OpenLeft: The Eternal Delusions of the Right-Wing Mind

[marmar]

The Eternal Delusions of the Right-Wing Mind
by: David Sirota

Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 09:00


Colorado Springs councilman Sean Paige has a funny - and telling - screed up defending Colorado Springs from, well, the basic facts. He accuses my recent column and the Denver Post's recent front-page story of "slurring" his city by reporting on the draconian budget cuts its anti-tax zealotry are now compelling.

I'm not quite sure how simply recounting cuts to police, firefighting, park services, road maintenance is a "slur," but then, I've learned not to try to make sense of the eternal delusions of a right-wing mind. What I can, however, do is point out some of the "tells" - the poker term for a bluffing player's giveaways:

- Paige says Colorado Springs attracts new residents and economic growth "by actually putting America's limited government ideals into practice." In this, he asks us to forget that one of the city's biggest employers is the defense industry - that is, an industry that has absolutely nothing to do with "limited government" and everything to do with the hugest of Huge Government. Here's the Colorado Springs Business Journal:

One of every three residents of the Pikes Peak Region depends directly or indirectly upon the military. According to the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, the total economic impact of the military in Colorado Springs is $4.58 billion. This represents more than one third of the total regional economy.

That's right, one of every three people living in the Colorado Springs area "depends directly or indirectly upon the military" - ie. upon Huge Government. Add in city, county and state workers, and you are probably approaching half of the entire Colorado Springs economy relying on the government. In that sense, Colorado Springs is an American version of almost pure Marxism: a city that is as close as any major city in the United States to being a full-fledged ward of the state (only one that is now planning to stop its road/park maintenance, cut police/firefighting forces, etc.). ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.openleft.com/diary/17288/the-eternal-delusions-of-the-rightwing-mind

[Mari333]

1. socialists! knr

[MisterP]

2. it's like "Cyberselfish": assloads of e-libertarians are posting on a government-produced

system, and lots of them work in sectors dominated by government spending and research, but think they did it all by themselves within a system that doesn't extend beyond contracts beteween individuals

tl,dr: they're dolts

[RainDog]

3. LOL! It's not government if they're getting paid b/c of it! nt

[GeorgeGist]

4. Sounds like socialism was working well ...

for Colorado Springs, until the teabaggers got greedy and put a stop to it.