Libertarians/Conservatives like “Jay†and myself underestimate liberals/progressives — and what we’re guilty of is projection. But when we’re drunk and honest, we have to admit: We’re effing pikers. To restate more plainly: We don’t want power, and don’t know how to wield it. We’re pikers.
Progressives have no such qualms. Given power, they’ll take more and they’ll exercise it ruthlessly. Look at the Democrats in Congress these last two years. In not even 24 months, they’ve sunk to depths it took the Republican Congress six or more years to sink to. Their unpopularity levels are even worse than the Republicans’ in 2006. And what will happen in November? The Democrats will win seats — because they know how to wield their power to deliver the goods to please their corrupt, greedy, grabby, needy base.
I do everything I’m doing because I want the government to leave me the hell alone. Sadly, there is no “leave me alone” constituency. Everyone wants to put their noses into my business, and tell me what to do in one form or another. The reason we lose politically is we have better things to do than to try to lord over others. Sadly, that lets the ones who want to do it take power.
The answer, of course, is to start cutting off noses. The trick is finding a means of doing so that doesn’t entail a prison sentence.
There seems to be a strong ‘Go John Galt’ contingent over at Dr.Helen. Should the socialist get elected, I may go that direction…
sleeper agent anyone?
Liberals, Progressives and Socialists are groomed to be “public servants” and typically plan on spending their entire life in government advancing their ideology one tiny change at a time.
Our best chance to eliminate the cancer is to institute term limits for *all* government jobs and get rid of pensions most of these bureaucrats seek. Then and only then will businessmen and civic minded individuals will volunteer to run their governments and get out of the way of real progress.
How do we get Congress to vote in term limits???
Claude – Never happen. Hell, NYC is voting to EXTEND term limits!
Well, if we use any state in the northeast as the basis for common-sense we’re doomed from the start. It has taken a long time to get to the edge of the precipice, we need to work our way back slowly.
Maybe get the supreme court to mandate it as part of Roe v. Wade. :)
Plaese lets not call these people progressives there are leftiist who want to increase state control over the economy and our lives by offering bribes of “free health care” They are not progressive and we should not let them define themselves in that deceptive term.
This is the progression to socialism.
“Sadly, there is no “leave me alone†constituency.”
I don’t think the problem is so much due to a lack of constituents. But rather an inability to tap them effectively.
There’s probably a substantial number of people who don’t agree with most of the Democrat’s nanny platform, but think they’re the lesser of two evils for various reasons. Between issues like gay marriage or groups like the Parents Television Council having a fit over a split second of boobies on TV, it’s not hard to imagine that the left wins over some leave-me-aloners by stereotyping the entire right as a bunch of “control freaks” or what have you.
Young voters are especially vulnerable to this line of attack. E.G., ask ten people between the ages of 18 and 30 which party wants to ban video games, and more than half will cry out that it’s the eeeeevil Republicans. This is despite the fact that Democrats across the country have sponsored or signed into law bills which would censor games by a factor of almost 20 to 1 over Republicans. The reality is that the anti-gunners are trying to control and demonize virtual guns (just as they’ve attacked toy guns). But since conservatives are typically associated with obscenity laws, the “Republicans = censorship” meme overrides pesky things like facts and stuff.
Then there’s the millions of non-voters. I’ve known lots of people who just want to be left alone but have no interest in politics because they think they loose either way. They don’t vote and don’t pay attention or talk about it much because they think the system is rigged against them and their wallets. They’re also the type to hang up on pollsters because they really want to be left alone.
If we can tap into that apathetic, sleeping giant, then maybe we can get somewhere..
I am the ‘leave me alone’ constituency. I vote for the party that MOST respects that wish —typically Republican.
I have no desire to express that will more forcefully, but I fear that soon I may have to.
It’s not apathy, really, it’s just procrastination: delaying a task I’d rather not perform, and wish wasn’t necessary at all.