An open letter to the GOP

[enders_shadow]

Dear GOP,

I know you talk the talk of "freedom" and "liberty" but I am not sure those words mean what you think they mean.

Comments

[kylinrouge]

Your mistake is taking them at their word. What they stand for and what they claim to stand for are two different things.

[underlankers]

What makes you think that I think they're in the same camp? The Right Wing is plenty diverse enough to have multiple species of cranks. :) That being said, there are some diehard fundamentalists who proclaim themselves fans of Ayn Rand, and thus with a postdoctoral level of knowledge of stupid.

[sandwichwarrior]

Then you've already answered your own question and are probably just playing dumb to get a rise out of me.

[kylinrouge]

I'm just explaining some of the responses in this thread. My theory holds water so far, especially since you're not denying it...

[geezer_also]

What does that even mean???

[sandwichwarrior]

Past posting history coupled with the fact that the OP and reply were addressed to "The GOP".

[nairiporter]

Even if we assume that this is the case, how does your response address the fact that freedom and liberty being a frequent slogan of conservative political formations seems to be in a stark contradiction to some of the policies these same formations are advocating?

[sandwichwarrior]

It doesn't.

I could easily write an open letter to Progressives in the same format as the OP asking how it is that the party of the "little guy" and "social justice" can with a straight face actively promote racial discrimination, undercut job production, and take active measures to reduce the human population.

But I suspect that I would be accused of trolling.

ETA:
As for Bean's question. It's already been covered numerous times. A: Politicians are assholes. and B: the liberal Ideal of "Positive Freedoms" is by nature incompatible with the more classical definition of liberty.

Freedom of speech is incompatible with any right to not be offended just as a right to Education or Healthcare is incompatible with the Provider's freedom of association.

Simply put, you can't eat your cake and have it to.

[nairiporter]

I know it doesn't, it's just a derail attempt. And that is the whole point.

You do make that post and we'll see how it goes.

[sandwichwarrior]

Fair enough.

[enders_shadow]

Why do you think that because *group X* might be comprised of idiots that when someone starts talking about it, your reaction is to bring up *group Y* and how they may be comprised of idiots.

You'd only be accused of trolling if you were not raising legitamate gripes. If you post "an open letter to progressives" and you point out actual flaws, I will stand with you. If you pull out nonsense tropes (hypothetically, if you were to bring up the birther issue, for example--I'm sure you know better, but as a hypothetical) then it would be trolling.

Are you suggesting my issues in the OP are nonsense ones, or just ones that our shitty politicians won't do anyhting about?
(Also, please explain why two states did legalize pot through their legislature, and why the best bill in the US house does have six sponsers, they're just all dems)

[underlankers]

Likewise it could be asked how conservatives simultaneously want the government to have the power to ban abortion and see any government able to meaningfully enforce such a ban as small, as well as why supposed fiscal conservatives have an obsession with gay sex.

[sandwichwarrior]

Your mistake is treating conservatism as one monolithic block rather than a coalition between Social Conservatives, and Fiscal Conservatives/Libertarians.

Despite the divergant focus they share similar first principals.

[underlankers]

On the contrary. When I say conservative, I mean conservative. I'm aware that there are hardline corporation-worshipers (i.e. Libertarians) whose ideology on paper is very different. Problem is that modern-day conservatism is mostly anti-sex in practical policies and here libertarian and conservative tend to be indistinguishable. Just like how Bolshevism outlawed homosexuality and abortion under Stalin, while Stalin outdid Rick Perry's boasting about his executions by a wide margin. If reanimated, the Georgian Devil would have the Rick Perry constituency singing his praises chapter and verse. :)

[geezer_also]

" If reanimated, the Georgian Devil would have the Rick Perry constituency singing his praises chapter and verse. :) "

And if cows had wings we wouldn't need birds...just bigger trees

[underlankers]

Hey, if you want to say people cheering on a governor who said "I executed more people than anyone else in my state's history" (accepting all the while the glaring contradiction with small government exiles) wouldn't cheer on someone who executed millions of supposedly treacherous elements.....I mean if a few dozens are worth cheering, why not millions? Same principle, same naked criminality in concept.

:)