Conservatism: a political or theological orientation advocating the preservation of the best in society and opposing radical changes.
Liberalism: a political orientation that favors social progress by reform and by changing laws rather than by revolution.
Ian Welsh observes in a comment that “those definitions are not how those who claim to be either liberals or conservatives operate or have operated in living memory in the United States,” and he makes a good point. Being in a comment rather than in an original post, he does not go onto as much depth or explain his point as cogently as his writing usually does.
Those who call themselves conservatives today are actually reactionaries. They do not seek to maintain “the best in current society,” but rather to unwind existing programs in order to return to a “better” past. The Luddites were also reactionaries, who wanted to dismantle the Industrial Revolution in order to return to the simpler pastoral life that had preceded it.
And, by the way, the “better past” touted by today’s “conservatives” was by no means the rosy state of affairs that they portray. Life was “ugly, brutish and short” and the oligarchs controlled things even more then than they do now. Which may be their point and their objective, but…
Those who call themselves progressives do nothing more than argue for the preservation of programs which were in place before their parents were born in many cases, Social Security and Medicare, and lobby for the continuance of “New Deal” type of spending that has been the practice for even longer. This is the very definition of conservatism.
Even Paul Krugman, the doyen of “liberalism,” illustrates today his true conservatism as he writes that, “Many of us wish that Obamacare were a simpler system, one that directly provided health insurance.” Emphasis added by me. The true liberal would have written that as, “…one that directly provided health care.”
And, yes, please don’t cite “health care reform” as an example of today's Democratic Party progressivism. Making health insurance mandatory instead of optional is not progressive.
So for all practical purposes we have no liberals today; instead we have conservatives and we have reactionaries, both using aliases.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Chargers PR
The San Diego Chargers "fanned out" (pun apparently intended) throughout the city yesterday on a "Thank you tour" to express their appreciation for the support that fans have given them in past years. They dispersed, in uniform, to various parts of the city and spent time talking with people and signing autographs. Based on the photos, they didn't appear to be suffering in the process. If this is evidence of the management style of our new coach and general manager, I think Dean Spanos may have chosen well. Winning games will be the bottom line, of course, but still...
Killing The Messenger
CBS Evening News has done segments on the NSA surveillance issue for the last three evenings. All three times, the topic had nothing whatever to do with the content of the programs; nothing whatever to do with what the government is doing in the way of spying on its citizens. The topic was entirely about catching and convicting the person who informed the American people of what their government is doing.
The thing that surprises me in all this is the absolute openness with which our government and the people in it break the law. There used to be a concept of “plausible deniability,” whereby the top men were isolated from our government’s more heinous actions so that they could argue that they did not know it was being done, but today the top people stand up and proudly brag about being the authors of governmental malfeasance. “Hell yes,” the president says, “I ordered than man assassinated. It was the easiest decision I’ve made as president and I’m proud of it.”
Of course we used torture after 9/11. We’ve always used torture. The CIA was throwing Viet Cong out of helicopters during that war. But it was always a rogue action and the top brass was always saying, “Tell me what you found out but don’t tell me how you got the information.” Anyone who was caught inflicting torture was punished for doing it, even though efforts at catching them may have been less than rigorous.
George Bush and Dick Cheney came right out and bragged about having ordered that torture be used to obtain information, and suffered no consequences for it. None. Both retired to wealthy and sumptuous lives.
There is a certain amount of fulmination regarding Obama’s use of assassination, although few dare call it that, as an instrument of foreign policy. In one respect that is no big deal; the CIA has been assassinating people for decades. It was kept a deep dark secret, though; was something that our government would never admit that it did, and the President’s fingerprints were never on the orders so that he could never be accused of being complicit.
Today, Barack Obama brags about how he personally chooses the targets for assassination, a flagrantly illegal act by national and international law, and no one even suggests that he should receive any repercussion for that.
James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence lied to Congress, and admitted to Andrea Mitchell on national television to having done so. When asked if the NSA was spying on Americans he told Mitchell that he “gave the least untruthful answer” that he could. He lied. To Congress. And nobody in officialdom cares.
But when Obama is asked if the NSA is spying on Americans, he not only says that it is, he becomes angry that anyone has dared to reveal that fact and vows to track down and punish the person who did so. "Hell yes, I am spying on you," he says, with fire in his eyes, "I am keeping you safe from terrorists." He goes on the attack against anyone who would challenge his right to spy on the American people.
Because, you see, these people are not subject to the laws.
The thing that surprises me in all this is the absolute openness with which our government and the people in it break the law. There used to be a concept of “plausible deniability,” whereby the top men were isolated from our government’s more heinous actions so that they could argue that they did not know it was being done, but today the top people stand up and proudly brag about being the authors of governmental malfeasance. “Hell yes,” the president says, “I ordered than man assassinated. It was the easiest decision I’ve made as president and I’m proud of it.”
Of course we used torture after 9/11. We’ve always used torture. The CIA was throwing Viet Cong out of helicopters during that war. But it was always a rogue action and the top brass was always saying, “Tell me what you found out but don’t tell me how you got the information.” Anyone who was caught inflicting torture was punished for doing it, even though efforts at catching them may have been less than rigorous.
George Bush and Dick Cheney came right out and bragged about having ordered that torture be used to obtain information, and suffered no consequences for it. None. Both retired to wealthy and sumptuous lives.
There is a certain amount of fulmination regarding Obama’s use of assassination, although few dare call it that, as an instrument of foreign policy. In one respect that is no big deal; the CIA has been assassinating people for decades. It was kept a deep dark secret, though; was something that our government would never admit that it did, and the President’s fingerprints were never on the orders so that he could never be accused of being complicit.
Today, Barack Obama brags about how he personally chooses the targets for assassination, a flagrantly illegal act by national and international law, and no one even suggests that he should receive any repercussion for that.
James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence lied to Congress, and admitted to Andrea Mitchell on national television to having done so. When asked if the NSA was spying on Americans he told Mitchell that he “gave the least untruthful answer” that he could. He lied. To Congress. And nobody in officialdom cares.
But when Obama is asked if the NSA is spying on Americans, he not only says that it is, he becomes angry that anyone has dared to reveal that fact and vows to track down and punish the person who did so. "Hell yes, I am spying on you," he says, with fire in his eyes, "I am keeping you safe from terrorists." He goes on the attack against anyone who would challenge his right to spy on the American people.
Because, you see, these people are not subject to the laws.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Orwell Had The Year Wrong
The poll which reveals that the number of Americans who believe that the government tracking of phone activity is an acceptable method of “keeping us safe from terrorists” has actually risen from 51% in 2007 to 56% today is seriously disheartening to me. Bernie Sanders talks about an “Orwellian future,” but this poll makes me think we are living in an Orwellian present.
One has to suppose that the Boston bombing is contributing to this, but the problem I have with that idea is that this surveillance didn’t prevent the Boston bombing, and so this theory suggests we are surrendering our civil liberties based on a visibly false premise.
Other than that, we are farther than ever removed from 9/11, the “terror wars” are supposedly winding down, Osama bin Laden is dead, we are being told repeatedly that Al Queda is all but wiped out, and yet more people than ever are willing to have an authoritarian government in the name of “being kept safe from terrorism.”
One of the numbers in the poll is quite revealing of the “cult of personality” which has developed around Barack Obama. In 2007, when George Bush was in office, only 37% of Democrats thought that the NSA surveillance programs were acceptable; this year, with Barack Obama at the helm, 64% of Democrats find them acceptable.
This is the population of which dictators are made.
One has to suppose that the Boston bombing is contributing to this, but the problem I have with that idea is that this surveillance didn’t prevent the Boston bombing, and so this theory suggests we are surrendering our civil liberties based on a visibly false premise.
Other than that, we are farther than ever removed from 9/11, the “terror wars” are supposedly winding down, Osama bin Laden is dead, we are being told repeatedly that Al Queda is all but wiped out, and yet more people than ever are willing to have an authoritarian government in the name of “being kept safe from terrorism.”
One of the numbers in the poll is quite revealing of the “cult of personality” which has developed around Barack Obama. In 2007, when George Bush was in office, only 37% of Democrats thought that the NSA surveillance programs were acceptable; this year, with Barack Obama at the helm, 64% of Democrats find them acceptable.
This is the population of which dictators are made.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Summer Crafts for Kids
Summer here we come!!
Keeping the kids busy during the summer can be a hard thing to do.
I put together some links for summer fun ideas. Hopefully this will
help to keep those little hands busy!
Glitter Slime
at The 36th Avenue
Glow in the dark slime
at Domestic Charm
Summer Activity Calendar
at The Benson Street
Outdoor Search and Find
right here at Being Creative
.jpg)
Home Made Play Dough
at Susannah Kate Sews
Sponge Balls
at One Charming Party
Melted Crayon Rocks
at Fakin' It
Lady Bug Rocks
at Parenting.com
Melted Crayon Dot Art
at Helping Little Hands
.Kool-Aid Finger Paint
Keeping the kids busy during the summer can be a hard thing to do.
I put together some links for summer fun ideas. Hopefully this will
help to keep those little hands busy!
Glitter Slime
at The 36th Avenue
Glow in the dark slime
at Domestic Charm
Summer Activity Calendar
at The Benson Street
Outdoor Search and Find
right here at Being Creative
.jpg)
Home Made Play Dough
at Susannah Kate Sews
Sponge Balls
at One Charming Party
Melted Crayon Rocks
at Fakin' It
Lady Bug Rocks
at Parenting.com
Melted Crayon Dot Art
at Helping Little Hands
.Kool-Aid Finger Paint
at Amazing moms
at Crafts Kaboose
at Crafts Kaboose
at Crafts Kaboose
Clothes Pin Dolls
at Family.go.com
Homemade Sidewalk Paint
at Busy Bee Kids Crafts
Homemade Bubbles
at About.com
Homemade Flower Leis
at Crafting Chicks
Painted Turtles
at Family Fun
Stop by and enter Being Creatives
{Back to School} giveaways!!
Click on the image below
One Defense I Missed
There's one defense of Superman Obama which I had missed in my perusal of reactions to the revelations regarding our surviellance state, and was provided by John Cole in a post yesterday. It says that, "President Obama is not the villain here, he is merely following laws which were passed by Congress." He goes on to say that "they" followed every letter and comma of what are admittedly horrible laws.
Well, the latter point is highly questionable, but that point is moot. The real point is that the Patriot Act gives intelligence agencies some permissions to spy on Americans; it doesn't say that they are required to actually do it. The actual spying was a choice made by the current administration.
Well, the latter point is highly questionable, but that point is moot. The real point is that the Patriot Act gives intelligence agencies some permissions to spy on Americans; it doesn't say that they are required to actually do it. The actual spying was a choice made by the current administration.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
4th of July Lemonade
Yay for summer!!
We kicked it of with a 4th of July BBQ. After seeing a post on riches for rags
I got inspired to make my own version of "the milk bottle".
Here is what I came up with:
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My kids couldn't wait to get their hands on these!
They are pretty simple to make. Just make sure to keep them in a cool place until you are ready to serve them. The white chocolate will melt in the sun and run down your bottles {speaking from experience}.
Happy Summer !!
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