Even though I will continue to fight for Conservative principles until I die, I can’t help but think we’ve reached a point where we’re fighting a lost struggle (or Kampf Verloren in German, Hey it’s the only foreign language I even halfway know so indulge me…).
After last year’s Presidential election I felt that the US reached a tipping point. We now have a significant number of voters plugged into the Progressive/Liberal hive mind who are convinced the Federal Government exists to give them free shit and there are enough of these Liberal zombies to elect people who promise to keep giving them free shit.
It’s mathematical that eventually we’ll run out of people like me (who pay taxes) and then it’ll all come crashing down. Those of us who point that out and advocate a life of hard work, point out that our actions have consequences and stress that Freedom can only exist with a limited Government are labeled racists and heartless.
I sometimes feel like Sisyphus, who was condemned to push a rock up a hill only to watch it roll back down and repeat this exercise for eternity.
Sorry for the gloom and doom but I feel the House Republicans are about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and it’s depressing.
Let. It. Burn.
cosmoscon 
Never give up!!!
Never give up!!!
Never Give up!!!
Well put sentiments. I read a compelling piece in Christianity Today about political discourse, social media, and alienation. My hope rests in the possibility that rank and file Conservatives will stop saying words like “Odumbo” and “Dimocraps.” If those people were better at “articulating principle,” we might turn things around.
I hear ya! It’s so tempting (and fun) to quickly move to ‘snark mode’ on social media but I never default to that mode of debate when talking face-to-face with someone who enters into the conversation with good intent.
Skill in snark has never helped create a job, move productivity forward, stimulated the economy or served the needs of national defense. All of these things have been best accomplished when statesmen, in a serious, intellectual and honest discussion have performed their due diligence to gather facts and articulate and strategy that is both intellectual and contains sufficient clarity in its articulation as to inspire people to follow the speaker into battle and support his vision of salvation or problem solving. The clowns in Congress on both sides can barely construct a sentence that holds any semblance of truth, clear, meaningful facts, and inspiration sufficient to qualify any them as leaders. And, therein, without a change in focus and ability, lies the death of the American economy and American power.
When the Republican opted for this standoff, they bit off a bit more than they could intellectually chew. Apparently, none of them are poker players, because, if they were, they would have realized that they were in a game of no limit hold’em and that their push for even a limited Obamacare put the Democrats all in.
The Republicans draw “Big Chick” suited with a suited Jack on the flop and think they have a strong hand, they get called and have no idea what the Democrats are holding other than the approval of the majority of the crowd. On the turn, they hit a 10 of the same suit to match the 10 of another suit that they are holding. They are also holding an off suit nine for a straight and feel good about their chance for victory. The Democrats suddenly push all in and panic sets in for the Republicans…what could they have?
Are they stronger than a pair of 10s? What are the odds that they are holding the King suited needed for a straight flush? What are the odds that that King will even surface in this game? Maybe it’s time to make a side bet to cover the assets they stand to lose. Sure enough, they make a proposal to the Democrats for a side bet to see if they can shake out some sort of a hint…the two opponents stare at each other, each sizing up the other until the final card falls, and then…
[Possible outcomes…
the Republicans lose the House and their only avenue of power – Dems control all 3 branches and assure at least a 10 year set back for Republican governance.
The Democrats lose the hand but remain unscathed in 2014, and while they don’t win the House, they retain the Senate and Presidency and escape no worse off than before the hand.
The Republicans suddenly convince a large number of people who, up to this point, have been reliant upon government handouts over hard work to better themselves and win the Senate and the Presidency to go with the House.]
Which scenario do you suppose stands the best odds of coming true?
Excellent analogy Rick! I see outcome #2 the most likely of the ones you listed. If Obamacare continues its recent failures for another year than Republicans might get traction to our message and outcome #3 is a possibility.
By the way, the Dems are holding “Big Slick” suited. The table gives them two other suited cards for a possible flush draw to add to the power of “Big Slick”. Will the Repubs get their straight, and if they do, is it possible that the Dems could hit their flush draw? Oh, the drama and the risk of Texas Hold’em.
At this late stage and with polls clearly showing that the Republicans are shouldering the blame for the shutdown and now, it would seem, the failure to cover the debt [translated, wrongly, by the average voter as defaulting on loans]. If that deadline passes and nothing is done, and if consumer confidence falls, spending on retail falls, the stock market and 401Ks fall, my money would be bet on the Republicans losing the U.S. House and having no avenue to power, and therefore, no opportunity to shrink the size of government for at least a couple of decades.
It is only by hanging on to their crazed bet until the President’s concern for his legacy comes to the fore sufficiently to force him to concede delaying the implementation of Obamacare. Just about any deal that includes cuts will have to include cutting entitlement programs and cutting those programs virtually assures that the Republicans will lose even more support unless someone emerges who is bright, articulate, well informed and able to speak about economics in terms that the average Joe can understand and accept the proposition that a return to a price/cost directed economy is the only way to minimize the pain of a fall that will come, sooner or later.
Speaking out on deregulation and expansion of capitalism as an economic tool and as an accepted system of governing is a nearly impossible task for the brightest of politicians seeking to hold high office and change course. So, whoever emerges to save the nation from a fatal rise in the debt or a fall in the dollar that leaves American influences and prestige on par with the average Western economy or worse, must be a person of charisma, values, intellect, and devotion to the nation above and beyond any consideration of personal gain, and I don’t think it is going to be easy finding and bringing to the world stage a modern day Thomas Jefferson.
But, anything less than that will fail in the near future and failing thusly assures a crescendo of waves of failure pounding the economy as the sea in a storm pounds the shore. Wave by wave or crash by crash, our economy and our way of live will slowly and painfully erode until or if we can find the courage to pull ourselves up as a nation and regain faith in the rugged individualism that once served us well. I sincerely hope that I am wrong in my assessment, but I don’t think so and so I am making plans to safeguard my personal wealth as best I can to minimize losses and protect my family as we all endure much leaner days, weeks, months, years and perhaps, decades to come.
My best to you, Cosmo and thank you for putting up such thoughtful and thought provoking articles.