Reader comments
We need a real conservative

Why is it that the US ranks number 17 in the quality of life and living. Could it be because of the blindfolded conservatives who insist that a few should live and do well on the backs of all the rest.
All developed countries have medical coverage for ALL citizens except the US. And like it or not ALL the people of those countries like it and consider the citizens of the US stupid for not haveing the same as they do.

No, we do NOT need the judgemental, moralizing, machiavellian style of government (aka conservatism)that has led this country towards ruin. Let these conservatives all move to a deserted island far away from the normal people.
Americans need to be free again.
And it is already happening.
Thank God!

Russell - I hate to burst your bubble but you haven't had any conserviative folks running for office for the past 30 years. Ronald Reagan promoted himself as a conserviative but borrowed and spent the nation into perpetual debt - debt that our grandchildren will be suffering to pay.

Could you really call George H. W. Bush a conserviative. Like most of them he spoke out of both sides of his mouth (No new taxes!). And then, of course, there was the compassionate conservative George W. Bush. Never have we (the American taxpayers) spent so wrecklessly or surrendered so many of our civil rights as we have under the current adminstration. I say, "Thank goodness!" there are no "conservatives" running for office.

Liberals want to tell us what words we can use when we talk, what food we can eat, what we can weigh, what healthcare covererage we can have, what our kids are taught at school, what religion we can talk about, what car we can drive and on and on and on, Where is the freedom in this? You liberals are nothing more than facists without the pride in your country.
You libs totally distrust people and want to control every thing they do, for the common good.
You are just a bunch of bullies and scared children.

Between 1945 and 1975, when liberals ran the government, real incomes doubled for Americans. Since 1980, when conservative ideology has been dominant, incomes for average Americans have stagnated or declined. Which philosophy works best for working Amercans?

Haven't you heard of Ron Paul? Apparently the reason you blieve there are no "conservatives" running is because you haven't done your homework. Ron Paul is called Dr. No because he votes against any proposed legislation that goes counter to the constitution. But your ignorance isn't all your fault. The big media don't give him the time of the day, which supports my claim that they're part of the problem and aren't part of the solution.

I have a comment for Frank. Just who judges the best places to live? Do you really believe that America is 17th on the list? Where's #1 Russia? Find me a country that gives it's people more freedom, more rights, more opportunity for upward mobility, more opportunity to improve ones self. Oh you must think that the better place to live is where the Government gives you everything. Well the reality of those places is that they give you everything the government thinks you need to keep you happy including a one bedroom hovel, a bicycle, and laws that restrict your thinking, movement, speech, and of course your unlimited opportunity to not progress to anything. The cry of the poor and lazy, give me give me give me. But don't make me earn it on my own. I'd be glad to send you to whatever country is #1 if you really care to go there.

lamonte: All I can say is AMEN, AMEN, to your words.

The principle of conservatism is just a miss mash of knee jerk ideas, that sound good on right wing radio. The problem is, is that no country, I know of, has actually made these principles work. At least us enlightened liberals can look to the successes of England, and other socialized states, who have health care for all their people.

Socialism: America's new panic word.
It sure would be horrible if everyone helped one another out, wouldn't it?

Liberals, Conservatives, Compassionate, Socialist, lots of loaded words that can label you as the "hero" or the "villain" depending on one's point of view.

Personally, I don't want lots of "liberal legislation", guaranteeing "everything for everyone". But I would like to see basic benefits for every American. As long as there is any way in the world we can afford it, that just seems like the "right" thing to do.

Things like police/fire protection, education, emergency health care, food if you're starving, and shelter from harsh weather, all of these seem like items an advanced and civilized society should be able to offer and provide.

I really don't think we should be giving HUGE tax breaks and subsidies to insurance companies, drug companies, and hospital CEO's as long as the basic needs of average Americans are being ignored.

Government seems to have it backwards on who needs help first.

As I see it there are two main problems when discussing politics.

The first is that most of us are not conversant with what the U.S. Constitution actually says. A study I ran across a few years ago found that only 2% of the population could state the rights in the Bill of Rights.

The second is that most of us are not aware of what is meant by conservative or liberal. Since these terms are now associated as right wing conservative and left wing liberal perhaps we ought to define what the political left and right are as understood by the founding fathers.

Political left and right refer the the spectrum of government with anarchy on the extreme right and totalitarianism on the extreme left. The founders strove to strike a balance between the two and did a pretty good job, but over the years collectively we have decided government should be what we want it to be and the constitution is just given lip service.

We're beginning to feel the real weight of past liberal policies and our solution seems to be wanting more liberal policies. Just doesn't make sense to me.

Upon examination of where our negative political labels came from using the chicken or the egg principle - you will find the ultra-right as the unquestioned king in the demonization of words category leaving the other side therefore to either:
Roll over and play dead
Go progressively nuts
Throw it right back at the nasty NeoCons with an equal and opposite force.

It used to be that a basic principal of American conservatives was "mind your own business". Where did THAT go?

Isn't the real purpose of government to do things together that we can't do efficiently on our own? When the government turns so much of the war over to the free enterprise system of Haliburton, things seem to get much, much more expensive than the Army that the government is directly in charge of.

Granted, our government is known for bungling a LOT of things, but there are some basic areas that simply seem to cry out for government intervention.

When the free enterprise system utterly fails to meet the needs of society, it's time for the government of "we the people" to take charge.

My nearest neighbors have a small business. They contribute to society. They don't want a handout. But their health insurance is over $13,000 a year. That's the best rate that would cover their family of four.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!

And if no one else seems able to fix it, perhaps it's time for the government to step up to the plate. What other option do we have?

After spending 10 days in England and Scotland I just don't understand why an American would want to live there (other than the beautiful scenery). It was like stepping back to the 1960s. Everything was old. Most people can't afford to have their own home because of taxes, so they wait on lists to get into government housing. If they do own a home they have to turn it into a bed & breakfast to be able to keep it. I would bet that most of you who are in awe of socialist governments elsewhere have never lived under one.

Socialized health care in England is fine if you have a cold or break an arm, but if you are diagnosed whith cancer you will likely die before you ever see a specialist. The country is swimmimg in red ink. Not exactly the best system to emulate.

I love it when people like michaelh tell liberals what we think and what we want, but somehow they always get it completely wrong. I guess you can expect that from a regressive.

I've never been a big fan of authoritarianism so the ideologies of today's American conservative movement hold absolutely no interest for my live-and-let live life philosophy.

Purpose of Government asks: "What other option do we have?"

I like Revolution. >:-)

Otherwise, there are candidates running for president outside the two incumbent parties. Do your homework and see if they would put the federal government back into its constitutional box.

George Phillies, Wayne Allyn Root, and Steve Kubby are presidential candidates advocating a federal government much smaller and less taxing on the American people than it is now.