One thing the social security thing reveals about this administration...

[Plaid Adder]

I know you all knew it already, but hopefully it is becoming clearer to the rest of the country:

Republican policy has got nothing to do with what their constituents actually want.

Look at what's happening. Santorum goes out to push the SS 'reform' to his constituents. His constituents say, "Fuck no, Rick, we don't want this bullshit!" Does he go back to Bush and say, "Hey, George, maybe we shouldn't 'reform' social security after all, since the people don't want it?" No. His focus is on how to get people to want it. Same thing with everything Bush's shock troops are doing. The idea that popular resistance to something might be a reason to not do it just doesn't compute for these people.

Oh well,

The Plaid Adder

[rkc3]

1. And I thought you were going to remind us of their imperviousness

to the facts.

Perhaps repub policy has everything to do with their constituents - only the average American republican isn't on that list. Take the top 10 companies from sectors such as energy, pharmaceutical, media, or banking/finance and you might a good list of their constituents.

[trotsky]

2. It's called "LEADERSHIP."

You know, making those tough decisions that might be unpopular. :eyes:

It has nothing whatsoever to do with dismantling a successful government program and funneling billions to Wall Street fatcats. No sirree. Oh and by the way, TERROR TERROR TERROR! Booga wooga!

[Colorado Blue]

3. This might just be their downfall. I hope! nt

[cthrumatrix]

4. it's what the corporations want....the rest is "smoke and mirrors" come

election day.

Look at the case for Iraq....lies on top of lies.

[Lisa]

5. yup -- imposition of "top down" policies by an uncaring government ...

The exact thing that they accuse the left of doing. (A little projection going on there, fellas?) Of course, they've always derided any attempt at public consultation as "touchy-feely crap" and "a waste of money".

They figure that if they just hammer on about "Bush = America" (and therefore that whatever he decides must be good for the country), there won't be any problem. This lot are every bit as ideology-blinded as the old USSR hard-liners. It's just an extension of their rationalizing that, since they define themselves as being perfect, everything they do is therefore unquestionable. Why judge themselves by some nitpicky yardstick (e.g. economic indicators, public opinion, or normal ethical standards) when they're already beyond reproach?

Reasoning with them doesn't work, since they've leapfrogged right over induction, experimentation, and trial-and-error into a state of self-reinforcing belief.