to the Gold Standard which was responsible for making the Depression worse.
- Conservatives want to privatize Social Security, voucherize Medicare and drastically cut Medicaid.
- Conservatives put party ahead of country and tried to do anything they could to make Obama fail.
- Conservatives fought against the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and would not confirm director.
- Conservatives want to halt any recovery by slashing the budget while making the Bush tax cuts permanent.
- Conservatives want to end the EPA, the Department of Education and other essential government agencies.
- Conservatives want to increase military spending when one war has ended and the other is ending.
- Conservatives presidents always create bigger budget deficits because they refuse to raise revenue.
- Conservatives failed to cooperate on the grand bargain and caused America’s credit rating to drop.
- Conservatives are against comprehensive immigration reform and favor unserious solutions like self deportation.
- Conservatives fought against ending DADT.
- Conservatives fought against the START treaty when they use to be for it.
- Conservatives defeated the DREAM act.
- Conservatives are against same sex marriage.
- Conservatives want to bomb Iran even before they create nuclear weapons.
- Conservatives in the GOPTEA House at taxpayers’ expense are still defending DOMA in court.
- Conservatives would have let two thirds of the American auto industry go bankrupt.
- Conservatives want to privatize everything including FEMA.
- Conservatives stifled the union movement and since then wage disparity has gone back to pre-Great Depression levels.
No wonder Romney dove to the center during the debates and afterward because he knows what a failure conservatives have been as well. He knows America does not want to privatize Social Security, voucherize Medicare, gut Medicaid and overturn Roe v. Wade so he now sounds like a moderate Republican who will not touch the extremely popular programs given to us by the Democratic Party. Romney even knows that Obamacare will work because he implemented an inferior form of it on the state level and it is still relatively successful. So when you cast your vote think about how right wing Republicans will try to undo this progress and how Democrats will try to build on it. Do not forget for a moment that the Reagan ‘greed is good’ reign of terror will continue if Romney somehow wins this election. No Romney, conservatism isn’t working and it never did.
So before you vote think about this question.
What have Conservatives EVER done that benefited America?
Hey KQ- I have held that Conservativism had one brief period of enlightenment in U.S. History- during WWII through Ike’s 2nd term. FDR set out to recreate the American aristocracy. Patriotic Millionaires….And by the end of the war he had tied their fortunes to the nation’s fortune. Things soured a bit under Truman but it was Ike who took the next big step. The modernization of the GOP resulted in a Party that the current conservative GOP would disown.
WOULD EISENHOWER BE WELCOME IN TODAYS DEMOCRATIC PARTY?
YEP! He’d fit right in.
Ike was a supporter of unions, concerned about the impact of corporate power on policy, and worried about the military-industrial complex. He believed in investing in the country’s infrastructure. He believed in the social safety net.
(Former 5 Star General )Eisenhower warned in last address as President that: “We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, by the military–industrial complex which threatens to rob of us of our future if we are not vigilant”. And in first drafts of the address, IKE named it even more accurately calling it the “Congressional-Military-Industral Complex.” He ended the Korean War by settling for a truce, took a pass on both the Bay of Pigs and Vietnam, reduced the overall size of the military and supported the UN.
He paid down 38 percent of the debt he inherited when he came into office from the New Deal, WWII, the Marshall Plan and the Cold War Start Up. How? With income taxes of 80 to 90 percent bracket on the top income earners and a corporate tax level of 52% gauged to reward companies that invested in the U.S. AND economic policy that supported the development of industry, manufacturing, and the service sector. He also supported both the capital gains and inheritance taxes
He was responsible for some of the largest Infrastructure projects in American history (Interstate Highway System, intercoastal waterway, 24,000 miles of repaired railway track, the Gulf Coast levee system).And all of this was financed with gasoline taxes.
He sent federal troops to Little Rock Arkansas so that discrimination against black school children would be ended. Followed Truman in order the desegregation of more of the Armed Forces. He expanded the Social Security System to include virtually every worker in the country. He supported full equitable funding of public education, and the minimum wage.
He supported a series of regulations to oversee Wall Street, the banks and the investment sector citing the lessons learned in the Great Depression.
He made the Office of Health, Education and Welfare a cabinet level positon, and elevated the importance of the Sec. of Labor.
Take a look at the GOP platform from 1956.
It is shocking because it is so progressive which makes sense in that Bob LaFollette, Teddy Roosevelt and Thomas Dewey were all GOP as well. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=25838
Yes Eisenhower definitely owned the anti-war and anti-militarization mantle of his time. The Dems at that time were the nation builders and anti-domino demacons up until Carter. That’s why I never look at one party always being liberal or always being conservative at least in the history of both parties. I’ll never forget the Dixicrats existed as part of the Dem coalition and Teddy Roosevelt really started the progressive movement. Not to mention Lincoln instituted the most liberal civil rights change in our nation’s history.
And you could throw in Nixon as the first Green President.
Kalima I am very grateful to your kind words. I’ve C/P the links you’ve posted here and shall keep them among my files.Cheers!
My pleasure EXFANOFARIANA. If you need any help just shout, or leave us a message on our HELP DESK, on the right hand of your screen above the Recent Comments widget. http://planetpov.com/2009/12/24/help-desk/
I like to call them CANCERVATIVES…..
Based on the recent extremist anti-woman statements of one Repub after another, maybe they should rename themselves Rapeublicans.
Couldn’t fit them better…..Love it…..
I am so grateful friends directed me at this blog.I’ve left HuPo due to the amount of trollies and ignorant mods who have invaded that site after the take over. After reading this post I immediately bookmarked it and shall be referring it to other friends/fans.What an amazing , priceless info/data you have collected here. KUDOS and keep the excellent job.
Thanks so much and welcome to the Planet! Many of us here gave up on HP as well. Actually all the founders ‘met’ on HP.
You should like the Periodic Table of Dangerous Elements. Arianna is one of the elements. 😉
KQ how do I click on the PTDE? I am brand new here.Incidentally, are you European too?s. 😉
Most of us are from the US but one founder lives in Japan but is originally from Europe. We have members from all over the world. In fact Kalima does a great daily wrap up of international news on her Morning Blog piece and Khirad does a great less frequent periodic piece on the Middle East. You can click on the images on the right to see them.
I’ve noticed because of the time line you guys have on your posts.I am Italian.Currently living in the US. For the past 8 years……:)
EXFANOFARIANA, I would also like to add a welcome to PPOV and hope you enjoy, appreciate and add to “your” site. To add to KQ, we do have quite a few of readers from around the world and we have had at times world members who are/were quite active on the site. Like KQ said Kalima has a very good world news, or as she says “bits and bobs” from arond the world that you may enjoy and add your Italian perspective. Welcome.
@ We are one: cannot reply to your comment directly but If I can be of any help at all, I am fluent in 5 languages. I will, most certainly, check your recommendations….I am not sure I have an Italian perspective but dare I say I have a world perspective? I’ve lived in several countries and different continents.My dad was a diplomat and my first husband had several business all over. You are very kind, BTW!:)
A warm welcome to The Planet EXFANOFARIANA, nice to have another European on board. Hope you enjoy your experience here with us, and if you need any help, just please ask.
Here are a few links you might find useful.
http://en.gravatar.com/site/signup/
http://planetpov.com/2011/02/09/tips-for-newcomers-and-regulars-alike/
http://planetpov.com/2011/02/23/memo-to-members-how-we-choose-front-page-posts-and-other-editorial-policies/
Schtupid me! LOLOLOL I got it! Going there right now!
Loved it!“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance – it is the illusion of knowledge.”-Daniel Boorstin
Welcome to the planet EXFANOFARIANA. HuffPo is such a bogus site. Glad you found your way here.
There is a quote by Herbert Spencer that I really like.
“There is a bar against all knowledge, and that bar is contempt without prior investigation.”
Dear Killgore you have no idea how many pounds I’ve shed dealing with Huffuff….Pounds which I could not afford at all – but pretty much it’s my own fault. I should have left a long time ago when AOL took over. The trend was THERE for all to see.The mixed messages, the double entendre etc…Sometimes I got so exasperated trying to educate those who are blissfully (and proudly)ignorant.
“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, and blaming it on you….”
R. Kipling
Thank you!
Sorry do not mean to spam your inbox but yes, I’ve noticed several friends/fans from HP here.I am linking your site to my FB account.Cheers.
Hi EXFANOFARIANA, welcome to The Planet, nice to have you here.
I’d suggest that HP is the Mitt Romney of the blogosphere. No principles, flipping and flopping for or against politicians based on what’s in the site’s best financial interests. Misleading headlines, exploiting the well-intentioned…it’s just too bad we don’t get to vote them out and elect another site as the major political blog.
PlanetPOV is a site for really exploring and discussing things that matter (no Celebrity Nip-Slip section here) with, if I may say, smart, thoughtful and well-informed people (not to mention witty). There’s no conformity of thought here, different views are welcome…but trolls aren’t and are zapped immediately. Those who prefer to mud wrestle with racists and other belligerent haters have HP to go to, here, it’s all about having a genuine community of people who are involved in and concerned about the world around them.
There’s no moderation here, you truly have freedom of expression at The Planet (and you can edit your published comments!). And, you can publish your own articles.
Our main and only real rule here is that all members are deserving of a modicum of respect, especially those with opposing views. In this hyper-partisan environment, too many have fallen into accepting that when someone disagrees with them, it is a personal attack requiring retribution. The folks who frequent The Planet recognize that we can be a hell of a lot better than that, we can hopefully agree more than we disagree but we can be reasonable and decent in any case and have conversations like the neighbors we basically are.
Thanks for the kind words and once again, welcome to The Planet.
Thank you so much for the warm welcome. I don’t believe I will be able to function normally until this election is over and President Obama gets another 4 years. Seriously! Besides some pretty personal losses I’ve had to deal this year, I had to take my butt back to Europe for a couple of weeks, in search for any amount of sanity I could muster.What a difference a continent makes. But things are not kosher there as well. Being a highly emotional lady – well sometimes I opt to let the Lady go whenever battling the trollies 🙂 – sometimes I find myself at a complete and utter lack of inspiration to even put together some reasonable sentences.Is there any other nation or culture on earth, and let’s limit this to reasonably developed ones, whereby issues associated with sex and conception occupy so much national attention and creates such unbelievably irrational chaos, distraction, and enmity? The narcissism, hypocrisy, and delusional nature of the average Joe in American culture is rarely so self-edifying as when these issues come up.America, a delusional culture?Wishing you all here a great weekend.
Sorry to hear about the personal losses, EXFANOFARIANA.
I do give big props to Italy for sentencing Berlusconi to 4 years, no billionaire in the US would ever be convicted and sentenced to prison nowadays.
But politically and financially, there are a lot of issues throughout Europe too, whether it’s the UK, Greece, Spain, etc.
What Cameron and the Tories have been doing in the UK is just outrageous, much worse than what’s been happening here. In fact, the austerity that’s been going on in the EU and has led to a second recession has so far been avoided here in the US because those same policies of the Repubs have been blocked.
However, our “democratic” system is in worse shambles than any European nations. Having campaigns that last around 2 years for a 4 year job is insane. Spending billions of dollars…BILLIONS!…on the campaigns for a democratically elected office is truly insane. And the corrupt Supreme Court Five who forced Citizens United on us and empowered the wealthy and corporations to drown out the voices of the people and blackmail politicians is disgusting.
One thing we truly need is an elections reform agenda. Laws that prevent voter suppression, severely punish voter fraud, move campaigns towards financially limited and public financed campaigns (outlawing unlimited donations), truth in political advertising laws, etc.
We desperately need to repair our shredded democratic process. It would result in having much more of a representational government than we have right now (it is absurd that the Repub Congress can support and oppose issues that go directly against what the majority of the public wants, such as taxing the wealthy).
“I just wanted you to know that this is officially my favorite article EVER” – said the confused Democrat who wonders why anyone still votes for conservatives.
Cheers high praise indeed. Welcome to the Planet. I know exactly how you feel. We all try our best here as plain folks who are tired of just reading articles from cynical pundits and are interested in progress.
Hello withsimplelogic, Let me join KQ in a warm welcome to the Planet. KQ has done an excellent job with his list that should remove any doubt why one shouldn’t vote GOP if they care about The country and it’s hard working people.
Every election cycle it seem that the R’s and the pudnuts do their damndest to tell us what is wrong with us, like Mitt and his 47% who just don’t care. BS, we do care, what we don’t like are your solutions and your self imposed inability to work for all Americans.
Hey withsimplelogic, welcome to The Planet! Indeed, KQuark has compiled an irrefutable, fact-based and overwhelming list of reasons that supporting the GOP can only be the result of not caring about the consequences and being a lemming.
It is easier to rally and lead those who are blindly loyal and reverse-engineer reality to make it conform to “their team” being “the best”…but this isn’t a game and there are profound consequences to handing the reins of power to the greedy and power hungry.
What a list. I am up to my neck in alligators right now but I have set it aside to consider with care ASAP. You have a nimble mind and a wide ranging memory. Thanks for this. I am certainly going to copy and paste it into my archive.
HAHAHAHAHA! I was your fan at HP!
Tremendous list K, an eye-opener for most people, and yet conservatives still vote for them expecting the same, looking for change, or foolishly believing the party has any family/moral values left. Talk about living your life with your head buried in the sand. That list is gross to any normal caring human being, and yet for some it’s ok because it doesn’t directly affect them.
I’m glad to finally see “Buyer’s Remorse” in the U.K., at last, very few voters support Cameron. If the GE was held today, Pink Cheeks and “Scrooge” Osborne would be flying out of the doors at 10 and 11 Downing Street.
Thanks K. Cameron is the perfect example of a conservative failure. I should have added that conservative austerity in a deflationary period has lengthened the great recession in Europe.
Yes K, Cameron should be crowned “The Austerity King” and while he has been condemning Europe, he has been blind to the fact that his veto, soon to be vetoes, are contributing to our crisis in Europe. A perfect example of “Those living in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones”. The Conservatives like nothing better than shifting the blame when their clueless policies start to fail, something that is typical with your GOP too. When Romney loses, it will be all his fault and not the GOP’s failing policies and reckless new legislation. One thing they are really good at the world over, is blaming everyone except themselves.
This article from E.J. Dionne on the 25th of October makes some good points about the Conservatives.
“How the right wing lost in 2012”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ej-dionne-the-tea-partys-drubbing-in-2012/2012/10/24/185416ea-1e0e-11e2-9cd5-b55c38388962_story.html?wpisrc=nl_most_pp
Hope your day went ok, was thinking about you.
I think modern day “conservatism,” is anything but. Today’s GOP isn’t anywhere close to being conservative, at least not in the older understanding of the word. They have become a group of radical, fundamentalist religious fanatics and far right power seekers. Their political idealism is far from being conservative. The GOP has moved far from the center, more moderate conservatism that existed in the 50s and 60s. I think they have collectively become victims of some sort of mental disorder caused by greed and the want of power in order to insure that their wealth remain in tact.
I think a true conservative rich man would not mind paying a little more in taxes to benefit America. I think a true conservative would be more for individual liberty, and stay out of people’s bedrooms and women’s reproductive organs. I think a true conservative would weigh heavily, the cost and consequences of starting wars. I think a true conservative would be more intelligent and operate from a point of reason, rather than knee-jerking out of fear and ignorance and religious fanaticism.
I think the ideal president is one who would use a conservative approach to problems that require a conservative approach, and a progressive approach to problems that require a progressive approach, especially in matters concerning the future of our country and it’s people. This would be, of course, dependent on genuine conservatism.
Clinging to ideas in a constantly changing world is simply unwise. Like the Tao recommends, be like a young sappling and bend with the wind, and not like some old, hardened tree that breaks in the wind.
KT very good points and I understand what you are saying. However when you leave the party paradigm behind politics is all about moving forward, moving backwards or staying the same (which I think amounts to moving backwards). In rare circumstances like the environment do you want to go backward and that’s not entirely true either because you want innovation to go forward that will help the environment. Absolutely the modern conservatives are the worst of the worst because they pick the wrong choices at every level including everything you mentioned. They are reactionaries who are just conserved about power and keeping the status quo which is a fixed system where only they and their cronies benefit. The saddest part is they are hypocrites and do not represent good conservative values like offering serious policies that reduce the budget because they refuse to raise revenue and cut defense enough.
KQ, what an excellent list!
Conservatives are also against FEMA, they think the states can fend for themselves. Imagine NJ trying to do everything to bring itself back to normal without the FEMA help or the Army Corps of Engineers.
Another thing “conservatives” are against is conservation of our environment, resources, energy, or middle class!
Feel free to use any and all my thoughts.
Cheers very good points Nirek.
I mean could you imagine a fully privatized FEMA. It could result in only two outcomes. First people would be victimized by the natural disaster and then they could be victimized by getting a bill for any disaster relief they received by government. Second and most probably the GOP would privatize FEMA and spend 10X as much on independent contractors where all the tax payers would have to spend more. Again it would be just another redistribution of wealth to cronies of the GOP administration. Enough business is contracted out by FEMA now. Remember some of the ridiculous deals Bush made during Katrina with house trailers that were not used before they became unlivable because they were left unused so long? It cost taxpayers millions and millions. We would have even more FEMA Haliburtons where we pay more for much less.
Well, once, a conservative Senator from Illinois championed my brothers’ Conscientious Objector status. Does that count?
Other than that, I’m at a loss to say.
I know conservatives who as individuals manifest the best of America – neighborliness, compassion, service, care. But so do progressives. So it’s not something unique to conservatives.
Other than that I’m at a loss to figure it out.
I know conservatives who are careful with public trusts and public money – but I know liberals who do the same.
Other than that, I’m at a loss to find something unique.
Guess there’s nothing on this sweet, green earth that Conservatives make better just by themselves.
Nothing.
I’ve know allot of conservatives that are good people that do incredibly good things on an individual basis. My cardiologist is a perfect example. He’s a staunch conservative but is the most generous doctor I ever had. But he’s totally against the ACA. It’s more about blind ideology for allot of conservatives I’ve known. I also don’t think conservatives are only in one party. In fact the Republicans use to be the progressive party way back and we have conservadems and had Dixiecrats who fought some of the same things I listed.
In addition to this excellent list that is incredibly important to retain, this is also beautifully said, KQ! Ideology is always problematic, but conservative ideology is mostly wishful thinking – though wishful for what is unclear. Your doc is now being paid because YOU have health insurance due to ACA. You’d think that’d sink in. Sigh.