Friday, October 31, 2008

Liberals vs. Conservative is Completely Backwards

One of the most astonishing things in modern American politics is how we have redefined the meaning of words. The most notable for me is the terms "liberal" and "conservative". As I drive around during my work day, I see large gas guzzling SUVs with Mc Cain/Palin and "drill baby drill' stickers so consistently that it invites stereotype. Conversely, you also see modest fuel efficient vehicles like Priuses and Civics typically papered with Obama stickers. And, as I read real conservation blogs and articles about renewable energy like solar & wind power, these people almost unanimously support Obama and/or the Democratic party.

Next is the Republican charge that democrats are "tax and spend" liberals. Suggesting that they want to talk you into a tax and then spend your money. While this may sound scary, any reasonable person will admit that getting money before you spend it is a conservative value. We have all seen the tremendous increase in debt over the last 8 years of the Bush spending spree. Yet, this was all done without new taxes to pay for this spending. Do people think that because we did not get the money via a specific tax that we don't have to pay? It is like saying that maxing out your credit cards is a more conservative behavior than earning the money before you spend it.

Everybody knows that we printed more money to pay for the war. We have been printing money whenever there is no money in the coffers to pay for our spending. The sad part is, that most Americans have no idea what effect this has on them individually. In short, it means that every time more money is printed, the value of the money that you have in your pocket is reduced via inflation. So, while you don't see the tax, you are still paying it. How sneaky is that?

So, who really has conservative values? The fact is, the root value of the word conservative is "conserve". I think we can all agree that big gas guzzling SUVs conserve nothing. I think it is obvious that earning before you spend is definitely a conservative value and causes conservation by necessity. Yet here we are. The Republican-Right is claiming to be the conservatives.

This political redefinition is comical to the point tragedy. We have a Republican party running on a so-called conservative platform yet they are spending like no tomorrow. All the while, naive Americans think they are not paying for this because there is no visible tax associated with it. Even if you aren't aware of how printing extra money causes inflation in the fractional reserve system, somewhere deep inside, even the simplest people must know that when you spend what you don't earn, there will eventually be big trouble.

So, let's get real here. The Republican-Right is far from conservative. They are simply attempting to redefine the term. But when you spin something this far from reality, it is no longer spin. It is just a fraud. But hey, no problem. Next time the republicans try to sell you this pack of lies, hand them a dictionary and ask them to explain the last 8 years.

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