We're discussing how not only to eke a narrow victory over the neocons, in 2008, but to decisively repudiate their "culture war" which has weakened America more than anything since Vietnam. Democrats, moderates and decent conservatives must not over-rely upon plummeting GOP popularity. After all:
- Something may happen to firm the GOP base. Another (convenient) terror attack? War with Iran? The nomination of Hillary Clinton? (Look, I like her. I'll campaign hard, if she’s the nominee. But can you imagine anything more sure to bring out ten million extra Republican voters, through sleet or hail?)
- The GOP is already re-positioning, preparing to blame everything on Bush and "beltway Washington insiders..." giving GOP voters a way to pick more neocon thieves, backed by the same interests, while telling themselves they're throwing bums out!
- Democrats may yet again let Karl Rove frame the debate as a matter of "left versus right"... leaving moderate and "decent" conservatives no option but to hold their noses and "vote right" -- as a matter of self- identity.
These are plausible failure modes. How can we evade them?
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(For the record, by "we" I don't just mean Democrats, but sensible libertarians, moderates and all kinds of people who love America more than they love indignant partisan fury.)
How to avoid falling for Karl Rove's traps, anymore?
The best approach is to go for the throat. Go AFTER the Dole-Goldwater Republicans, hammer and tongs! That beloved, sweet but troglodytic uncle of yours, for example, who gets his memes reinforced on Fox. Make him choose between the GOP and America!
Because that’s what it comes down to.
And now, back to providing ammo for that effort.
Oh, but first a reminder -- it would be a mistake to print out this series and simply shove it under an ostrich's nose. They won't read. They'll go ostrich on you!
The most effective approach? Sitting him or her down and reading it to them aloud!
Be fair.
Listen to replies and defenses.
Don’t sneer. Be willing to learn!
But don’t let go.
For the most persuasive thing about this list is its relentless length!
Every rationalization will look thinner and thinner, as you lay down one crime after another.
And now... more ostrich hypocrisy skewers.
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* DO YOU FIGURE YOU’D HAVE NOTICED IF BILL CLINTON...
...sent our National Guard units into endless deployments, wrecking families, demolishing our reserves, and leaving our states and cities defenseless, in case of natural disaster. Or in case of a future terror attack?
...allowed a great American city to be destroyed through staggering bureaucratic negligence, despite plenty of warnings about hurricane danger? Then allowed graft and corruption to siphon off billions, in the aftermath?
...allowed U.S. air travel to decline into a morass of filthy, overcrowded airports, overbearing security and deteriorating service, while the rich escape to charters and corporate jets?
...allowed our nation’s infrastructure, bridges, highways etc to deteriorate at the fastest rate in history?
...oversaw the worst spiral into national debt the world has ever seen, reversing 1990s surpluses into record-breaking deficits?
(Self-check: When did you switch priorities? Loading your grandchildren with debt, while protecting Rupert Murdoch from taxes? Even when our nation is at war, in a "fight for survival"?
(Is it possible you were TAUGHT to make this weird reversal of conservative values? By the same aristocrats who control your radio and TV? By the very same men who directly benefit? And you don't find that suspicious?)
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* WOULD YOU CRITICIZE YOUR "COMMANDER IN CHIEF" IF IT WERE BILL CLINTON WHO...
...supervised and directly oversaw the steepest decline in U.S. military readiness since the War of 1812? With the Army and Marines running out of troops and equipment, unable to meet quotas, despite steeply lowering standards and offering signup bonuses in excess of $20,000 all the way up to $150,000?
...brought us to the point where only two Army brigades are currently trained, equipped and prepared to fight off a national land force? And those two are in Korea? (Hint: that’s fewer ready brigades than Belgium or Mexico have.)
...fired, transferred, punished, or forced into retirement hundreds of US military officers, for refusing to parrot a party line or for not helping twist our armed forces into a political tool?
...when faced with more criticism from serving and retired senior military officers than all other presidents since Lincoln, combined, routinely responded by having his minions attack their character?
...then refused to discuss why other whistleblowers and critics of his war -- including airborne and special forces noncoms -- have been killed, some shot in the head, at a rate far exceeding normal combat casualties in their units?
...appointed to top positions at the FBI, Justice Department, CIA, Defense and Homeland Security men and women without experience in those fields, whose sole attribute was partisan loyalty and a willingness to bully civil servants, harassing professionals into toeing the line?
(Self-check: If a Democrat did a smidgen of this, would you have looked the other way?
(Or would you have made a fuss if Clinton harassed even one US officer? Would not even ONE of these things have triggered paranoia, if it happened under Clinton?
So, what do you say to that face in the mirror? That fellow who let a Republican administration do all this, and much more, without uttering a word of protest?)
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* WOULD YOU HAVE LAUGHED ALOUD -- OR CRIED -- IF BILL CLINTON...
...declared that he was the one and only "decider," in what had previously been a vast and sophisticated democracy?
...declared repeatedly that a president can refuse to answer to any kind of accountability or oversight by Congress?
...promised (as a candidate) never to commit troops without a timetable, an exit strategy, adequate financing, or clear goals? Achievable war aims that directly help our nation, enough to outweigh our soldiers’ sacrifice?
What if Clinton had promised all that... then did the opposite?
...declared "Mission Accomplished" when an endless, Vietnam-style quagmire had only just begun?
... initiated intimate and unwanted body contact with a female foreign leader? On camera?
...drove away all of our allies and made the United States more unpopular around the world than at any time in our history?
(Yes, the neocon attitude is "#*@! what the world thinks!" But, in that case, wouldn’t traditional conservative isolationism make more sense than trying to "lead" a world that hates us?)
(In fact, Clinton’s Balkans War was brief, fierce, effective and perfect, quickly achieving all major goals at low expense, while preserving readiness and costing zero -- exactly zero -- American lives. It boosted US popularity, even among Muslims, and sent troop morale soaring. Beat that.)
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Next time... even more (what-if) crimes of "Bill Clinton!"
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