I've got a new pup (Rowdy Rocket), so I've been getting a lot more exercise and a few laughs at his antics. As you have probably noticed, I'm a Republican traditionalist who is supporting Obama, even though I disagree with a lot of his policies. However, as covered in the exchange with Deckard, it's time to get rid of the hacks who took over the GOP and subverted its true goals and values. Although I believe McCain to be a good and honest man, his Presidency would be rooted in yesterday's politics. Obama seems to have more "vision" if not experience so I'm going to cross my fingers and roll the dice on him.
Not to pick on you exclusively, Thumbs, I think you will find that with the possible exception of the spending on the Medicare Drug Benefit, the "drunken sailor" spending was largely on the Iraq War and the defense industry, which was very popular with the GOP voters.
A person whose home is destroyed by a hurricane is not any less fortunate than the person whose home is destroyed by a tornado. My point is that the people in the Midwest already are starting to rebuild without any fanfare. The people in New Orleans took their money to Las Vegas -- there were lots of news stories on how they spent it but not by using it on food and shelter. They are still calling for more money when most of the city should be turned into a wildlife refuge since no one can protect it, even with strengthened levees, from another major storm. Regardless of how you view my compassion, I was out there beating the drum for food and clothing to send to the victims of Katrina and then Rita. I also was entreating trucking companies to get the materials there. My disgust with the New Orleans citizenry in general came afterward. But, then too, I've always considered New Orleans a cesspool.
Your biased and silly generalizations are duly noted. Sadly, they detract from what would otherwise be an interesting debate. Having lots of family in New Orleans, and having toured much of the area with my brother-in-law who works for the senator's office and talks directly with 100s of people and communities who are working and struggling to rebuild, let me just say that you sir, are really coming off as quite the close-minded ass in the above commentary.
I actually don't have nearly as much a problem with Federal disaster relief as you'd think. Actually, despite my seeing first-hand the ridiculous mess that is the Louisiana government, I think the Federal Government was actually obligated to do better in Katrina relief. After all, they were Federally-built levees that failed, and federal flood controls that eroded the coastline that might have protected the city. (From my experience having lived through Rita, the efficiency of disaster relief agencies and charities generally went down the further up the chain you went. If you argue that the inefficiency is necessary for complete coverage, I will concede.) The big mess was the Medicare Part D, which might have been less of a mess if it were pure social welfare instead of a corporatist/social welfare boondoggle, but is inconsistent with conservatism of any brand.
Money poorly spent is money spent poorly. Bush the Younger should have listened to his dad and gotten out once the original objectives were completed.
All opinions, right or wrong, are by their very nature "biased." Whether they are silly is up for debate, but opinions ultimately are formed based on personal experience and/or generalizations. How you and I view the effigacy of monies spent may be wildly different based on personal vantage points. However, few would refute the fact, for example, that Houston's crime rate spiked from the influx of New Orleans refugees as did the crime rates of other shelter cities like San Antonio. I'm certain there were residents of New Orleans who honestly tried to rebuild, but IMO they have proved to be in the minority. The city is still in shambles because the majority of its citizenry are leaving the rebuilding to be done for them. The local and state government botched the cleanup as badly as the federal government. I am buttressed in that view by the fact that the people of Louisiana tossed Blanco out for ineptitude and replaced her with a Republican (Jindal) who seems to be getting things done for the state. However, if I strike you as a close-minded ass for not being a fan of New Orleans or its politics, so be it.
The fact that people will even make the "he abandoned conservative principles" argument is kind of funny. If he abandoned them then what does that make Reagan? Because Reagan governed the same way. THe only place where you can really argue that he abandoned them is in the area of foreign policy - and really he didn't abandon them, he basically switched from a policy based in realism to the neo-con idealism focused approach (championed by a bunch of ex-Reaganites, that's not conservative?). That's a difference in form rather than anything else. He didn't balance budgets for sure, but again neither did Reagan. Supply side economics operate on the fantasy that they budget themselves - this was a central feature of the conservative movement. Otherwise, pretty much every policy position he took was on the side of traditional right wing coalition interests - the religious right, large corporations, with a particular interest in energy and defense contractors. ANd of course the right wing philosophy of privatization and tax cuts as a cure for all evils was run as much as he could. He didn't abandon conservative principles - he ran them to the letter, to the extent we can establish what they actually are or to that they exist (the heart of the problem).
Bush's dad said no war in the first place. Well what were the original objectives and have any of the been accomplished? Sadam was removed. Probably only objective yet accomplished, but chaos still reigns. Wmd? Sadam and his government told the truth. They had destroyed them. Bush was either lying or totally reckless with the truth on this issue. No wmd, so no destruction of them. Oil? There is still no guarantee that we will come out better and be able to control Iraqi oil better due to the war. The cost of the war would have purchased 30 years of oil imports according to one article I read. A stable democracy which would enourage other Middle Eastern countries? No evidence of this yet. Our action against democracy with Hamas says we are only interested in Muslim democracy if we like the results.
Good post. Conservatives, given the state of the country, will try to claim that their policies were not followed. Another conservative policy followed was to not increase the CAFE standards, boosting the price of oil and leading to the problems of the American auto industry.
Thumbs: I just got back from a weekend in New Orleans. It was a good time. I recommend you come out on a Saturday night, eat some fantastic food, take in the eclectic crowds, a parade, and some diverse nightlife and readjust your perceptions. Did I mention the food?
