I am a conservative, and don't know that I should really be on this site. I'm thinkin someone might try to kill me. But I was skimming through the blogs and the words "evil tyrant bush" caught my eye. Now, Webster defines a tyrant as "an absolute ruler; a sovereign unrestrained by law or constitution; a userper of sovereignty." I define a tyrant as a ruler who uses his power and authority to govern every area of your life. Either way, there is no way in hell that Bush is a tyrant.
I don't know how many people have taken a government class but the US has a system of something known as checks and balances. We have a congress to check the executive and judicial (our lovely democratic congress right now has seen approval ratings much lower than Bush by the way, oh and did i mention their failed promise to extend their work week and what the hell was up with that "we dissaprove of the war" statement they spent a month on). We have a justice department to check the executive and the congressional. And we have an executive branch to check congress and our justice system. So I'm thinkin that it's pretty clear, at least according to my man Webster, that Bush is not a tyrant. Sorry.
BUT, is he trying to rule every aspect of our lives. I mean after all he's tapping our phone lines, blowing up our levies and buildings, and using mind control on lizards and training them to use ninja skills to take over the world. Come on people, get serious. The NSA and FBI are NOT tapping phone lines. They are simply tracing, not listening to, phone calls of suspected TERRORISTS to suspected TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS in the Middle East in an attempt to protect us from murderous tyrannical freaks trying to take over our nation. And blowing up the levies and the world trade centers. Come on. Please tell me that your over four years old and can think logically. People would have noticed stuff was going on. If their was an ounce of evidence that such a proposterous thing had indeed occured our beloved and most brave Ted Kennedy (I say brave becasue we all know he did everything he could to save his girlfriend before letting her drown) would have been the first to demand an investigation. And had such an investigation occured, things would have been found. I'm sorry but anyone who believes this should see a pyschologist just to make sure their not crazy. Either that or lay off the acid.
Y'all, their is only one form of tyranny trying to infest our nation and that is socialism. Socialism is my definition of tyranny. It is a system of government that makes your choices for you. If I want to buy health insurance from blue cross instead of Aetna, I should be able to make that choice. I should not have to have the government say this is your health system no ifs ands or buts. If I was stupid and bought a house I couldn't afford on a sub-prime mortgage I shouldn't rely on my neighbor's tax dollars to bail me out. I was stupid and I should suffer the consequences. I'll admit, capitalism isn't always pretty, but it is a system where progress is demanded and certain and isn't that what y'all are about, progress?
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Your ideas are welcome on this site. Your sarcasm, however, might be less well received.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Rest in peace
yourfuneralguy
http://www.lowercostfuneral.com/rbrianblog
Conservatives can be progressive and corrected, it has happened to me at progressive u.
Huh?
Na, I know my thoughts aren't actually gonna piss to many people off. I mean I'm not a crazy conservative, but I am a conservative nontheless. As for the sarcasm, I understand what you're saying, but it's just how I've always written, it's kinda natural.
First of all, STOP. DO NOT LEAVE US. You're right, there are not enough conservatives on the Internet (or anywhere else in the media outside of FNC). That's why we need you to stay and put some sanity into the discussion.
While Bush is not a tyrant, I think I'm ready for a new face in the White House. I, of course, would prefer McCain's face.
And to the rest of you bloggers: I don't want to hear the "third Bush term" nonsense. You all saw the boos and jeers McCain got when he stood before the Conservative Political Action Conference. You all hear on the news the trouble McCain has wooing his own Republican supporters. And how many times have I heard somebody on CNN call McCain the "Republican maverick?" These (liberal) people are practicing a double standard: first, they're trying to convince people that McCain is experiencing a revolt in his own party and is therefore unelectable, but at the same time they (especially Senator Obama) are trying to convince everyone that McCain is the archetype evil Republican who is the same person as Bush. As usual, they aren't making much sense.
Tell me about it dude. Way too many libs in the media. It is pretty damn frustrating. Oh well, just gotta keep watching O'reilly I geuss.
While I have little respect for the theories that our government was responsible for 9/11 and breaking the levies (though their reaction to that one is not one for the record books), the warantless wiretapping was basically admitted by the government. And while I can't say I approve of it, he's hardly the first president to have gone that route.
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
Just wondering, uh.. in what document or public statement did they "basically" admit to this. I uhh..I'm not following you. One of my close friend's dad is a pretty high up official in the DEA. Now, I have talk to him about this and he said they trace, not tap. They only tap under the authority of a warrant not on the premise of the patriot act.
I seem to recall people talking about how they had to get on people they suspected right away and didn't have time to wait for a warrant. I could be wrong. Regardless, as I said, it's not like it's a particularly rare practice.
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
To my knowlege this is true in very rare circumstances. Again, I just know from talking to my friends dad. He mentioned that when he was working the Gulf that there were circumstances that if they had very heavy suspicions and had to act urgently they would disregard the need for a warrant and tap lines, make arrests, search yachts, whatever they needed to do to get the job done. But there are three important things to remember here. One, these are spur of the moment decisions, not planned out conspiracies. Two, they do not validate these actions by means of the patriot act. And three, they will NOT do it without enough evidence for fear of losing their jobs. If they go in without a warrant and find nothing substantial, their screwed.
Congress' approval rating is ALWAYS lower than the President's, except maybe when things like Watergate happen. There are a few reasons for this, but I don't feel like expounding right now.
Congress has, before recently, often bowed to Bush without exercising their power to check him. The PATRIOT Act, an almost entirely Bush camp document was passed nearly unanimously before anybody even read the fucking thing.
Bush has also frequently acted as if he had the power to be a tyrant. Though he may not wield tyrannical power in the official or legal sense he and his administration have it quite clear to me that he wishes that he did. He seems to view Congress and the Supreme Court as things that are entirely in his way. He seems to believe that the President is nearly all powerful, with the other branches of government set up as a sort of suggestion box of the people.
There is a bubbling, percolating, noxious pool of pseudo-fascist intent underneath the way Bush and his administration have handled Congress and not getting their way. Bush may not actually be a despot, but he wants to be.
Oh, and finally, the Bush approach to wire tapping was deemed ILLEGAL by the Supreme Court. He (through executive branch entities of course) went about it in a way that was non-Constitutional. Sure, the check worked there, but Bush clearly believes the powers of the Executive are far greater than they are, or should be.
“Existentialism means that no one else can take a bath for you” - Delmore Schwartz
"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real-estate above principles." - George Jean Nathan
Rest in peace
yourfuneralguy
http://www.lowercostfuneral.com/rbrianblog
Thanks to GWB... otherwise you may have melted in a nuclear terrorist attack.
Say thanks for the Patriot act!
Also it is up to Congress not GWB who is now responsible for action on Energy., As the head of the executive branch it is his responsibility to confront Congress.
Small groups of angry people will always be able to do large amounts of damage on singular occasions. The PATRIOT Act just infringes on the rights of those that it is supposed to attack. IT does more damage to freedom than destroying buildings and killing citizens. Our own government is now, and always will be the largest threat to freedom. You should be worried when your government is obsessing over minuscule outside threats and holding up the fact that nothing has happened as a positive. We haven't heard much about any terrorist threats being stopped either.
“Existentialism means that no one else can take a bath for you” - Delmore Schwartz
"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real-estate above principles." - George Jean Nathan