What do you think (something that concerns me, politics)?

The same people and their ideological ancestors went bananas in the 1990s when Clinton was president. We survived.

They celebrated McVeigh Day yesterday, April 19th, with rallies in Washington and around the country. They make the world worse, but they haven’t totally ruined it yet.

@jaytkay One thing to keep in mind about yesterday, it was not only the anniversary of the terrible events in Oklahoma City…. But also the anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary war, or the “shot heard round the world.” I know many of those celebrations were at least “rooted” in that. (though clearly not all)

Quit watching Fox “news”

I think people need to learn the difference between “socialist” and “fascist” before accusing Obama of both.

Only ignorant rabble rousers use words like that. They are not worth listening to.

I think people need to break away from this whole “left , right, republican, democrat” pile of crap. Its really just an illusion played by the higher up politicians; they’re really both the same. As long as people by into stupid political games like that, the american public will continue to be manipulated and gamed.

Meh, we heard the same vitriol from the left when Bush was in office. The song doesn’t change, just the folks doing the singing.

@WestRiverrat
Agreed, but at least I tried to educate myself about the Bush policies before I voiced my opinion about them, rather than just “MY MAMMY SAYS OBAMA IS ONE O’ THEM DURN MUSLIMS. IMPEACH HIM.”

@WestRiverrat exactly like I said, same people, just they switch masks every couple years, from democrat, to republican, left, or right, to accomplish their true agendas without the american people knowing

@WestRiverrat I agree we “heard” some ranting and raving about Bush from the other side, I was fairly negative about the guy, but did you hear the negative conversation trying to rouse people into taking up arms? Honestly, when Bush got in office I was very nervous about the direction our country would go, mostly depressed; but not talking, joking, or mentioning anything about killing him.

@JLeslie our country is seriously overdue for a revolution anyway… just people have their head too far up their own arse to do anything about it, makes me angry

@JLeslie There were as many threats made against Bush. They were just not reported with as much ferver by CNN, msnbc, or even Fox news.

@tedd And your point??

The only people who think Obama is a socialist (moreso than Bush, for example) are people who get their information from Fox News, ClearChannel radio, Salem Radio, or Sinclair Broadcasting.

Those companies cover the entire nation collectively, and they are nothing but mouthpieces for the Republican Central Committee. Republicans who listen to that crap are no different than North Koreans who listen to State Radio and who worship Kim Jong-il. Just willing victims of propaganda. American Republicans even moreso… since they have a choice.

If you want to really know what the US is up to, cross check your US news sources with the BBC.

Most people using such inflammatory terms have no real idea to what they terms really refer.

Many American have no idea why they believe that anything labelled “socialist” should be considered bad, dangerous or negative in some way. The same people love the idea of social security. How does that make sense.

In the same breath we’ve heard people call Obama or his party both facists and communists. These terms are opposites, one referring to the ultra extreme right wing philosophies and the other to the extreme left wing viewpoints.

Tyrant is used to describe any leader whose views you have been told you must abhor.

The rampant ignorance is combined with strongly held but never closely examined opinions that people have adopted based on misinformation and social pressure.

Fox “News” Network fails in nearly every measure against standards of accurate or balanced journalism. It is dedicated to disseminating right wing propaganda by teaching viewers to recite the views held to be true despite evidence to the contrary. Repeating and preaching misinformation or absolute falsehoods never makes these statements truer in the process.

Is it any wonder that the level of discourse from the right wing fails to meet even minimal standards of honesty or credibility.

Faced with an opposition that rejects proposed legislation even before the documents are ever set to paper makes the process of no value. Often the opposition refuses to allow the documents to be tabled or discussed at all. In doing such things they are failing to fulfil the important role of the opposition in a democracy.

@Kraigmo and @Dr_Lawrence

Fascinating! So all Republicans are willfully delusional. Dang! Who’da thunk it?

@CaptainHarley Were you the person I fought with on a nother thread where you made the same sort of sweeping comment? I can assure you no one thinks ALL Republicans. There are some Republicans even on tv denouncing the craziness of the fringe right, many more Republican average citizens who are probably embarrased by the lack of consistency, racist comments, and innacurate twisting of history and political definitions being done by some who identify with their party.

Every party has some people who don’t exactly fit with some of the other people in the party. We hear Republicans and media talking and hypothesizing all of he time whether the Republican party is going to split because of this. These comments of yours to try and shut down the conversation by being particular about how things are worded, or maybe you are just being defensive, does nothing for the conversation in my opinion. If you are a Republican why don’t you just tell us how you see it, How you view Obama, how you view the people in your party right now? I have Dems all around me who I don’t agree with.

If you are a Fox News watcher in the morning, I recommend watching Morning Joe on MSNBC from 6:00–9:00 eastern, instead for two weeks, just as an experiment. If you are unaware of the show, Joe is a Conservative Republican (former congressman), his sidekick is a Democrat.

@WestRiverrat Then maybe the reporting really needs to be questioned, because giving the fringe in any party, when it is threatening physical harm is irrisponsible. It is against the law to threaten the predient if I remember correctly, so I would think airing it on the media waves should be just as illegal maybe? It is like aiding and abetting almost. What do you think?

@JLeslie

Thank you for the advice on how to sort myself out politically. I have no intention of trying to “shut down the conversation.” The Dems have to “man up” since they are the party in power now and make a high-profile target. Attacking Republicans qua Republicans is entirely gouche.

BTW… I am a registered independent.

@CaptainHarley I am not sure what you mean by The Dems have to “man up” since they are the party in power now and make a high-profile target. Can you explain that more?

So, I just wanted to clarify in my mind, you are annoyed with how other people seem to be making sweeping accusations, is that correct? You seem overly sensitive to anything that can be construed that way. I am curious, where do you get your political information from? TV, newspapers, magazines?? Which ones?

@JLeslie

You are correct about my not liking “sweeping accusations.” They indicate a narrow perspective and a lack of maturity. I get my information on politics from a wide variety of sources: the Internet, magazines, newspapers, etc.

Allow me to rephrase: since the Dems are in power just now, they need to realize they make an easy target and act accordingly, like adults. I don’t agree with a great deal of things that the Dems are trying to do. Then again, I didn’t agree with a great deal of what GWB did either. I don’t consider myself a political orphan, but I have yet to find a political party, or even group, which matches my political preferences.

@CaptainHarley I agree the Dems could do a better job at handling the press and getting their message out. I don’t agree with a lot of things both parties are doing either. I think I do not get annoyed when people say Republicans, or Fox News watchers blah blah blah, because I personally think that it is not all Republicans or even all Fox news watchers who buy into every single notion put out there, so I assume the person speaking knows it as well, I am projecting of sorts, and I too use general statements to get a point across. Sometimes I will put a (I know it is not all Republicans) after my statement, fo people like you :). But, it can be tiresome. The collective for the most part seems to NOT jump to thinking that people are from one mold. Most of us are willing to be separate from our party platform on individual issues I have found. So, on fluther I tend to not feel like I have to be so careful to be PC. It makes discussion more formal and less honest when you have to watch your P and Q’s all of the time I think.

@JLeslie

I tend to agree. I think it’s better to be blunt than to be misunderstood.

@CaptainHarley @JLeslie OMG what did I just tell you guys!! haha not really that exited about it, but really the whole “left wing, right wing” thing is really just a scam. The masses are tricked into picking a side, and bickering uselessly about all kinds of issues, and where does that get us? Nowhere. You notice how when a serious 3rd party actually starts to get momentum, something always magically springs up to slow it down? It’s because Dems and Republicans, the higher you go up, there the same people pulling the strings behind the parties. They just switch platforms every few years to get there goals accomplished, not the american peoples goals. People need to take back the gov’t from monopoly the Republican and Democrat goons are running

@WolfFang I would agree with you, I think @CaptainHarley would too. I don’t get the impression that @CaptainHarley is part of a “wing,” and I know I’m not.

@JLeslie yeah that’s good. I believe he said he was a registered independent. I know you guys don’t fall into that trap it’s there are so many that do! It just irks me i guess haha