Apr 14 2009
Not A Conservative Anymore
People talk about tipping points. Today I have reached one with regards to the conservative movement and the GOP, due in no small part to the debacle started on the far right blogs regarding the DHS report I posted on earlier.
To my chagrin two things happened with this story which ended my desire to be associated with ‘conservatives’ (no matter how much sense their policies may make). The first was the unbridled and unsubstantiated attacks on the good people at DHS by folks like Michelle Malkin (who I rightfully called a ‘drama queen’). Malkin made some serious allegations today which crossed the line.
She claimed that the DHS report PROVES the good people at DHS are not only negligent in their duties to protect Americans, but that these civilian employees are also involved in an illegal activity to use the powers of the this nation’s security apparatus to oppress the political opposition of the sitting President and current Congressional leaders. These are serious charges involving serious crimes.
I have as much respect for the civilians spending their careers and lives attempting to protect this nation as I do for those in uniform doing the same thing. There is no excuse to slander the people of DHS by accusing them of crimes of negligence and abuse of office without solid proof. No matter how well these false charges fit the warped conspiracy theories of the paranoid and deluded
The second aspect of this incident that pushed me to this point was the fact just about every conservative site let these false charges against these good people go by. Instead, I got heat for the “drama queen” comment for supposedly attacking ‘a good person’. Well, that so-called good person slandered the real unsung heros of this war on terror. Her and her enablers are more concerned about getting their feelings hurt than about the mud they are slinging at those who stand guard over this nation.
That’s the end of that for me. I could never fathom the venom spewed by the far left against Reagan, and that is what forced me to leave the Democrat party for life. Now we have a similar problem in the depths of the conservative movement. I just cannot associate myself with people who would slander hard working people at DHS to fulfill some wild conspiracy fantasy  – and not see a damn thing wrong with it! Their only cries of outrage are when someone calls them on their slander.
A line crossed which cannot be uncrossed. Ever. I wash my hands of these slanderers and their supporters who would sell out the people standing watch over all of us without any thought or regret. As someone said to me – see yah! And good riddance.
Pot. Kettle.
Drama. Queen.
I’d be amused if it weren’t so sad. ‘Conservatives’ are those who support conservative principles such as what our founding fathers actually wrote in our constitution. All the blathering going on trying to group, label and categorize ‘people’ is what the left does. Conservatives stand for individual freedoms and responsibilities, believing that hard work, passion and dedication to building a product or service which will benefit the general populace and leave their children a ‘better place’ than they had will be rewarded. Those that choose not to have those ambitions will do fine, but probably not as good, but probably good enough for them for their efforts put forth. The left has been working on ‘trashing’ that concept for decades by ‘changing’ the meaning of words, so much that words/labels and such really have no meaning. Equal outcomes for unequal effort is an impossibility in the human condition, yet THAT is their utopian dream. I believe I can predict what will happen today with the ‘tea parties’. The left will infiltrate every major event with paid ‘protesters’ (our tax money hard at work). They will be there to hold ‘less than civil’ signs and cause trouble for those ‘genuine protesters’ there trying to bring light to the oppressive future being built for our children. The DHS report and the timing of its release are all part of the plan. All of the networks and ‘news’ people will focus on the ‘trouble’, and blame ‘conservatives’ and the Republican party in general. Depending on how much ‘trouble’ is reported (more than likely it will be greatly exaggerated, if there is any ‘trouble’), this will be used further to forward an agenda of gun control, and other ‘restrictions of freedoms’ all the while ‘solidifying’ the myth of the ‘evil’ conservative mind set. It’s soooooo predictable and sucking lots of people in, even AJ. This Nation is in for some really hard times. This is very sad.
AJ, get a grip. Take a break or something. I know that I am going to miss your thoughtful posts…bye.
The problem with the right is they conflate over the top comments from the lunatics on the left and assume the hard working protectors of this country agree and accept those labels.
Can’t be anymore clear about this. DHS is not targeting conservatives, they are looking for threats.
Just because liberal lunatics can’t tell the difference has no bearing on the people standing guard. And to equate the two is an insult to those tirelessly working to stop attacks.
When you folks are done sullying the people doing the tough, scary work than maybe my respect will return for your causes. But never before then. This is no better than the leftwing attacking NSA for their good work protecting us.
Army Mom, this Marine Dad can only remind you what who will be standing guard if the fringes do attack this country from within.
AJ, I’m a CONSERVATIVE and very proud of it. I think your confused. You go back and forth way to much for my taste. I used to enjoy your post. Not so much anymore. Your too wishy washy for me. You left the conservative party, well, I’m living your blog. Go ahead and delete my name and password. Lisa Mora—California I’m out of here!!!
You’ve been looking for an excuse to do this for more than a year. I suppose you found one. Enjoy your time on the left, as you will be embraced with open arms.
So, out of curiousity, when did DHS release their report on left-leaning violent radical groups? did I miss that one?
AJ has every right to separate himself from the people that he can no longer respect or support. But walking away from conservatives is not the same as walking into the arms of the left. In fact those comments support his reason for walking away. There is a problem in the Republican party and among the conservatives about going after people who don’t align with your views and beliefs 100%. The beauty of the political process in this country was that you could associate/belong to a party who had a majority of the same beliefs and views. It was never expected that you had to fit with the mold perfectly. That is where the purity issues come into play. And I agree with AJ if the only thing that people can respond with is that he called someone a name (not even a bad name – we call people drama queens for a variety of reasons) rather than focusing on the fact that yes there are SOME people in DHS that may have an agenda against conservatives, but to lump all of DHS into that is wrong. DHS covers a lot of government workers and agencies, and I know that 1. they weren’t all involved in the creation of this idea or document and 2. that they don’t all support it.
By a show of hands who has actually read this document themselves????
Crosspatch,
I agree with you 100% and there is no way that I could have explained as well as you. Especially on this:
And my family and I agree that you do not need to force someone to believe you beliefs and views, that everyone is entitled to their own.
Raising my hand here.
I’ve read through it three times as a matter of fact.
Even used a highlighter on it.
The problem with this report, as I stated yesterday, is the broad, sweeping generalizations. The net the report casts could, arguably, be used to ensnare anyone who didn’t vote for or has vocally opposed the policies of Barack Obama.
Note the key word there.
Could
I’m not bashing anyone at DHS for the good work that they do.
I am, however, questioning the motivations behind this report and raising the red flag to say “Hey, this looks like potential trouble to me.”
Yes, there are people at DHS that have political motivations. The same is true with the IRS, CIA, DOD, DOS, and every other gov’t department, whether federal, state, or local.
I’m not being hysterical.
I’m not being melodramatic.
I’m not confused about whether I am different than Timothy McVeigh, as I was accused of being yesterday.
All I am saying is that this report includes anyone who dares to oppose Obama.
It covers those who oppose abortion.
It covers anyone who is purchasing guns or ammunition in anticipation of a shortage of those products.
Another troubling thing about this is that this is not the first time these sort of broad generalizations have been put out there.
The state of Missouri put out a very similar report not too long ago. That report includes the “Don’t Tread on Me” Gadsden Flag as a militia symbol.
I’ve got one of those flying on the front of my house at this moment.
The timing on this report was, without question, centered around today’s Tea Party events. It was put out there in order to discourage people from participating.
Well, it won’t intimidate me.
The Founding Fathers sacrificed, bled, and died for what they believed in. They built this country and made it the best place in the history of the world.
I know what I believe and I will not be swayed from it.
The people behind this report and the people in the White House are laughing to themselves today. They are watching the people on the right devour one another. They’ve created another distraction and rather than focusing on them, we’re focused on one another and we are putting our energies into tearing one another down.
Folks, I am reminded of the words of Ben Franklin at the signing of the Declaration of Independence:
We’ve got to get ourselves together, focus on what is important, and recognize the perilous place in which we find ourselves.
With apologies to Martin Niemoller:
They came first for the right-wing militia extremists, and AJStrata said nothing because he wasn’t a right-wing militia extremist.
Then they came for some more right-wing militia extremists, and AJStrata still said nothing because he wasn’t a right-wing militia extremist.
Then they came for AJStrata, told his neighbors that he were a right-wing militia extremist, and his neighbors said nothing because they weren’t right-wing militia extremists.
Then they came for AJ’s former neighbors, and there was nobody left to speak up for them, not that any decent person would speak up for some right-deviationist Trotskyite militia extremist thoughtcriminals anyway.
GuyFawkes,
You should pay attention to your own comments better.
70% of the people who SUPPORT Obama not 70% of the country. Obama does not have a 70% approval rating. So there is not a severe minority.
Oh and by the way, we do still get to speak, thats why we have Congress. Just like you got to still speak when Bush was elected. Grow up and quit being so childish. It just makes it easier to laugh at you.
Well, there is this but it only mentions left-wing extremism in the context of cyber attacks.
But a couple of things. First of all, this report was not meant to be public. It says U/FOUO which means “Unclassified / For Official Use Only” and “For Official Use Only” means that while it is unclassified, it is not to be distributed generally. A report designed for public release would have probably been a bit more polished and attention made to how things might be phrased. In other words, a public report might have undergone a different editing/review process.
Secondly, take a close look at the title of the document. It says:
“Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment”
I don’t doubt that to be true. We have a government that is basically taking control of private concerns through bailout cash in exchange for a controlling equity position and then not allowing those concerns to repay the bailout cash to get the government off their backs once they have the cash. You have the President for all intents and purposes firing corporate CEOs, you have the Treasury Department regulating how much people can make in salary and you have state Attorneys General going after people who have broken no laws with veiled threats if they don’t voluntarily return compensation that is their rightful property by contract agreement.
So you can say we have an “extremist” government, or a government taking “extreme” actions. And this could very well serve as a catalyst to cause the more extreme right-right to get organized as it tends to validate some of the things the extremists say about the government. It can make some people think “wow, I thought those guys were crazy but the stuff they have been warning about is coming to pass”
These actions aren’t as likely to cause left-wing extremism because the actions of nationalization of major corporations pretty much ARE left-wing extremism.
Just a 71 years geeze… USMC… I enjoy most of your posts but sometimes this blog just goes off the rails with shrill rants… I suggest you re-read your stuff & analyze what you have said as you do with your more rational writing…
And… as you said to GuyFawkes… “…Grow up and quit being so childish. It just makes it easier to laugh at you…”
.
Whew… I cringe… what adult mind logic compels you to speak to people like that?
.
I think the internet frees us to say things we would never have the guts to say person-to-person…
“I think the internet frees us to say things we would never have the guts to say person-to-person”
Sadly, so true.
How childish! I just started to read this blog after a link from LGF, yesterday, I blog that is very unchildish, whether you always agree with Mr. Johnson or not, he’s at least rationale.
First, no one cares if you are a liberal or conservative. It doesn’t pour milk on my cheerios or anyone else’s for that matter. With a limited time to read, I try to pick blogs that have interesting conservative bents.
I enjoy conservative blogs that rip conservatives because I believe that the left are children and shouldn’t be criticized for that very reason and the conservatives need to take the hard road to truth.
We have our wackos like the left and ours wave the red flag at any sight of government intrusion. This political hyperventilation, however, does serve a purpose in that it allows the more main stream conservatives to be aware of potential issues and to have ideas on how to handle them if they become more mainstream.
But words, mere words causes this blog to hyperventilate as well? Please! Try to understand who are the canaries in the mine and who are the workers.
There may be many fine people in the DHS, but it doesn’t mean that the DHS can’t be overbearing through inaccurate uses of its real or imagined power. I don’t believe the hysteria on the right extreme is too out of line when a left leaning (155 degrees) administration publishes a document lamenting about possible abuses from right-wing groups that haven’t occurred in over 10 years! Why print the stuff?
Here’s why. We know that the government can do very little proactive work against any of these right-wing groups and that most of these right-wing groups are extremely logistically impaired to do anything anyway, so the only reason to release the report is for political purposes. A spoil of victory if you will. A fun gig at the other side. A stirring of the pot.
But should the fine people at DHS be used for political purposes? Maybe a little bit. It’s only human to expect some of it. But you shouldn’t be surprised when or canaries squawk about it.
So, under that guise, doesn’t a more rationale response from you require a laugh? Or at the very least thanks, but no thanks comment?
Gill,
Where you and I part company is I disagree those keeping watch should be used for political purposes or smeared without evidence.
If you can’t make your argument with mature, reasoned arguments just admit you are in over your head and bow out.
CP
Things like “Intelligent Design†taught in science classes are wrong.
Really? what would you teach in science class? the ‘theory of evolution’? isn’t it just ‘theory’ and not fact?
I see no conflict in evolution and intelligent design. In fact I think evolution was designed very well.
AJ
DHS is not targeting conservatives, they are looking for threats.
The soliquy was not written by the DHS, it was written by a leftie liberal with an agenda. Seems that agenda is working where it is getting moderates and further right swinging leftward. It was only posted using the cover of the DHS.
DJ
But walking away from conservatives is not the same as walking into the arms of the left.
small difference in walking ‘into their arms’ and walking strongly toward them. When your ‘team’ is faltering is when you’re supposed to roll up your sleeves and go to work, not cave.
and one point:
and just why is no one focusing on the fact that the DHS soliquy referred to ‘Right wing terrorists’? Didn’t the Obamites do away with that word? or is it only Americans that are terrorists? Should they be concerned about Bill Ayers, a self confessed domestic terrorist?
Toes192
And… as you said to GuyFawkes… “…
Grow up and quit being so childish. It just makes it easier to laugh at you…†.
Whew… I cringe… what adult mind logic compels you to speak to people like that?
HaHa, Toes if you know GuyF, he won’t take offense at that. He knows he’s childish. He intends to be.
MagicDog, I cannot speak for AJ, but he’s not jumping a sinking ship. We’re all in the same ship here. The S.S. United States of America, and Obama’s spending spree is the iceberg.
Why should anyone decide they should support Obama because of his approval ratings?! Most of the people here think for themselves, and don’t let pollsters think for them. Remember, even Bush was this popular this time in 2001. Now, he is derided by many.