It is Not Acceptable to be Republican Anymore (from a ex-reptile, not me )

[BigBearJohn]

How bad do these people have to be before your conscience kicks in? I hit that threshold about three years ago when I ran screaming from the Republican Party. I am beginning to believe anyone who remains after hearing this type of evidence against the administration is simply not a good person.

That seems like an over-the-top statement, but it really isn't. In fact, there is almost no other explanation. Who supports the use of torture? Who supports the unwarranted invasion of other countries based on intelligence we knew was made up? And who thinks we should use torture to get that bad intelligence so we can start that senseless war? Bad people.

The only defense Republicans have now is that they're ignorant. If you are ignorant of these facts, I feel sorry for you but I understand you have been manipulated and duped. But if you know these facts and you still support this administration, you are as guilty as they are and you are as un-American as they are.

This not only applies to members of the public who remain loyal to the Republican Party, but applies even more so to members of Congress who remain loyal to this administration. They cannot even feign ignorance. They have put allegiance to their political party over their allegiance to the core principles of this country.

There used to be a slogan during the McCarthy era -- better dead than red. I guess the new slogan is -- better Republican than American.

{emphasis added}

Read more (it's good!)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/it-is-not-acceptable-to-b_b_11966.html

[unblock]

1. it's mind-boggling what the openly talk about these days

we openly talk about torturing prisoners. yeah, they nominally deny it, but then they talk about flexibility and sophisticated techniques and rendition and 9/11 changed everything and all that crap. everyone knows they're supporting torture.

we openly went to war on an sovereign nation that didn't attack us, didn't declare war on us, and in fact had already SURRENDERED to us a decade earlier and was essentially in compliance with the terms of the surrender. in 1939, our allies england and france went to war against a country that did to poland what we did to iraq.

they call anyone who disagrees with them traitors.

they're actively trying to restore to our government the things our forebears revolted against in 1776, such as a merge church and state.

they act as though a bare majority, achieved with the aid of some dubious gerrymandering, election-fixing, and campaign finance violations is some sort of divine endorsement of every plot they can hatch.


i've been amazed for some time now that republicans weren't embarassed but shrub just because he's, well, such an embarassment.

now i'm amazed they aren't deeply ashamed. the republican party of eisenhower and ford and rockefeller was one i disagreed with but could respect. the banana republican party of today is just plain monstrous and a grave threat to the very foundations of our nation.

[AuntiBush]

15. I Know a Ton of Republicans...

From all over my state, and out-of-state, and systematically each one of them, from all walks of life, age-groups, you name it feel sickened by what's going on in this country under Bush&CO.

They always seem to bring it up first, as if they've got to get it off their chests & they are extremely ticked, to say the very least. What's rather sad is every one of them always seems to need to acknowledge that they voted Republican, but never, ever again.

I see anger in some eyes, hopelessness & sadness in others.

[Seabiscuit]

20. So why did the "Ton of Republicans" vote for * in 2004???

Did they wait until 2005 for their epiphany, and if so, why did they have to? Were they that deaf, dumb, and blind?

[glitch]

23. A lot of them did, and were speaking up about it. Election fraud is the.

answer to your question, at least in part.

[RoveBlowsDogs]

34. Greedy and stupid.

Bush Promised them a $300 tax cut, remember? And they're stupid and greedy enough to fall for the old Trickle Down joke. Of course, they're hurting now too, economically speaking. And they're just figuring out that they're getting it up the ol' kiester too. Unless they're billionaires and/or making more than about $1 Million/year, and they somehow don't care about how the economy going down the tubes will affect them over the next 5 - 10 years.

I know some of these people. And I really lost a lot of respect for them. Granted, I don't know for sure if any voted for GWB a second time, but even the first time suggests ignorance, even from a pure greed perspective.

So yeah, fine, they're getting hammered for their misdeeds, but SO ARE WE! Mission f-ing accomplished.

[riverwalker]

2. most excellent

"Torture is un-American. Wars of aggression, besides being war crimes, are un-American. Lying to the American people and to the world so that you can invade and occupy a country that didn't attack us is un-American. Believing the Egyptian justice system is better than the American justice system is un-American. Causing the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians (those are real people, real kids, real families just like your own) and thousands of American soldiers based on lies acquired through torture is un-American.

And if you still don't get this, you sicken me."

Great article, but I take it even further. They are the enablers, the co-conspirators, of the deaths, torture and atrocities that would not have happened without their support and/or ignorance. Ignorance is not an excuse, they CHOSE to remain ignorant, it was a decision. Really now, in this day and age, how can anyone even pretend to have been ignorant of the facts? I won't break bread with these people, even family, and I won't knowingly do business with them. If they support this president, I force them to explain why, and then I explain why I no longer care to be around them anymore than I would a KKK member, a nazi, a wife beater or a child pornographer.

[Nite Owl]

3. So right this is

To be a republican these days just means that you are not in the least concerned about the future of our country or the world. If people are ignorant of what is blatantly happening they are to blame as well. There are way too many facts out there to ignor, you'd have to have been in a coma for the past decade to not know what they are like. This is why I can't understand why people still think McCain, Guiliani or Chafee are really any different from this administration, if they were truly 'good people' they would have left their party years ago.

[LittleClarkie]

4. What about being a Conservative?

I met a guy who said 80% of what Bush does is wrong. He was very good to talk to, not a Bushbot by any means.

[Autonomy]

7. Are you talking about an Eisenhower/Goldwater conservative?

A Raygun conservative? Or a neocon? The Eisenhoweran paleocon is not a vile ignoramus like the rest of them, but they're all but extinct nowadays. Then there's the Pat Bunchanan Nixonian paleocon. He disagrees with Bush on almost everything, too, but I would hardly call him a good person. There are the John Birchers. They're not all that big on Bush. They might be among the most sickening.

Conclusion: you really have to search long and hard to find a good conservative anymore, and you may find that in the good ones, their 'conservatism' is indirectly proportional to their understanding.

[LittleClarkie]

11. More like a Libertarian type

He reads Time, Newsweek and something called "The New American" and figures he's getting both sides of the story. He goes to natural food stores, doesn't believe in putting chemicals in his body, and thinks the elderly woman running the natural food store is wise. He at least appears to be making the attempt to think, successful or not. At least I could talk to him without either of us getting amped up.

[caraher]

38. "The New American" is the John Birch Society house organ

I know because my brother is a Bircher :-(

[RoveBlowsDogs]

35. Yeah, but at least the Birchers care about our water supply.

It's true. Apparently in the movie Dr. Strangelove, General Ripper's ranting and raving about the purity of our water supply and its infiltration by the Communists, starting with flouridation, is right out of the John Birch party line. I had no idea. So, I have to agree with them about how it is important to make sure that our water supply is clean. Not for the same reasons, but what the hell, I won't split hairs. Also, it seems, the Young Americans for Freedom are a John Birch division, but not something they talk about a lot. No, old style conservatives, real Conservatives if you will, aren't necessarily all bad - big on fiscal prudence, avoiding foreign adventurism, that sort of thing. Hell, Bill Buckley of all people thinks the War on Drugs is stupid, and true to good conservative principles, legalization, standardization, and of course, taxation is the way to handle the "drug problem." Incarceration costs too much and doesn't work. These neo-cons are just Aryan Supremacist Religio Fanatic Neo-facists with no ethics at all. I don't think they believe the BS they push on the rest of us. They just say whatever they think will get them more power and more wealth. The truth has no value to them. Bush et al are basically promising the idiot voters who support them all kinds of crap, lying through their teeth, and using Coulter, O'Rielly, et al to propagandize and keep the stupid people agressively stupid. But you know this already.

Hell, as much as I hate to admit it, I do wish we still had Dick Nixon to kick around. I never thought he'd look good.

[Festivito]

13. Conservative is their excuse.

Stay the course. Don't rock the boat. No big changes.

They mean it for themselves. Don't make me read, learn, or understand any more than I must.

If that doesn't work, they can merry-go-round fiscal versus social conservativism.

Fiscally conservative? (Small government, lower taxes, less spending)
Why then is:
. government getting larger,
. debt growing faster than the taxes being cut,
. the spending increasing?

Opps, they are suddenly socially conservative.

Socially conservative? (Abortions, Gays, God, Guns)
Why then is it that:
. an all Republican House, Senate, and president have not put forth a bill to end abortion?
. all talk of gay marriage ended right after the elections?
. guns were taken away from the people of New Orleans -- by Republican run, staffed, and created forces?

Opps, oh, yeah, those Democrats spend too much of our tax dollars. (..back to fiscal)
...yadda yadda yadda...

[SpiralHawk]

40. they are Psuedo-conservatives, not real conservatives

The NeoCon repubs spend like drunken sailors, have driven the USA deep into debt, and are destroying the air water and soil our children will need for survival. That is in no way conservative: it is psuedo-conservative.

[natrat]

5. backwoods crooks, nothing more

[chknltl]

6. Great post BigBearJohn

Evidence that the sleeping giant again awakens? Let us hope so, regime change in '06 is counting on it!

[BigBearJohn]

9. Thanks! I sent the article to ALL the reptiles I know of

[chknltl]

12. Perfect! (plus....)

There is another election coming up, we need every vote we can get. It is possible that by sending this article off you may have gained us some votes. Good thinking.

Food for thought in a related issue:
As you are aware there has been a lot of shouting and screaming at each other from both sides of the fence. I have noticed that in myself, if I am wrong about something it is hard to admit it, especially with an adversary going "I told ya so", (or worse still screaming at me and calling me names). In light of this and in light of our need to gain as many votes as possible I have changed my habit of calling "bush supporters" by anything other than "bush supporters". (I will miss the use of "rethug" and "repug" and "idiot" for instance). As your article points out: "bush supporters" have been duped or deceived. They are still our fellow Americans.

No I will never ever go so far as to capitalize the "b" in bush or any other name of the members of his administration. As to name calling, there will remain for me a few exceptions: bill o'liely's name will not change, anne coulter is still a lizard and rush limpdick belongs in jail. I am only human after all.

:patriot:

[enki23]

8. ignorance is no defense.

in today's america, only those with diagnosable cognitive impairments have any reasonable defense. (and no, for the tautologically inclined, simply "being republican" isn't enough evidence for a cognitive impairment. on its own.)

[BigBearJohn]

10. how about pure, utter stupidity? Does that count? (grin)

[AuntiBush]

14. "I'd Rather be Dead, then Red!"

Remember that from way back when.

This says it all: "But if you know these facts and you still support this administration, you are as guilty as they are and you are as un-American as they are."

Great post as usual, BigBearJohn! :thumbsup:

[Kurovski]

16. I love to hear the saved testifying. It is a hopeful thing.

Give praise, y'all!

[texpatriot2004]

17. Better dead than red (Rethug) works for me. Well said BBJohn

Only the evil can defend these criminal bastards.

[stevietheman]

18. I have a saying about that...

"When people advocate or support criminal actions by their country, they are, by extension, criminals. People who fight such actions are the true patriots."

Indeed, anyone left who continues to support the Bush Crime Syndicate and their vicious work against the republic are indeed beneath contempt. This is not about conservative vs. liberal any longer. It's a matter of us loving our country and wanting to restore sanity and good government. We are the true patriots.

[DarkTirade]

19. I've been saying this even before Bush took office...

The republican party is not any kind of 'conservative' party anymore, they're just power-hungry people who try to appeal to the religious masses and any poor people who will fall for the 'lesser taxes' lines.
Financially and governmentally, I'm actually slightly to the conservative side. But I cannot in good conscience vote republican, not as long as they're controlled by the people who have controlled them for the last 20 years or so. Nor can I stand by and let them have their way. I HAVE to vote against them. There is no other way.

[lebkuchen]

21. When asked, Repubs are saying they are "independent"

I heard it just the other day.

[unpossibles]

26. yup

I know a guy who always declares how independent he is, and that he's not a Rethug, he claims he's a Libertarian (large "L"), yet he always defends Bush, torture, the war, etc.

I think he's ashamed to admit it on some level, even though he admits it on others.

Most Libertarians I know are mad as hell at Bush.

I cannot fathom how anyone can support the guy. I challeneged some rightie friends of mine to declare why they support him, to defend him with the facts about the good things he's done for the country. I got one response! And it was half lies/propaganda. The others just attacked me and called me names, which speaks more loudly about what they like about Bush than they intend.

[lebkuchen]

29. That's all they've got as "ammo"--hate and labels

That's why the voting districts w/colleges and universities are blue.

[mwb970]

36. Ask your Bushbot friends to name his achievements.

If Bush is so great, what are the three greatest things he's done as president? These would be things that clearly made America a better, safer place.

I can't think of a single one. I wonder how many of his supporters could come up with three.

[unpossibles]

43. I could not think of one either

some they listed were laughable, like No Child Left Behind and Katrina....

[depakid]

22. No, it's not acceptible anymore

Not for anyone.

If someone you know still supports the Republican party at this point, it's a character issue.

and if anyone still chooses to have people like that in their lives- they might also consider whether that's a character issue.

[Lerkfish]

24. I sent this to my repuke ex brother in law...

when he sent me this crap:

The Flag of the United States of America

If this doesn't give you chills, you should pack up and move on to another country.

I Am the Flag of the
Of America

I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up and see me.

I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners,
My head is a little higher,
My colors a little truer.
I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected - and I am feared.
I have fought in every battle of every war for more then 200 years.I was flown atValley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox.
I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France,
in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy.
Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me.
I'm presently in the mountains of Afganistan and the hot and dusty deserts of Iraqand wherever freedom is needed.
I led my troops, I was dirty, battleworn and tired,
But my soldiers cheered me and I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt for I am invincible.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled in the streets of my country.
And when it's done by those Whom I've served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.
I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon.
I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent
at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,

I am proud.

Please forward my message to all who still love and respect me that I may fly proudly for another two hundred years.

[KTinOhio]

32. Not so fast there...

I am proud of the flag and the country it represents, and I despise the administration that has desecrated both. The neocons and theocons don't own the flag or the country. I took the flag that normally flies in front of my house to the anti-war rally back in March. I don't care if the conservatives don't like it. It's my flag too.

I look forward to the day that it - and our country - will again stand for peace, honor, truth, justice, and freedom. I wait for the day that it - and our country - will again be worshipped, loved, and respected. And I believe that its - and our country's - finest hours are yet to come.

[Lerkfish]

41. you're supposed to notice the bolded portion

that's the portion i object to.

[a b negative]

25. naughty stool!

[thefool_wa]

27. I don't get it...

I have a co-worker who claims to be republican and whenever we talk politics his arguments are always the same
1) You (meaning me) are ignorant/uninformed
2) You (meaning me) are gullible
3) Clinton was a proven liar and a crook, and WAY worse than GW

The worst thing about all of this is that he says he can't stand listening to GW and doesn't trust him. BUT HE STILL VOTES REPUBLICAN! This guy is 12 or so years older than me (I'm 31) and its like they managed to brainwash him to the point where he feels he HAS to stay the course. I say again I don't get it.

ANother thing I don't get is: How can ANYONE who makes less than $50-$60K per year claim to be a republican? That pay range is typically what is considered the working to lower-middle class and the Repugs in power would spit, sh*t, or pee on anyone in that range as unworthy of their time and inconsequential to their agenda. After all they can MAKE more votes than they can get from that segment of society. Repugs HATE the working class and I would bet they wished they could just enslave us so they could take our wages and add them to their already grossly greedy salaries.

Again, I don't get it.

[RoveBlowsDogs]

39. $50 - $60 K? Bend over!

Hello, at 60 grand or so we are certainly getting it up the keister from our gummint. Even if we still have jobs.

And yes indeed, if GWB et al could make more money by killing us and selling us to be used as dog chow, they wouldn't hesitate. Slaves would be a good close second, but probably (in their eyes) not as profitable, and too much effort. No, taxation now with a HUGE national debt (that is, them borrowing at our future expense, so that Halliburton can make lots of money) is a better deal for them than either turning us into dog chow or making us slaves. Slaves revolt. Workers work. And please note, they had no problems sending a whole lot of us off to die and get maimed for whatever economic reasons they had. More profitable than killing us and selling our corpses to be used as dog chow. And I am not exaggerating.

Our gummint is pretending to serve the 200K + crowd, but really, if you do the economic analysis, that number is far far too low. Your co-worker is a moron. If there is any way you can point out to your co-worker that Bush and Co used 3,000 dead people from 9/11 for political hay (don't even suggest culpability, or even deriliction of duty,) and didn't do anything for the survivors or to protect the country, but only talked about it. Note - it happened on GWB's watch - so clearly, he couldn't protect us, case closed, game over. Second, ask him about Harken Oil, and why that isn't a crook problem. Or if he is a "values" voter, the problems his daughters have with underage drinking, DWI, and so on. And that's just what we know about. Point out that GWB and co. sent our troops into harms way without adequate equipment - forced them to buy their own for about $10,000 each! Yes, that's right, told enlisted personnel that they had to buy equipment or do without, to the tune of about 10 grand each. If that isn't a bigger ethical problem than cheating on your wife, I don't know what is! And, of course, that he sent troops to Iraq for - what? To make political hay. How many dead Americans? (The co-worker won't care about anyone else, so don't push it.) And GWB couldn't give a damn if you, or I, or your co-worker was one of them. Lots of dead US personnel, no fucking WMD, and what the hell did Iraq have to do with 9/11? And what about Scooter and Rove et al compromising our security and the safety of our clandestine service personnel? That's not a problem? But you know all this.

Further, Clinton has nothing to do with this. He's not in office. Comparing Clinton and GWB is all fine and good for historical reasons, but we have a problem here and now, and no comparison to anyone is going to make the damage GWB is doing any less bad. Perhaps try saying that all politicians are crooks, but we need to do something about our current crooks - er, politicians, not the ones we had or will have.

Here's your co-worker's problem. He feels that he'd lose face if he changed position, for some reason. Tell him it's ok to say, "I voted for that SOB, and he lied to me and sold me out! I voted in good faith, and they lied left right up and down! I was cheated!" He was. It wasn't his fault. He wanted someone with good values, like himself, and he was lied to. He has every right to get mad at the bastards who lied to him and continue to do so. And maybe you're just the person to let him see that.

He could also be scared to see just what reality is. Frankly, for most of us, the situation is plenty scary. And facing it might be pretty hard for this guy. Especially if he has kids - if the economy keeps going as it is, and the debt keeps growing, we're hosed, which is bad enough if you don't have kids - but if you do, and especially if you don't have a lot of career options and you're getting into the less easily hired ages, we are in scary scary times.

So, help him see that he's been lied to and that he's allowed to call them on it and be mad as hell.

If that doesn't work, tell him that Karl Rove blows airdaile puppies (I have no idea if this is true or not, so you will be fabricating something), and likes it and GWB is doing nothing to stop it! And that, I think, is a bigger problem than any heterosexual relationship that Clinton had, from one of those religio nutbar freak points of view.

What the hell - use their own tactics. Just keep repeating, "What about Rove's Dog-blowing habits? Isn't that a problem?" I mean, it is certainly a less dangerous fabrication than the Iraq- WMD lies, and has a greater possibility of being true. I like that actually, and next time I run into one of these shouting frothing neo-clowns, I might just try that.

Either that or play the sympathy card and say that you understand that it isn't easy when you have a really really low IQ.

Good luck. I haven't had much success, but then, I haven't tried or needed to try lately.

[thefool_wa]

46. Thanks

Thanks for the input. I laughed, I cried, and I took notes. I'm hoping to convert him, but if not, well it's his life and if he wants to keep his head buried in the sand all I can hope is that he commits a felony and is barred from voting.

Thanks again, perspective is a wonderful thing.

[DaveColorado]

28. The op rings true

Ignorance is forgivable, but complicity against the Constitution and Republic is not.

[Donkeykick]

30. You know...

This is a good find my friend! More Republicans should read this blog. Thanks! ;-)

[proud patriot]

31. good

[Lorien]

33. Check out the comments

he seems to have really hit a nerve!

[baby_mouse]

37. It was never "acceptable" to be a Republican in the first place n/t

[Orrin_73]

42. Julia roberts quotation about repubs, its a nice one

"Republican comes in the dictionary just after reptile and just above repugnant."

[Phlem]

44. It goes beyond reason

I have republicans on my spouses side and some live in Repub country, Ohio. You cannot reason with them, even when you use hard data and evidence. Their eyes seem to go blank (if they don't turn red and explode) and they start talking gob ly gook. It's an amusing and frightening sight, and it scares the shit out of me that there are people out there like that.

You cannot frickin reason with them AT ALL!

Trust me I've tried, I care about them cause they're family, but DAMN!

Phlem

[Initech]

45. I agree wholeheartedly! The W admin is a group of people that...

I would not want to associate myself with.

Hell, just about everyone in the W admininstration are people who you wouldnt want to associate yourselves with in real life.