Ravenwood - 10/30/04 12:00 PM
This election pretty much has worn me out. If there is a lot of post election hoopla, with lawyers and the lawsuits they file, I don't know what I'm going to do. Locking myself in my room sounds like a good plan.
I cannot believe how polarizing this election has been. At first, when I read articles about families and friendships being torn apart over politics I didn't believe them. But lately I've experienced a very chilling effect from the people I know. Most of my friends seem to be traveling down the dark path to supporting Kerry. They will vote for a man who plans to raise my taxes, take away my guns, and subvert my safety, security, and Constitutional freedom to a highly corrupt anti-American organization. They are poised to support a man who, with little doubt, will attempt to adopt the anti-capitalist Kyoto protocol, and subject U.S. citizens to the power of the international criminal court.
While I used to be a democrat, I've always believed in the principles of personal responsibility. I have never supported laws that restrict freedom, and as the democrats shifted further toward the left under Clinton, I broke my allegiance with them. Democrats have very quickly become the party of political correctness. They are the party that wants to nanny people to death either through restrictive and oppressive laws, or expensive litigation. Meanwhile the Republicans have shifted from the party of smaller government to big deficit tax-cut and spend conservative liberalism. If that sounds like an oxymoron, that's because it is. And who wants to vote for an oxymoron?
As a practicing libertarian, I used to find myself on the outside looking in. But with the realization that the war on terror is exactly the kind of problem that necessitates government involvement, I have had to align myself with Republicans. I can find my own job. I can take care of my own health care. If I ever have children, I can even work hard to ensure they get a good education. But I cannot fight my own war on terror. If there is one thing for which the federal government was created, it is to pool resources for the safety and security of the nation. If they don't do anything else, the one thing the federal government should do is protect us from foreign hostility.
And how people can push that aside for the promise social programs and government handouts really has me stymied. Especially when I look around and see so many familiar faces ready to do just that. When I look at my group of friends and realize that they have bought into the lie that the economy is in the tank, that we are facing a health care crisis, and that liberating 50 million people was a bad thing, I cannot help but feel alone in this world. In the face of two new terror threats this week, they are ready to vote for "free" health care and tax hikes for the evil, hated, rich.
My mother is almost certainly voting for Kerry, while my father feels that there is no good choice. Almost every single one of my friends has gone on record as supporting Kerry. They are even going so far as to throw a Kerry Party on Tuesday night; a party which they have gone so far as to tell me that I am unwelcome to attend (not that I would go any way).
While a Kerry victory on Tuesday scares the hell out of me, I cannot wait for this whole thing to be over. I realize that neither a Kerry victory nor Bush victory will end the polarization. But I still just want to get back to living a normal life, where I'm not ostracized by those I care most about, for my 'wacky' political beliefs.
you have captured the essence of the democratic party ' the party of political correctness'. that philosophy is much of what pushed me to change from my democrat registration to an independent one. and i wholehearedly agree with your statement that 'the one thing the federal government should do is protect us from foreign hostility.' after all, what else is there is we are NOT protected? though i too yearn for this intense election to be over, your life will not go back to normal no matter what the outcome. but remember, you are not alone!
Posted by: sue at October 30, 2004 12:50 PM"They will vote for a man who plans to raise my taxes, take away my guns, and subvert my safety, security, and Constitutional freedom to a highly corrupt anti-American organization. They are poised to support a man who, with little doubt, will attempt to adopt the anti-capitalist Kyoto protocol, and subject U.S. citizens to the power of the international criminal court."
Steve, as much as I respect you, I've got to wonder if perhaps you haven't been channelling Dick Cheney just a wee bit too much of late. Clearly, you've swallow BushCo's propaganda wholesale. Do you really think that Kerry loves this country any less than Bush? Do you really think that Kerry would knowingly and wantonly take us down a path that would make us less secure and less safe?
Jeez, if I didn't know better, I'd be thinking that you think Kerry is some lavender-scented, homosexual One-World type bent on sacrificing American sovereignty at the altar of the UN Security Council.
Get a grip, man.... ;0)
Posted by: Jack Cluth at October 30, 2004 12:51 PMI chuckled at Jack's "swallow BushCo's propaganda" remark. John Kerry, despite having coordinated with the enemy during the Vietnam War, viciously smeared and slandered his "band of brothers" after he used bogus Purple Hearts to escape danger, and being enshrined in the enemy's hall of fame for his efforts in defeating America... is now the Democratic candidate to be Commander-in-Chief. Who is drinking KoolAide, Jack?
Posted by: mikem at October 30, 2004 1:30 PMI hate to discourage you, but I don't believe for a moment that the hatred of the Left for Bush will begin to cool after he wins the election, even if the victory is decisive enough to discourage Democrats from fighting it in court. It will be up to the peaceful majority of Democrats, as it is up to the peaceful majority of Muslims, to tie down their loose cannons.
Posted by: Morenuancedthanyou at October 30, 2004 8:04 PM>Do you really think that Kerry loves this
>country any less than Bush?
"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficial. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."
--Justic Louis Brandeis, Olmstead vs. United States
Posted by: Stormy Dragon at October 31, 2004 1:25 AMThe reason this election is so dividing is because we really have a clear choice this time. Go back to the Gore, Clinton, Carter years of bowing to terrorists or choose to take them on. There's no inbetween here. I know so many people who want to pretent that 9/11 was some kind of strange movie, and the movie's over now, so let's go back to how it was on 9/10. I'm talking about a real large-scale denial. If Kerry wins he will negotiate with UBL/PLO, arrange for them to get a Nobel Peace Prize and try to domesticate them. It won't work people! God, I wish Churchill were here. There's only one way to deal with these people and Kerry doesn't get it.
Posted by: kjo at October 31, 2004 5:38 AMThis whole thing is fucked up.
Posted by: DaveJ at October 31, 2004 7:29 AMIt's a little better with my friends, we're all 17/18, I've started subverting them to my side.
They wear shirts with that Cuban bastard what's his face while I am reading things like George Reisman's book Capitalism. Which as far as I know is held in good standing.
Mostly they have to do what I say anyway, I can out drink them too well.
Posted by: DaveJ at October 31, 2004 7:33 AMThanks for the great post.
I share your sentiments, and wonder how this country will manage (or even if it will) to pick up the pieces, regardless of who wins. Personal liberty, which this country was founded upon, seems to be taking a hit from both sides. I definitely agree that the overwhelming worry is whether the USA will remain strong and sovereign or will, much more likely in case of a Kerry win, embrace the multi-cultural/national/worship-at-the-foot-of-the-UN credo that the Left wants so badly.
Don't forget that National Ammo Day is coming soon. Hope we don't need any, but it's good to be prepared.
Posted by: Denis Wauchope at October 31, 2004 3:39 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
