Unite the country? That's a laugh

I always thought a conservative believed in small government, balanced budgets and individual rights, your ideas sound more like a rt wing radical.

The early 20th century American social critic and humorist H. L. Mencken, known for his "definitions" of terms, defined a demagogue as "one who will preach doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots."

This is also called a "Straw Man" argument. Mr. Roushar has mischaracterized the opposing position, and then argues against the mischaracterization.

'Conservatives believe in personal liberty. Liberals believe you must be told what to do "for your own good."' True, Mr Roushar. The greatest difference I find in the two parties is personal responsibility.

I believe we live in the best country in the world and taxes are our “dues” for living here. I may not agree with my tax dollars going to an unjustified occupation in Iraq, but I can’t quit paying taxes because I disagree. In regard to the estate tax, the current tax exemption is $2 million. When the exemption was $1 million on estates in 2003, of 2.4 million deaths, only 30,627 taxable estate tax returns—1.3%—were filed. I don’t think it is a problem for the majority of liberals or conservatives.
Left unregulated, the marketplace is a dangerous place. The FDA, EPA, OSHA, USCP were established to protect American citizens and consumers from unscrupulous corporations/businesses. Do we really want to go back to the days before these government agencies?
And do we want to go back to the days of the back street abortions? Not a person thinks an abortion is an acceptable method of birth control. More compensative birth control programs could lessen the number of abortions. The writer posted that conservatives believe in personal liberty. Conservatives in Congress seem to impose on personal liberties in cases such as Terry Schiavo or legislation to ban gay marriage.

True Conservatives do believe in personal responsibility. The brand of far our right wingers today, like the far out left wingers, are only interested in stirring up hatred for the opposition. This only keeps the country spinning their wheels and never getting anywhere. Please give me valid examples for each point the o.p. made in this letter. Mr Roushar completely demonized the opposition with false arguments.

The conservatives do not want sex ed in school, do not want birthcontrol to be available to minors without parental consent, do not want abortion to be legal, which means regulation at some level. But they do complain when their tax money is used for welfare programs to support the children of the people who did not have access to the birth control, sex ed or the possibility of aborting that fetus. All life is valuable, except for life already on this planet taking my tax dollars!

Mr Roushar is constructing a false dilemma that portrays opposition groups as having a value system that is the polar opposite of one's own, as opposed to simply having different priorities. This method was incorporated by the Nazi regime to gain the general support of the public when it began to initiate its anti-Semitic policies.

Look at you Republicant. Sometimes you use excellent reasoning. Well said. This letter is a fringe statement worded to be contentious. While most of the points made refer to conservative views, the 'line in the sand' wording leaves no room for differing approaches to the same position. I feel MrRousars's pov is that the far left and the far right are too different to ever agree. He's right, but most of us don't fall in those categories.

Republicant is on point...I'm abroad right now the rest of the world is moving ahead at a rapid pace and we have to begin to champion our differences and find some common ground. The rest of the world is not waiting for us to come together and our economy to meltdown. We need to get a grip and realize that we are and can recapture the glory of being the world's beacon of freedom and prosperity. I'm not sure many feel like it is possible...

I am waiting for this America to collapse, but my hope is that a new America will rise from the ashes like a Phoenix. Just kiddin!!
Republicant is right on today with exposing non sequiturs and straw man arguments. But it is this guys opinion. You know what they say about opinions.

Quote from Republicant: The brand of far our right wingers today, like the far out left wingers, are only interested in stirring up hatred for the opposition. This only keeps the country spinning their wheels and never getting anywhere. Tell me Republicant, with your choice of display name, how are you any different?

A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.
Robert Frost

Good one mgroot! That reminds me of my thinking while in college. Ah youth!!! I tell you what I find amazing is how many of my liberal friends became conservative after marriage and kids. I wonder if there is some link??? Robert Frost, I can still recite "Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening" that I learned in grade school-what a frickin nightmare.

Bob Roushar is another anti-woman zealot. Liberals area all about less government and neocons are all about government interfering in our private lives. It is the neocons that have been systematically taking away our rights since 1964. Get the facts. Not the spin coming from Roushar and the other misogynist zealots.

I have done more than my fair share of the demagoguery, my screen name included. I am a devil's advocate for the most part. The more extreme someone gets, the more extreme I get. It's all about balance. How productive that is toward real progress, I don't know. It is entertaining to me at least.

neocon is a term coined by the far left socialists in this country. Using it to make a point negates the credibility of any attempt at reasonable debate.

again, well said Republicant. I, too, offer an "equal and opposite reaction" in my posts. According to Einstein, it's only natural.

My moniker represents Chaos. No thats not it. Heisenberg uncertainty is a better description.Bizarro World keeps me sane. Well maybe not. I like Republicant's posts. Rep was one of the first to break the character limit, which was the catalyst for further diatribes. Republicant is also the anti-republican, so his/her moniker can be deceptive.

sort of like using the term "socialist" huh, PT?

no teharper428, a socialist is a strong supporter of big nanny government and one that shuns individualism. It's not an insult except to conservatives that feel that individual responsibility is important. It doesn't prevent debate, but it does identify one who supports the views of the far left.

By your definition PT you must be totally wrong about me. I guess I'm an anarchist. I want the government to stay out of my business, am totally for individualism (as opposed to being a strarch-haired country club Republican), and think that personal responsibility is paramount. Your definition of socialist makes me wonder what you think about Republicans that think orgies will break out if kids are taught sex education, and that abstinence needs to be taught over providing birth control. Thoughts?

erandy... you sound more like a Libertarian to me.

Every tub has to sit on it's own bottom.

Too conservative for me in some respects CryBaby - especially if it is from the Boortz perspective. He's just too afraid to say he is a conservative. Funny that I would buy into some of the ideas PT attributes to conservatives, because I'm far from it. Honestly, I take issue with some of your viewpoints as well (totally against the Iraq war [but recognized by the military on several occasions for my support of the troops, wounded warriors, etc]. I'd engage more, but it is totally unproductive. As I've said in other posts though, we may disagree vehemntly, but the community is my first concern. If a tree ever fell on your roof, I'd be the first to help you out. After reading some of your posts about liberals I wonder if you'd do the same...

erandy..But the homeowner wouldn't leave you and others to do the work. He would be the hardest worker on the job.And if you nor others offered to help he would go it alone. Personal responsibility..That's a conservative.

I dare say the average voter is probably a mix of conservative and liberal views dependent on the issue. I'm either a liberal conservative or a conservative liberal. Hee, hee.

erandy, the traits that confuse you about conservatives and government schools are easily enough addressed. Sex ed should be taught at home or in the church (for most conservatives) because the secular anti-Christian views expressed by the NEA aren't conducive to conservative values. Teaching birth control instead of abstinence is like teaching cheating over knowing enough to pass the test. Both of these traits are derived from the individual responsibility conservatives base their lives on. It's a plank they take for granted and assume all people have the same foundation or no foundation at all. Having standards for some is like having unattainable standards to others. Social liberalism and fiscal conservatism is being liberal. Social liberalism and fiscal liberalism is what we call socialist and has nothing to do with personal responsibility. Trying to define an attitude seems to give people enough wiggle room to make all situations relative. A conservative will have absolutes.

erandy, I've noticed you have difficulty differentiating between conservatives and Republicans. A small percentage of Republicans are conservative and a much smaller percentage of Democrats(?) is conservative. The Democratic(?)party has done a good job of removing the conservatives and now refer to liberal moderates as conservative.

I would like to know where are the fiscal conservatives ? Bush and his administration has tuned the Republican into the ultimate pork barrel party. Will this change the view of the Republicans forever ?