I am honestly very frightened by all that has occured in the last 5+ years. My family and friends, for whatever reason, think I am a "liberal" because I am so adamant in my opposition to the path the Bush administration has taken, which is completely ridiculous and yet another example of the extreme polarization this president provokes.
I have voted both "conservative" and "liberal" candidates for president and grow more and more tired of these labels. There were a lot of conservatives who were dismayed at the arrival of W on the scene. If you scratch the surface of this administration it is not "conservative", but borders on totalitariansim.
I'm so tired of this group hijacking the word conservatism for what it is. Eisenhower is surely rolling over in his grave.
Conservatism used to stand for responsibility (this president takes responsibility for nothing), fiscal responsibility (fiscal responsibility means spending restraint at least, and if not possible, it certainly does not mean cutting taxes and spending more). Conservatism once was concerned about the middle class, but the middle class has eroded horrifically under this administration and the middle class is essential the what made the US great. Conservatives once made decisions carefully, weighing the outcomes. This administation rushes in blindly. Our best conservative presidents took a a leadership role in world, and worked with other world leaders to accomplish things...this adminstration is a bully on the playground.
Never in my life did I envision a US President acting like this. I am horrified.
This is a dangerous president with dangerous ideas, surrounded by dangerous people. I do not see how anyone who considers himself/herself a CONSERVATIVE can even support him.
Bush's abuses of presidential power are the most extensive in American history. He launched war on false pretenses if you are anti-bush or ignorence if you are pro-Bush. Neither is desirable
He has presided over a system of torture and sought to legitimize it by specious definitions of the word, and had to be bullyed by a real war hero into grudgingly accepting any limits
His administration locks up American citizens and others indefinitely without any legal showing or the right to see a lawyer or anyone else and opposes any attempt to have any scrutiny
His administration has kidnapped people in foreign countries and sent them to other countries, where they were tortured.
He has ignorently cut revenue and radically increased spending, ballooning debt beyond conceivability
He and his underlings claim unlimited, uncheckable and unreviewable powers.
He decries judiucial activism and then appoints judges with the intent of overturning judicial precedent -- which is blatant judicial activism.
We have reached a scary juncture in our history. I know a lot of people who think they must support Bush because he is the "republican/conservative" with little thought beyond that. They have a few issues that matter to them, but cannot see the whole picture.
There are a lot of good, conservative republicans, but they have been beaten into silence by a populist president who has used terrorism and fear to achieve personal/selfish goals that are ultimately contrary to the future of this country.
Edited by gerryf, 23 December 2005 - 08:38 AM.