The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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clarkkent14
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The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud
There's a major political fraud underway: the GOP is once again donning their libertarian, limited-government masks in order to re-invent itself and, more important, to co-opt the energy and passion of the Ron-Paul-faction that spawned and sustains the "tea party" movement. The Party that spat contempt at Paul during the Bush years and was diametrically opposed to most of his platform now pretends to share his views. Standard-issue Republicans and Ron Paul libertarians are as incompatible as two factions can be -- recall that the most celebrated right-wing moment of the 2008 presidential campaign was when Rudy Giuliani all but accused Paul of being an America-hating Terrorist-lover for daring to suggest that America's conduct might contribute to Islamic radicalism -- yet the Republicans, aided by the media, are pretending that this is one unified, harmonious, "small government" political movement.

The Right is petrified that this fraud will be exposed and is thus bending over backwards to sustain the myth. Paul was not only invited to be a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference but also won its presidential straw poll. Sarah Palin endorsed Ron Paul's son in the Kentucky Senate race. National Review is lavishly praising Paul, while Ann Coulter "felt compelled [in her CPAC speech] to give a shout out to Paul-mania, saying she agreed with everything he stands for outside of foreign policy -- a statement met with cheers." Glenn Beck -- who literally cheered for the Wall Street bailout and Bush's endlessly expanding surveillance state -- now parades around as though he shares the libertarians' contempt for them. Red State's Erick Erickson, defending the new so-called conservative "manifesto," touts the need for Congress to be confined to the express powers of Article I, Section 8, all while lauding a GOP Congress that supported countless intrusive laws -- from federalized restrictions on assisted suicide, marriage, gambling, abortion and drugs to intervention in Terri Schiavo's end-of-life state court proceeding -- nowhere to be found in that Constitutional clause. With the GOP out of power, Fox News suddenly started featuring anti-government libertarians such as John Stossel and Reason Magazine commentators, whereas, when Bush was in power, there was no government power too expanded or limitless for Fox propagandists to praise.

This is what Republicans always do. When in power, they massively expand the power of the state in every realm. Deficit spending and the national debt skyrocket. The National Security State is bloated beyond description through wars and occupations, while no limits are tolerated on the Surveillance State. Then, when out of power, they suddenly pretend to re-discover their "small government principles." The very same Republicans who spent the 1990s vehemently opposing Bill Clinton's Terrorism-justified attempts to expand government surveillance and executive authority then, once in power, presided over the largest expansion in history of those very same powers. The last eight years of Republican rule was characterized by nothing other than endlessly expanded government power, even as they insisted -- both before they were empowered and again now -- that they are the standard-bearers of government restraint.

What makes this deceit particularly urgent for them now is that their only hope for re-branding and re-empowerment lies in a movement -- the tea partiers -- that has been (largely though not exclusively) dominated by libertarians, Paul followers, and other assorted idiosyncratic factions who are hostile to the GOP's actual approach to governing. This is a huge wedge waiting to be exposed -- to explode -- as the modern GOP establishment and the actual "small-government" libertarians that fuel the tea party are fundamentally incompatible. Right-wing mavens like Ann Coulter, Sarah Palin and National Review are suddenly feigning great respect for Ron Paul and like-minded activists because they're eager that the sham will be maintained: the blatant sham that the modern GOP and its movement conservatives are a coherent vehicle for those who believe in small government principles. The only evidence of a passionate movement urging GOP resurgence is from people whose views are antithetical to that Party. That's the dirty secret which right-wing polemicists are desperately trying to keep suppressed. Credit to Mike Huckabee for acknowledging this core incompatibility by saying he would not attend CPAC because of its "increasing libertarianism."

These fault lines began to emerge when Sarah Palin earlier this month delivered the keynote speech to the national tea party conference in Nashville, and stood there spitting out one platitude after the next which Paul-led libertarians despise: from neoconservative war-loving dogma and veneration of Israel to glorification of "War on Terror" domestic powers and the need of the state to enforce Palin's own religious and cultural values. Neocons (who still overwhelmingly dominate the GOP) and Paul-led libertarians are arch enemies, and the social conservatives on whom the GOP depends are barely viewed with greater affection. Sarah Palin and Ron Paul are about as far apart on most issues as one can get; the "tea party movement" can't possibly be about supporting each of their worldviews. Moreover, the GOP leadership is currently promising Wall Street even more loyal subservience than Democrats have given in exchange for support, thus bolstering the government/corporate axis which libertarians find so repugnant. And Coulter's manipulative claim that she "agrees with everything [Paul] stands for outside of foreign policy" is laughable; aside from the fact that "foreign policy" is a rather large issue in our political debates (Iraq, Israel, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia), they were on exactly the opposite sides of the most intense domestic controversies of the Bush era: torture, military commissions, habeas corpus, Guantanamo, CIA secrecy, telecom immunity, and warrantless eavesdropping.

Part of why this fraud has been sustainable thus far is that libertarians -- like everyone who doesn't view all politics through the mandated, distorting, suffocating Democrat v. GOP prism -- are typically dismissed as loons and nuts, and are thus eager for any means of achieving mainstream acceptance. Having the GOP embrace them is one way to achieve that (Karl Rove: some "see the tea party movement as a recruiting pool for volunteers for Ron Paul's next presidential bid . . . . The Republican Party and the tea party movement have many common interests"). Additionally, just as the Paul-faction of libertarians is in basic harmony with many progressives on issues of foreign policy and civil liberties, they do subscribe to the standard GOP rhetoric on domestic spending, social programs and the like.

But that GOP limited government rhetoric is simply never matched by that Party's conduct, especially when they wield power. The very idea that a political party dominated by neocons, warmongers, surveillance fetishists, and privacy-hating social conservatives will be a party of "limited government" is absurd on its face. There literally is no myth more transparent than the Republican Party's claim to believe in restrained government power. For that reason, it's only a matter of time before the fundamental incompatibility of the "tea party movement" and the political party cynically exploiting it is exposed.

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clarkkent14
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

Post by clarkkent14 »

Sheesh, I thought more people would read this... Ron Paul, Glenn Beck... all the goods!

p51-mustang
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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I read it! It was awesome and dead on. The great thing about Ron Paul is that is he almost prophetic in his insight into what the nations problems are and what is coming next. Bozos like Beck and the others just follow the herd metality of slam the liberals and defend the repub status quo at any cost. Beck and the others didnt start questioning Bush until it was painfully obvious that something was terribly wrong. That is not leadership! Paul is a true leader by every sense of the word. He is the real deal!

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clarkkent14
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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p51-mustang wrote:I read it! It was awesome and dead on. The great thing about Ron Paul is that is he almost prophetic in his insight into what the nations problems are and what is coming next. Bozos like Beck and the others just follow the herd metality of slam the liberals and defend the repub status quo at any cost. Beck and the others didnt start questioning Bush until it was painfully obvious that something was terribly wrong. That is not leadership! Paul is a true leader by every sense of the word. He is the real deal!
I agree. I'm afraid he will be knocked off for what he's been saying over the last little while. He's putting his life on the line.

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pjbrownie
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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p51-mustang wrote:I read it! It was awesome and dead on. The great thing about Ron Paul is that is he almost prophetic in his insight into what the nations problems are and what is coming next. Bozos like Beck and the others just follow the herd metality of slam the liberals and defend the repub status quo at any cost. Beck and the others didnt start questioning Bush until it was painfully obvious that something was terribly wrong. That is not leadership! Paul is a true leader by every sense of the word. He is the real deal!
Gee I don't know, I thought I saw Glenn Beck teach the Skousen political system tonight where Fascists and Communists are on the same side of spectrum arguing over fascism versus communism, but that limited government on the other side is fighting against both of them.

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Mark
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

Post by Mark »

pjbrownie wrote:
p51-mustang wrote:I read it! It was awesome and dead on. The great thing about Ron Paul is that is he almost prophetic in his insight into what the nations problems are and what is coming next. Bozos like Beck and the others just follow the herd metality of slam the liberals and defend the repub status quo at any cost. Beck and the others didnt start questioning Bush until it was painfully obvious that something was terribly wrong. That is not leadership! Paul is a true leader by every sense of the word. He is the real deal!
Gee I don't know, I thought I saw Glenn Beck teach the Skousen political system tonight where Fascists and Communists are on the same side of spectrum arguing over fascism versus communism, but that limited government on the other side is fighting against both of them.

Exactly right PJ. That is why I am confused at why so many here have such a distaste for Beck. He is telling it like it is as far as I can tell. Does the 9-11 truther issue here trump all else?

p51-mustang
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

Post by p51-mustang »

Gee I don't know, I thought I saw Glenn Beck teach the Skousen political system tonight where Fascists and Communists are on the same side of spectrum arguing over fascism versus communism, but that limited government on the other side is fighting against both of them.
Beck comes to the party when its already obvious what is happening. Paul on the other hand spells it out years in advance all the while people like Beck are mocking him! When Beck makes fun of and harassses the "real" patriots, does that make him a friend of liberty?

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clarkkent14
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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Mark wrote:Exactly right PJ. That is why I am confused at why so many here have such a distaste for Beck. He is telling it like it is as far as I can tell.
Because it's popular right now. $$$ Cha-Ching!

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Mark
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

Post by Mark »

p51-mustang wrote:
Gee I don't know, I thought I saw Glenn Beck teach the Skousen political system tonight where Fascists and Communists are on the same side of spectrum arguing over fascism versus communism, but that limited government on the other side is fighting against both of them.
Beck comes to the party when its already obvious what is happening. Paul on the other hand spells it out years in advance all the while people like Beck are mocking him! When Beck makes fun of and harassses the "real" patriots, does that make him a friend of liberty?

Obvious to who p51? Until Beck started talking about the progressive agenda in this country going on for the past many decades most were caught up in the Republican vs Democrat good vs evil paradigm that goes with all the political games. Beck has been one of the very few who commands a national spotlight who has been direct and informative about the progressive agenda and its goals.

Why does it have to be either/or when it comes to Beck and Paul for heavens sake. Take the good that comes from both men and run with it. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. So Beck doesn't care for the truther movement. Big deal. The truther movement isn't going to save this country from the progressive agenda being implicated at the speed of sound by this current administration.

Don't be a one trick pony and reject all the good that comes from what Beck and others do take an interest in. Otherwise you will just become a distraction that will continue to divide those who need to be united in the battle for agency and righteous principles. That is what Paul does. He continues to appear on Becks show to try and work together with him in support of a common goal and in warning against those who seek to change our republic thru progressive ideals and philosophy.

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Mosby
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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When Beck makes fun of and harassses the "real" patriots, does that make him a friend of liberty?
Beck was at it again this morning P-51, calling Jesse Ventura a "big,fat, slow dumb animal"- great use of intellectual skill there Glenn.

Glenn was at his best of mocking important things - mocking Jesse about him asking "where were all the "tea-partiers" 10 years ago when the right of Habeas Corpus was taken away from the American people?" - a good question. One that deserves some attention, however instead of exploring how important habeas corpus is in our legal system (it basically hinges on it) Beck chose the low road of mocking and continously calling Ventura a "big,dumb, slow animal"

Most of Beck's listeners probably don't even know what the right of habeas corpus is - and that it was taken away by the MCA of 2006 and the Patriot Act, but they sure know alot about Van Jones! :roll:

Like I have said before - this type of "enlightenment" from Beck is fine if you are in the 6th grade- but you have to grow up sometime.

Hey Glenn- Jesse may be big, slow and he looks like an animal- but he's way smarter than you, maybe it's because he doesn't have a diamond-studded dog collar around his neck that says "property of Fox News"

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Jason
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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Mosby wrote:
When Beck makes fun of and harassses the "real" patriots, does that make him a friend of liberty?
Beck was at it again this morning P-51, calling Jesse Ventura a "big,fat, slow dumb animal"- great use of intellectual skill there Glenn.

Glenn was at his best of mocking important things - mocking Jesse about him asking "where were all the "tea-partiers" 10 years ago when the right of Habeas Corpus was taken away from the American people?" - a good question. One that deserves some attention, however instead of exploring how important habeas corpus is in our legal system (it basically hinges on it) Beck chose the low road of mocking and continously calling Ventura a "big,dumb, slow animal"

Most of Beck's listeners probably don't even know what the right of habeas corpus is - and that it was taken away by the MCA of 2006 and the Patriot Act, but they sure know alot about Van Jones! :roll:

Like I have said before - this type of "enlightenment" from Beck is fine if you are in the 6th grade- but you have to grow up sometime.

Hey Glenn- Jesse may be big, slow and he looks like an animal- but he's way smarter than you, maybe it's because he doesn't have a diamond-studded dog collar around his neck that says "property of Fox News"
Maybe Glenn would like to get in a cage with him and see just how slow he is......

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Mosby
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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Beck already said that Jesse "bullied" him in his dressing room :roll:

However I couldn't help thinking the same thing when I listened to Beck's smart alecky comments. I think Glenn could benefit from a little lesson on good ol American values circa 1940- a private meeting with Jesse behind the woodshed on the importance of manners.

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clarkkent14
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

Post by clarkkent14 »

Mosby wrote:However I couldn't help thinking the same thing when I listened to Beck's smart alecky comments. I think Glenn could benefit from a little lesson on good ol American values circa 1940- a private meeting with Jesse behind the woodshed on the importance of manners.
I'd pay lot's of federal reserve notes to see that! :lol:

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Mosby
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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I would pay GOLD and SILVER to see that..........

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Jason
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

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Mosby wrote:I would pay GOLD and SILVER to see that..........
LOL Jesse was killing for a living in south east asia when Glenn was sucking on a bottle! Jesse's getting old....my bet is it would be very short quick and efficient!

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ChelC
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

Post by ChelC »

I agree with Mark that we should just take the good from each and run with it. I do see the good in each of them. I have my pet peeves about Glenn sometimes. I do believe that sometimes he rushes to negative judgment about people who he wants to distance himself from. He doesn't want to be attached to people like Paul or Ventura. I perfectly understand his reasoning. Ventura is a loud mouthed person who can be very hot headed and offensive - a "my way or the highway" personality. He seems pretty unstable to me personally... maybe it's quirky... maybe it's screws loose. To back Paul would be suicide for Beck if only for his position on foreign wars (which isn't a popular position among his target audience) and the mistaken notion many have that he would seek to abolish everything all at once and destroy the country. I think Beck could deal with things better than he does, but I don't discount him completely just because he can be a shmo sometimes.

BTW - Hate to break it to you guys, but professional wrestling is fake. :wink:

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Jason
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Re: The GOP's "small government" tea party fraud

Post by Jason »

ChelC wrote:I agree with Mark that we should just take the good from each and run with it. I do see the good in each of them. I have my pet peeves about Glenn sometimes. I do believe that sometimes he rushes to negative judgment about people who he wants to distance himself from. He doesn't want to be attached to people like Paul or Ventura. I perfectly understand his reasoning. Ventura is a loud mouthed person who can be very hot headed and offensive - a "my way or the highway" personality. He seems pretty unstable to me personally... maybe it's quirky... maybe it's screws loose. To back Paul would be suicide for Beck if only for his position on foreign wars (which isn't a popular position among his target audience) and the mistaken notion many have that he would seek to abolish everything all at once and destroy the country. I think Beck could deal with things better than he does, but I don't discount him completely just because he can be a shmo sometimes.

BTW - Hate to break it to you guys, but professional wrestling is fake. :wink:
Hate to break it to you but Navy SEAL is real....actually Jesse was UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) and the UDTs and SEALs were merged 8 or 10 years after Jesse got out.....but none the less he's a real deal!

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