Thursday, June 11, 2009

Me And Republicans

I live in an area where Democrats are the minority party, I may find that rather silly considering the economic situation that is the norm here, but I have to get along with it. If you toss into the mixture the fact that a lot of my activities, like shooting, drag racing, and construction, seem to attract more Republicans than Democrats I am friends with a lot of Republicans. I don't mind that because while it makes for interesting and lively political discussions few of them live their personal lives on the basis of that Party's publicly ennunciated standards. I don't understand why their politics don't reflect their personal behavior and since I'm not required to I let that go.

Members of that tribe may find my postings partisanly intolerant and there is an element of intolerance in my posts. I am not particularly a fan of stupidity, lies, hate, or unequal treatment of my fellows and I let that come through clearly. I do not make up facts, I do not use quotes that contradict the spirit of the statement they're taken from, and I do not tar people with a brush they have not clearly earned. I am a partisan because the Democrats very much more reflect my philosophies than the Republicans. I am not partisan enough to let Democrats freely insult my political philosophies or to minimize any Republican policy that more closely hews to them. You may notice a serious lack of Republican boosting here, but that has to be earned.

I'm afraid the mindset of the voices of Republicanism doesn't manage to reflect historical expectations of the Republican Party. At one time it was somewhat ordinary to expect strong support of the Bill of Rights from them; the Party of Torture and spying on citizens and ditching Habeas Corpus can't claim that mantle. An expectation that they'd support the health of business in general is disappointed by their favoritism for plutocracy versus actual small business which is the majority of business in this country. I won't get into the idea of the Party of Lincoln resolutely pushing away minorities since that is scarcely a new phenomenon. I don't mind that people bring their religious morality to politics - it would be ridiculous to expect otherwise - but that is a different concept than enforcing their morality on their fellows and the Republican element of religiosity seems determined to be the American Taliban. It would be ordinary to expect Republicans to be strong on economic policy, instead we get a mantra of tax cuts for the rich and drowning their mismanaged version of big government in a bathtub and policies that perpetuate a system that broadens the gap between the rich and poor.

Look; Republicans, teabaggers, wingers, Christianists, et al if you don't like what I've got to say, you've got several choices :
Don't read this site
State your grievances - but expect blowback
Quit being demonstrable assholes

Short of those alternatives you're SOL. I won't ease up on you and I can think of no reason to do so. I am fair about this, it isn't my fault you offer up such a target rich environment. Change your damn game into something responsible and I'll cheer you on and you don't have to be Democrat-lite to get there.

1 comment:

Carla said...

Maybe I should register Republican just to give you a fight, eh Chuck? I could use a good scrap. :)