"I was born a rightie but now I'm a leftie."
 

From flatbutt's sig line.

Seems to me even though I'm politically an atheist, that if I were politically influenced that I'd be the same as the statement. The question is, isn't the new left the old right? I know that reading suggests the opposite, but do I see the new left filling in a void left by the Neocons as they disappear(ed) over the edge?

I know nothing, it's just a question for a rainy Sunday.

political terms change overnight. ten years ago "red state" meant communist north korea. now it means bible belt kansas. still not sure exactly how that happened.

jonah goldberg has a book out called "liberal fascism". it's an intellectual history of the early 20th century. he follows personalities like margaret sanger, who went from liberal to progressive to fascist back to liberal, all without actually changing her beliefs.



a few ideas have been drifting from the old right to the new left. isolationism, an interest in conspiracy theories, and anti-semitism have all been showing up on college campuses.

I'd get checked for a head injury:D

yeah, you must have hit your head under that house.

I thought you became more conservative as you got older?

Some just get smarter.:D

Milt, I feel your pain. I love the term "political atheist".SmileWavy Just remember, if you stand to close to one side or another you can't see all of the big picture.

> The question is, isn't the new left the old right?

The answer is yes. The Democratic Party has changed during the last twenty years, and is no longer "the friend of the working man" that it once was. I believe the change became obvious under Bill Clinton's presidency, the day that a plane-load of "presidential advisors" crashed overseas... and it turned out to be a plane-load of opportunistic businessmen looking to move their factories overseas. Old-time Democrats (from when we were young) have been pushed out by the New Democrats, who have abandoned the party's principles. There is no Democratic Party anymore. It's history happening before our eyes..

got a question for you guys:

ARE YOU FIRED UP?
ARE YOU READY TO GO?

SvK

Milt,
I feel the same way.

I use to be a big Reaganite and a young republican during my college years in the 80s. Also being a Cuban born American, it is almost my birth right to be a Republican.
BUT, I think the religious right has kidnapped the party and now the party is not for "all Americans." Really sad because Reagan was not like this, but todays religious right use his reputation as a monicer for a conservative national agenda.

The two parties have tons of similarities these days and only really disagree on two or three major issues.

Obamma sounds pretty good to me these days. Our generation has made a mess of things, maybe it is time to hand it to the the youth of our nation. They surely could not do much worst.

Oh and since it is a rainy day, does anyone actually like Cheney?
Can anyone turn you off to the party more?

I have always hated people with his attitude and self righteous tone, no matter what they are peddling...

Luis is

FIRED UP!
HE'S READY TO GO!

SvK

Slower wittedness often accompanies aging (but not always :cool:).

I misread it as 'I was born a richie but now I am a leftie'. Quite plausible too I believe.

"Political Atheist" I'm going to remember that.

I too was a classic Young Republican, fraternity boy, Reganite...

While I'm still a small government, capitalist believing, fiscal conservative, my social stance is more liberal. Barely liberal compared to my general neighborhood, but probably quite liberal when compared to the midwest. Neither "Party" speak to me anymore.

I also didn't believe that the prevailing party nor the administration would have a substantial impact upon my individual day to day life. Boy was I wrong about that.

Don't know who or what to believe anymore.

Or a brain eating bacteria, earwhig, something like that.

Democrats have certainly changed, but it's the Republicans that have dropped their entire platform from yesteryear.

Republicans (in office) today:
Borrow and spend, stealing our children's future

care a lot about what goes on in your bedroom and want to change the Constitution to make you fit into their version of "America"

believe in expanding government with new departments and new levels of bureaucracy

have a dangerous expansionist, "policeman of the world" policy at a time when our economy is weakening and the rest of the world's is strengthening

pander to various small tents, overpromising and underdelivering to them all

have weakened the Military to the point where we are not ready to defend ourselves

place a higher priority on Security than Privacy and Freedom

have withdrawn nearly all diplomatic efforts and replaced them with a military option, one which our adversaries know is impossible

Don't care about Small Business, gutting the SBA of funding and staff

Pander to big business with tax breaks for off-shore operations and outsourcing labor



That pretty much sums up the Republican Party in the last 7 years.

Who in their right mind would want to be part of that?

Your list seems accurate to me even though I might have phrased 2-3 lines differently. I think you have the thought down.

So, where are the old school Reps? Romney scared me and I'm glad he quit. I don't know a thing about Paul and he's not going to make it anyway. Reps are left with McCain. Does he fit the above profile?

I don't think anywhere near that will make it. I'm gonna stick my neck out and predict a Clinton or Obama victory. There would be no doubt in my mind about it except HC has Bill's skeleton in her closet and I wonder if the US is ready for its first AA president.

In recent history, the AAs have all but ruined everything they gained from back in the MLK and Kennedy days. I have no respect for the behavior shown by AA leaders (and followers). I'm sure some of this poison has leaked into Obama's well. Subconsciously or otherwise.

It's a tough vote to cast no matter who you are.

The only difference I see in the Dem's and Rep's is the gay/abortion/religion debate... Which pisses me off because don't we have bigger fish to fry? I'm a little more concerned about the economy and the war we have going on than how the future president spends his or her Sunday morning.

I think the old school republicans have gone independent, this holds out some hope of a viable third party this country so badly needs (IMHO).

I will also go out on a limb and predict our next president will either be a woman or a Black man... and I like the idea... change is good.

The Republicans had a chance to get my vote but I'm not sure about Mc Cain... dunno...

Not too often we agree on political threads :D I have to add a big +1 on the above :D

But, Obama is not A-A

He is A/A

This is verrrry interesting. Please do continue.SmileWavy

I thought McCain wanted to balance the budget too? Wasn't that his thing a few years ago, that and cutting government spending?