Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Predatory Conservatism Is Like A Venereal Disease

A short post this evening. After President Obama’s speech last night I pondered how the hell we got here. I’m not simply referring to the oil spill but America’s and the world’s rapidly decaying condition.

Under George W. Bush liberals warned that America was on a collision course with calamity. I suppose one could describe the Bush regime as the culmination of forty years of predatory conservatism that favored wealth over work and corporate power over community interests. Sadly, Americans were seduced by predatory conservatism’s false promises of freedom, wealth and benevolent nationalism as our center of political gravity lurched to the radical right. As of 2010, America’s predatory conservative movement boasts a legacy of economic calamity, two failed military occupations, a crumbling infrastructure and an epic environmental catastrophe as the world spirals towards global warming at breakneck speed.

It’s almost as if predatory conservatism as personified under its prodigal son, George W. Bush, unleashed a metastasizing venereal disease upon our institutions, culture, fiscal solvency and sense of social responsibility. The disease requires bold aggressive treatment. Instead, under President Obama, conservatism’s venereal disease is being treated with mild ointment.

At best Obama’s ointment can reduce the sting somewhat. But it’s not reversing the disease, which continues to metastasize. Even worse, America’s body politic is recoiling from the mild ointment as if it’s worse than the disease itself that enabled Wall Street permissiveness and the British Petroleum oil spill.

I retain my personal admiration in President Obama. But that’s where we are today.

6 comments:

Realist said...

Retain your personal admiration for Obama if you must, but there has to come a time when image becomes secondary to substance. That time, for Obama, is now.

Just what has Obama done that merits praise? His only real "achievement" was the Health Insurance Profit Protection Act, a deed which is already under assault by Republicans. With little to show for itself, people can readily believe that we are going to see more costs for no additional benefit. So what if I can keep my up-to-36-year-old dependents on my health policy? Unless they are in college, I will have to cover their costs. My employer will insist, and there is nothing in the law to prevent this.

Then there is the so-called Credit Card regulation with didn't go into effect faster than the banks could abuse "their" rights to abuse ours.

A man is only as good as his actions. Anything else is "Just Words" - and he even stole that speech!

Anonymous said...

Think back to the early 80s.

Ronnie Reagan looked at his staff with his early Alzheimer's stare as they, in particular, his OMB chief, Mr. Stockman, and wondered what they meant by 'starve the beast.'

Since then, the Republicants (as in the 'cant' they chant) have cut taxes, increased spending - with an awful lot of it going to private corporations to do government work (think Blackwater as soldiers), and driven the deficit higher and higher so that they can kill Medicare, Social Security and every other program the Republicants deem to be leeches on their not insubstantial wealth.

That's largely why we are in the mess that we find ourselves.

Diane said...

I think predatory capitalism was writ large into the system from day one, and that because of such... every politician in modern, media controlled times has been selected, and sold to us, rather than elected.

Long time no see, Rob. Nicely said.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Rob:

I do not like the GOP, but I'm equally displeased with the Democrats, including the Obama Administration for continuing many of G. W. Bush's policies. After Obama's war votes, his vote for the FISA Bill, and his taking McCain's positions during the pre-POTUS Foreign Policy debate, it was clear to me where his campaign and presidency would be going, and I decided that, rather than vote for either ticket, that I'd do a write-in vote at the polls.

Obama's escalation of our war on Afghanistan, his showing no signs of getting out of Iraq, and the plan to keep 50, 000 troops there indefinitely is a disgrace. So was his vote for the FISA Bill. This Administration has been just as aggressive about squashing Civil Liberties, if not more so, than the G. W. Bush Administration.

I requested MoveOn not to send me any more emails a long time before Obama got elected POTUS, because I was getting far too many email messages from them, and also I was sick of their parsimonious attitudes. I also changed my registration from Democrat to Independent (although it's called "Unenrolled" in my city of residence), because Dennis Kucinich who was the last real Progressive, capitulated at the very last moment and voted for this toxic body of legislature that passes for a healthcare "reform" bill. This last-moment capitulation on the part of Kucinich was the last straw for me.

I am no less supportive of Healthcare Reform for the United States than many, if not most people, but the Democrats in Congress, including the Obama Administration, could've and should've killed this toxic 1990's Republican body of legislature called a Healthcare "reform" bill once and for all, gone back to the drawing board, really put their heads together, and concocted, constructed and implemented a genuine Healthcare Reform Bill that entailed Single Payer with Universal Healthcare for all Americans. Instead, they not only took the easy way out and passed this toxic piece of legislature, but, equally disgracefully, they threw abortion rights under the bus in order to get this real stinker of a healthcare "reform" bill passed. As shameful as it is, it comes as no surprise, at least not to me. Moreover, the fact that Scott Brown was elected to the Massachusetts Senate by such a huge landslide had an awful lot to do with the fact that there's so much anger and frustration over this crappy "HCR" bill, which Scott Brown exploited in order to get himself elected to office.

Regardless of what anybody says or thinks, this toxic Healthcare "Reform" Bill is little or no better than nothing.

was.



Here's a link that may be of interest to you:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/07/12


The Obama Administration authorized BP to go ahead with an extremely dangerous and risky deep-water off-shore oil drilling job that was 100 miles offshore, causing a tremendous oil gusher that has killed the Gulf of Mexico, put all of the USA coasts at risk, and destroyed the health, lives and livelihoods of thousands, if not millions of people residing in the Gulf area. Obama had the audacity to come out and say that off-shore oil drilling is generally safe, and that oil-rigs don't generally cause oil spills! Hah! Obama had campaigned against all off-shore oil drilling in his campaign, as McCain had, and like McCain, recanted this position. No moratorium, will make up for this horrific disaster, which took the lives of nearly a dozen oil rig workers, injuring or permanently sickenomg many more.

All of the above having been said, I will not bring myself to back the Democratic party or the president, let alone the GOP.

Anonymous said...

I dislike the GOP, but I'm equally displeased with the Democrats, including the Obama Administration for continuing many of G. W. Bush's policies. After Obama's war votes, his vote for the FISA Bill, and his taking McCain's positions during the pre-POTUS Foreign Policy debate, it was clear to me where his campaign and presidency would be going, and I decided that, rather than vote for either ticket, that I'd do a write-in vote at the polls. Obama's escalation of our war on Afghanistan, his showing no signs of getting out of Iraq, and the plan to keep 50,000 troops there indefinitely is a disgrace, as was his vote for the FISA Bill. This Administration has been just as aggressive about squashing Civil Liberties, if not more so, than the G. W. Bush Administration. I changed my registration from Democrat to Independent (although it's called "Unenrolled" in my city of residence), because Dennis Kucinich who was the last real Progressive, capitulated at the very last moment and voted for this toxic body of legislature that passes for a healthcare "reform" bill. This last-moment capitulation on the part of Kucinich was the last straw for me.

I am no less supportive of Healthcare Reform for the United States than many, if not most people, but the Democrats in Congress, including the Obama Administration, could've and should've killed this toxic 1990's Republican body of legislature called a Healthcare "reform" bill once and for all, gone back to the drawing board, really put their heads together, and concocted, constructed and implemented a genuine Healthcare Reform Bill that entailed Single Payer with Universal Healthcare for all Americans. Instead, they not only took the easy way out and passed this toxic piece of legislature, but, equally disgracefully, they threw abortion rights under the bus in order to get this real stinker of a healthcare "reform" bill passed. As shameful as it is, it comes as no surprise, at least not to me. Moreover, the fact that Scott Brown was elected to the Massachusetts Senate by such a huge landslide had an awful lot to do with the fact that there's so much anger and frustration over this crappy "HCR" bill, which Scott Brown exploited in order to get himself elected to office.

Regardless of what anybody says or thinks, this toxic Healthcare "Reform" Bill is little or no better than nothing.

Here's a link that may be of interest to you:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/07/12


The Obama Administration authorized BP to go ahead with an extremely dangerous and risky deep-water off-shore oil drilling job that was 100 miles offshore, causing a tremendous oil gusher that has killed the Gulf of Mexico, put all of the USA coasts at risk, and destroyed the health, lives and livelihoods of thousands, if not millions of people residing in the Gulf area. Obama had the audacity to come out and say that off-shore oil drilling is generally safe, and that oil-rigs don't generally cause oil spills! Hah! Obama had campaigned against all off-shore oil drilling in his campaign, as McCain had, and like McCain, recanted this position. No moratorium, will make up for this horrific disaster, which took the lives of nearly a dozen oil rig workers, injuring or permanently sickenomg many more. All of the above having been said, I will not bring myself to back the Democratic party or the president, let alone the GOP.

Anonymous said...

I dislike the GOP, but Obama's presidency has been a disaster so far. His war votes, his vote for the FISA Bill, and his taking McCain's positions during the pre-POTUS Foreign Policy debate, made it clear where his campaign and presidency was going, and I decided that, rather than vote for either ticket, that I'd do a write-in vote at the polls. Obama's escalation of our war on Afghanistan, his showing no signs of getting out of Iraq, and the plan to keep 50,000 troops there indefinitely is a disgrace, as was his vote for the FISA Bill. This Administration has been just as aggressive about squashing Civil Liberties, if not more so, than the G. W. Bush Administration. I changed my registration from Democrat to Independent (although it's called "Unenrolled" in my city of residence), because Dennis Kucinich who was the last real Progressive, capitulated at the very last moment and voted for body of legislature that passes for a healthcare "reform" bill, but is really a big bail-out for the insurance companies, and for BigPharma. This capitulation on the part of Kucinich was the last straw for me.

I'm no less supportive of Healthcare Reform for the United States than many, if not most people, but the Democrats in Congress, including the Obama Administration, could've and should've killed this toxic 1990's Republican body of legislature called a Healthcare "reform" bill once and for all, gone back to the drawing board, put their heads together, and constructed and implemented a genuine Healthcare Reform Bill that entailed Single Payer with Universal Healthcare for all Americans. Instead, they not only took the easy way out and passed this toxic piece of legislature, but, equally disgracefully, they threw abortion rights under the bus in order to get this real stinker of a healthcare "reform" bill passed. As shameful as it is, it comes as no surprise, at least not to me. Moreover, the fact that Scott Brown was elected to the Massachusetts Senate by such a huge landslide had an awful lot to do with the fact that there's so much anger and frustration over this crappy "HCR" bill, which Scott Brown exploited in order to get himself elected to office. Regardless of what anybody says or thinks, this toxic Healthcare "Reform" Bill is little or no better than nothing.

Here's a link that may be of interest:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/07/12

The Obama Administration authorized BP to go ahead with an extremely dangerous and risky deep-water off-shore oil drilling job that was 100 miles offshore, causing a tremendous oil gusher that has killed the Gulf of Mexico, put all of the US coasts at risk, and destroyed the health, lives and livelihoods of thousands, if not millions of people residing in the Gulf area. Obama had the audacity to come out and say that off-shore oil drilling is generally safe, and that oil-rigs don't generally cause oil spills! Hah! Obama had campaigned against all off-shore oil drilling in his campaign, as McCain had, and like McCain, recanted this position. No moratorium will make up for this horrific disaster, which took the lives of eleven oil rig workers and injured or permanently sickened many more. All of the above having been said, I will not bring myself to back the Democratic party or the president, let alone the GOP.