Proof Bush Stole the Election

scandium · 09-09-06, 07:01 AM

I think, broadly speaking, there are only 3 kinds of Republicans (or in Canada we call them Conservatives, but same thing), and though there may be some overlap among the 3 groups its only the first one that benefits by their party's policies (and by that I mean by what they actually do once in office, and not the stuff they talk about doing or promise to do but know they can't achieve but can blame that on the Democrats). They are:

1. The rich and the very wealthy. This is not the family of 5 living on a single 150K/year income where the sole wage earner, or wage earners, are not only providing for their family but paying off big student debts, mortgages, etc and thereby likely carrying a debt load 3 to 4x higher than their annual income and for all intents and purposes practically living paycheque to paycheque; so rather these are the modern middle class, or what's left of it. The rich/wealthy are those with enough disposable income that they need not be concerned with debt, but can devote their resources to maximizing investments rather than paying off debt or using it as colateral. In another age, this would be the merchant/aristocratic class but while many, but not all, are of the 'leasure class', what they all have in common is that they have no use for any kind of social programs. Natural parks? They have no need of them, being able to spend their vacation time in more exotic locations. Community youth programs and such? Those are for "other people", these people live in their own communities that are inhabited exclusively by others of the same class. Public education? Again, these people have no use for that - their children, if they decide to have any, will attent exclusive private schools.

In other words, the rich/wealthy live in a world shared by very few of us. They are not even 15% of the electorate but they are the ones who benefit the most from Republican policies, since the tax cuts they receive are the largest ones while the programs that are cut to fund them are programs they don't use and will never have any need of. Republicans, to this group, is literally money in the bank to them.

2. The religious right and others who vote largely based on exclusivie wedge issues that the Republican party can almost never deliver, but always use to get this group of voters into the voting both. Though a few of these people might also belong to group #1, most of them are average wage earners or earning a lot less (and some of them are not "earning" anything but instead are retired, disabled, or even on welfare). Unlike group 1, fiscal policy is of little to no interest to this group and many of them are even directly harmed by Republican fiscal policies but they are motivated to vote by Republican social ideology (yes, ideology and not policy since the ideology is rarely transformed into policy - if it was this group would no longer be so easily motivated to the voting both).

3. Ditto heads. These are people who know very little about economics, and who, even though they have been sold a bill of goods by the Republican party that is completely at odds with reality, will check the (R) everytime. They have no interest in reality, having been sold an alternative version that is more appealing to them by one or more of Bill O'Reilley, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, or any one of the many other right wing shills who get the weekly talking points memo from the RNC and who, aside from being part of group #1, have mastered the art of getting the other 36%+ of the electorate need to sell out their own interests in favour of a (R) win to further fatten increase these talking heads' wealth and make a big profit in the meantime. The ditto heads believe that the US is actually winning the war in Iraq, that things are just swell in Afghanistan, that it no longer matters that Bin Laden still hasn't been caught, that the fact that the price of oil has tripled in the last three years has absolutely nothing to do with the republican executive branch (many of whom are former oil executives) and their (R) minions in congress and the senate, that climate change is still only a theory, that Americans would be speaking Farsi or Arabic if the Democrats were in power, etc.

Anyway that's enough for one post, spelling mistakes and all.

[Edit] I would automatically lump any "Independents" into group 3; most of the talking heads who push the RNC talking points are also "Independents", which is a very nice and disengenous way of pushing Republican ideology while being able to absurdly claim that you are above it, or "impartial", etc which is all just so much transparent BS to the rest of us. You may have convinced yourself, after voting for GWB twice and listening to Rush everyday, that you are an "Independent" but the rest of really aren't stupid enough to believe you.

09-09-06, 07:01 AM	#11
scandium Ace of the Deep Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,098 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I think, broadly speaking, there are only 3 kinds of Republicans (or in Canada we call them Conservatives, but same thing), and though there may be some overlap among the 3 groups its only the first one that benefits by their party's policies (and by that I mean by what they actually do once in office, and not the stuff they talk about doing or promise to do but know they can't achieve but can blame that on the Democrats). They are: 1. The rich and the very wealthy. This is not the family of 5 living on a single 150K/year income where the sole wage earner, or wage earners, are not only providing for their family but paying off big student debts, mortgages, etc and thereby likely carrying a debt load 3 to 4x higher than their annual income and for all intents and purposes practically living paycheque to paycheque; so rather these are the modern middle class, or what's left of it. The rich/wealthy are those with enough disposable income that they need not be concerned with debt, but can devote their resources to maximizing investments rather than paying off debt or using it as colateral. In another age, this would be the merchant/aristocratic class but while many, but not all, are of the 'leasure class', what they all have in common is that they have no use for any kind of social programs. Natural parks? They have no need of them, being able to spend their vacation time in more exotic locations. Community youth programs and such? Those are for "other people", these people live in their own communities that are inhabited exclusively by others of the same class. Public education? Again, these people have no use for that - their children, if they decide to have any, will attent exclusive private schools. In other words, the rich/wealthy live in a world shared by very few of us. They are not even 15% of the electorate but they are the ones who benefit the most from Republican policies, since the tax cuts they receive are the largest ones while the programs that are cut to fund them are programs they don't use and will never have any need of. Republicans, to this group, is literally money in the bank to them. 2. The religious right and others who vote largely based on exclusivie wedge issues that the Republican party can almost never deliver, but always use to get this group of voters into the voting both. Though a few of these people might also belong to group #1, most of them are average wage earners or earning a lot less (and some of them are not "earning" anything but instead are retired, disabled, or even on welfare). Unlike group 1, fiscal policy is of little to no interest to this group and many of them are even directly harmed by Republican fiscal policies but they are motivated to vote by Republican social ideology (yes, ideology and not policy since the ideology is rarely transformed into policy - if it was this group would no longer be so easily motivated to the voting both). 3. Ditto heads. These are people who know very little about economics, and who, even though they have been sold a bill of goods by the Republican party that is completely at odds with reality, will check the (R) everytime. They have no interest in reality, having been sold an alternative version that is more appealing to them by one or more of Bill O'Reilley, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, or any one of the many other right wing shills who get the weekly talking points memo from the RNC and who, aside from being part of group #1, have mastered the art of getting the other 36%+ of the electorate need to sell out their own interests in favour of a (R) win to further fatten increase these talking heads' wealth and make a big profit in the meantime. The ditto heads believe that the US is actually winning the war in Iraq, that things are just swell in Afghanistan, that it no longer matters that Bin Laden still hasn't been caught, that the fact that the price of oil has tripled in the last three years has absolutely nothing to do with the republican executive branch (many of whom are former oil executives) and their (R) minions in congress and the senate, that climate change is still only a theory, that Americans would be speaking Farsi or Arabic if the Democrats were in power, etc. Anyway that's enough for one post, spelling mistakes and all. [Edit] I would automatically lump any "Independents" into group 3; most of the talking heads who push the RNC talking points are also "Independents", which is a very nice and disengenous way of pushing Republican ideology while being able to absurdly claim that you are above it, or "impartial", etc which is all just so much transparent BS to the rest of us. You may have convinced yourself, after voting for GWB twice and listening to Rush everyday, that you are an "Independent" but the rest of really aren't stupid enough to believe you. __________________ What can you do against the lunatic who is more intelligent than yourself, who gives your arguments a fair hearing and then simply persists in his lunacy? -- George Orwell Last edited by scandium; 09-09-06 at 07:17 AM.