"Conservatives" and majoritarianism

[Scam of God]

An interesting thought struck me upon viewing this post:

Why do you even defend them, Vepres? The Tea Partiers are scum, white trash, populistic, slave-moraled scum who, if their God did exist, would deem to sweep them away with fire. They are not our kind.

Yet a majority of Americans believe the average member of the Tea Party movement has a better understanding of the issues facing America today than the average member of Congress.   Fancy that.

Hilariously, this is the same democratic line of reasoning my bigoted grandmother uses to justify her resentment of "those rich f****ts in Belleville" as reason enough to oppose gay marriage. I thought your ideology was beyond such an argumentum ad populum.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I've always loathed appeals to popularity. Who cares what the majority thinks or wants? It's a matter of right vs. wrong and good vs. bad, not popular vs. unpopular.

It always irritated me during the debate over HCR that Republicans would CONSTANTLY regurgitate polls saying "57% believe that it's a bad idea!" or "60% think we shouldn't pass it!" Who gives a flip? The debate should've been over the merits of the legislation and what was in it, not whether or not June Cleaver in Lubbock likes it.

It's part of the reason I oppose the idea of conducting referenda. People simply can't be trusted with certain important decisions, the rights of others and taxes chiefly among them. It's we why elect people (at least marginally) smarter than the rest of us to deal with the problems instead.

[Scam of God]

Here's what I'm striking at: conservatism, at its intellectual best, is explicitly and openly elitist, and makes no bones of it. To see its standard-bearers demean themselves in this way is heartrending.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Einzige, while many times you are very clever, you are not as intelligent as you think you are. Remember that next time you start a thread.

[Scam of God]

Einzige, while many times you are very clever, you are not as intelligent as you think you are. Remember that next time you start a thread.

Do tell: what is unintelligent about this thread?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Einzige, while many times you are very clever, you are not as intelligent as you think you are. Remember that next time you start a thread.

Do tell: what is unintelligent about this thread?

Many things. For one thinking Vepres' posts are worthy enough to be responded to in any manner that is not condesending.

[Scam of God]

Einzige, while many times you are very clever, you are not as intelligent as you think you are. Remember that next time you start a thread.

Do tell: what is unintelligent about this thread?

Many things. For one thinking Vepres' posts are worthy enough to be responded to in any manner that is not condesending.

I'm hardly being condescending to him. He's simply too good - as are many of our classical liberals - to rush to the defense of the unwashed Tea Partiers.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Einzige, while many times you are very clever, you are not as intelligent as you think you are. Remember that next time you start a thread.

Do tell: what is unintelligent about this thread?

Many things. For one thinking Vepres' posts are worthy enough to be responded to in any manner that is not condesending.

I'm hardly being condescending to him. He's simply too good - as are many of our classical liberals - to rush to the defense of the unwashed Tea Partiers.

Exactly. That's why this thread is a waste of time.

The problem liberals have with the tea baggers is that they take them far, far too seriously just giving them credibility. And what sort of fool gives an anti-intellectual, demagogic movement like the Teabaggers any time of day. When confronted with right-wingnuts the best way is always to respond at an appropriate level - with penis jokes.

[Free Palestine]

I've always loathed appeals to popularity. Who cares what the majority thinks or wants? It's a matter of right vs. wrong and good vs. bad, not popular vs. unpopular.

It always irritated me during the debate over HCR that Republicans would CONSTANTLY regurgitate polls saying "57% believe that it's a bad idea!" or "60% think we shouldn't pass it!" Who gives a flip? The debate should've been over the merits of the legislation and what was in it, not whether or not June Cleaver in Lubbock likes it.

It's part of the reason I oppose the idea of conducting referenda. People simply can't be trusted with certain important decisions, the rights of others and taxes chiefly among them. It's we why elect people (at least marginally) smarter than the rest of us to deal with the problems instead.

I dislike direct democracy, but I believe that the the people cannot simply be ignored.  If we ignore the popular will in favor of what some demagogues think is right, then we have diverged far from having a government of and by the people.

[President Mitt]

Yay! Einzige's returned!

[Ban my account ffs!]

I've always loathed appeals to popularity. Who cares what the majority thinks or wants? It's a matter of right vs. wrong and good vs. bad, not popular vs. unpopular.

It always irritated me during the debate over HCR that Republicans would CONSTANTLY regurgitate polls saying "57% believe that it's a bad idea!" or "60% think we shouldn't pass it!" Who gives a flip? The debate should've been over the merits of the legislation and what was in it, not whether or not June Cleaver in Lubbock likes it.

It's part of the reason I oppose the idea of conducting referenda. People simply can't be trusted with certain important decisions, the rights of others and taxes chiefly among them. It's we why elect people (at least marginally) smarter than the rest of us to deal with the problems instead.

I dislike direct democracy, but I believe that the the people cannot simply be ignored.  If we ignore the popular will in favor of what some demagogues think is right, then we have diverged far from having a government of and by the people.

The Republicans are right on one thing:  Elections have consequences.  Sometimes the government will propose and pass legislation that is not supported by more than 50% of the population.

But ultimately, those politicians are held accountable by us.  Unfortunately, the American public has become too stupid to be informed enough to make a decision as to re-elect or vote out their representatives.

The system is broken because most Americans "elect their guy" as representative but he immediately becomes just a cog in the party machine once in congress.  So he enjoys both the benefits of getting approval from his constituents for being the guy he is, while he gets places in Washington for being the party member that he is.

[Vepres]

Einzige, while many times you are very clever, you are not as intelligent as you think you are. Remember that next time you start a thread.

Do tell: what is unintelligent about this thread?

Many things. For one thinking Vepres' posts are worthy enough to be responded to in any manner that is not condesending.

Ahem, that post was by cinyc.

[Vepres]

Einzige, while many times you are very clever, you are not as intelligent as you think you are. Remember that next time you start a thread.

Do tell: what is unintelligent about this thread?

Many things. For one thinking Vepres' posts are worthy enough to be responded to in any manner that is not condesending.

First, why do people single me out when I am far more reasonable than many in my section of the PM? Seriously, go after SPC or PiT or something.

Second, arrogance just makes you look ignorant.

[RosettaStoned]

Yay! Einzige's returned!

[paul718]

I've always loathed appeals to popularity. Who cares what the majority thinks or wants? It's a matter of right vs. wrong and good vs. bad, not popular vs. unpopular.

It always irritated me during the debate over HCR that Republicans would CONSTANTLY regurgitate polls saying "57% believe that it's a bad idea!" or "60% think we shouldn't pass it!" Who gives a flip? The debate should've been over the merits of the legislation and what was in it, not whether or not June Cleaver in Lubbock likes it.

I agree.  It's part of the reason why I really respected President Bush's decision to implement the "surge" strategy in 2006, and President Obama's decision to get healthcare done last week.

[Mint]

First, why do people single me out when I am far more reasonable than many in my section of the PM? Seriously, go after SPC or PiT or something.

Second, arrogance just makes you look ignorant.

For whatever issues I have with PiT, I can't say he's particularly extreme.

[Associate Justice PiT]

First, why do people single me out when I am far more reasonable than many in my section of the PM? Seriously, go after SPC or PiT or something.

Second, arrogance just makes you look ignorant.

For whatever issues I have with PiT, I can't say he's particularly extreme.

     I like to think that my views are generally tempered by reality. I do use anarchist rhetoric on a fairly regular basis, though.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Einzige, while many times you are very clever, you are not as intelligent as you think you are. Remember that next time you start a thread.

Do tell: what is unintelligent about this thread?

Many things. For one thinking Vepres' posts are worthy enough to be responded to in any manner that is not condesending.

First, why do people single me out when I am far more reasonable than many in my section of the PM? Seriously, go after SPC or PiT or something.

Second, arrogance just makes you look ignorant.

I was being slightly specious. And that reason I brought you up is because your Einzige's favourite target. Though I still can't take your positions seriously (sorry) though you are alot better than SPC it has to be said.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Why do you even defend them, Vepres? The Tea Partiers are scum, white trash, populistic, slave-moraled scum who, if their God did exist, would deem to sweep them away with fire. They are not our kind.

Yet a majority of Americans believe the average member of the Tea Party movement has a better understanding of the issues facing America today than the average member of Congress.   Fancy that.

Retarded post indeed.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

I used to feel bad for the GOP, and how the whole conservative movement is just getting crazier and crazier. Its really sad to see how people who should be perfectly reasonable are really just quite the opposite. The biggest delusion that the Tea-Party has is the one suggesting that their Republican comrades have lost their ways, and are just conservatively-dishonest. This obviously isn't true because the conservatives in this country have been acting like Tea-Baggers for years. For example,  The Idea of name calling your opponent dates further back then the "he/she is a liberal" days of Reagan, and probably goes even farther back than McCarthyism. Thus the Tea-Party is merely re-hashing old arguments, and tactics that even the most mainstream conservative engages in.

Conservatives may have varying views on policy, but they have no problem of rallying around their own political cult while attacking others. I know some individuals may claim "By jove how could you label them as a political cult?". The answer to this is simple, and comes from my understanding of Philosophy, Psychology, and my occasional hanging around leftist cults in philly.

I understand that their are many people who are supportive of the Tea-Party, and like minded individuals but your fear tactics, and propaganda will not succeeded. One of the biggest mistakes that that the Tea-Party, and the GOP has made is the the idea that calling someone a socialist will make them seem less human. Sorry folks, but America is too smart to see obama, and the democrats as anything less than a human.

On a side not I would like to end on qoute by Edward R. Murrow.
"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men"

[President Mitt]

Sorry folks, but America is too smart to see obama, and the democrats as anything less than a human.

Tell that to the reactionary imbeciles who run 'Christian' militias around this country waiting and planning for Armageddon. This country will believe anything, if not everything they are told.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Sorry folks, but America is too smart to see obama, and the democrats as anything less than a human.

Tell that to the reactionary imbeciles who run 'Christian' militias around this country waiting and planning for Armageddon. This country will believe anything, if not everything they are told.

     Those are certain individuals in the country. The country itself has no agency & cannot think or believe anything. That aside, the point does remain that Christian militants make up a larger proportion of the country than you, I, or most secular people would like.