… than a man’s own words.
These are the words of Karl Rove, at a New York Conservative Party get-together. There’s nothing that makes me more nauseous, or underlines the horror that the conservative party represents in our government, than this man’s characterization of Liberalism vs Conservatism.
Conservatives believe in lower taxes; liberals believe in higher taxes. We want few regulations; they want more. Conservatives measure the effectiveness of government programs by results; liberals measure the effectiveness of government programs by inputs. We believe in curbing the size of government; they believe in expanding the size of government. Conservatives believe in making America a less litigious society; liberals believe in making America a more litigious society. We believe in accountability and parental choice in education; they don’t. Conservatives believe in advancing what Pope John Paul II called a “culture of life”; liberals believe there is an absolute unlimited right to abortion.
But perhaps the most important difference between conservatives and liberals can be found in the area of national security. Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers. In the wake of 9/11, conservatives believed it was time to unleash the might and power of the United States military against the Taliban; in the wake of 9/11, liberals believed it was time to… submit a petition. I am not joking. Submitting a petition is precisely what Moveon.org did. It was a petition imploring the powers that be” to “use moderation and restraint in responding to the… terrorist attacks against the United States.”
I don’t know about you, but moderation and restraint is not what I felt as I watched the Twin Towers crumble to the earth; a side of the Pentagon destroyed; and almost 3,000 of our fellow citizens perish in flames and rubble.
Moderation and restraint is not what I felt – and moderation and restraint is not what was called for. It was a moment to summon our national will – and to brandish steel.
MoveOn.Org, Michael Moore and Howard Dean may not have agreed with this, but the American people did. Conservatives saw what happened to us on 9/11 and said: we will defeat our enemies. Liberals saw what happened to us and said: we must understand our enemies. Conservatives see the United States as a great nation engaged in a noble cause; liberals see the United States and they see … Nazi concentration camps, Soviet gulags, and the killing fields of Cambodia.
Has there been a more revealing moment this year than when Democratic Senator Richard Durbin, speaking on the Senate floor, compared what Americans had done to prisoners in our control at Guantanamo Bay with what was done by Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot – three of the most brutal and malevolent figures in the 20th century?
Let me put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts to the region the words of Senator Durbin, certainly putting America’s men and women in uniform in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals.
It turns out pretty horrible (and of course he ignored the point that saying “don’t expose this, it makes us look bad” is no substitute for saying “don’t do that” in the first place), but interestingly, his view of liberals is not, in some ways, so far off. It’s true — I do want higher taxes, because I want them to pay for eveyone to go to college and for universal health care.
And this?
“Conservatives saw what happened to us on 9/11 and said: we will defeat our enemies. Liberals saw what happened to us and said: we must understand our enemies.”
Spot on.
In other words, although he engates in some level of mudslinging, I do think there’s some accuracy in his portrait.
[/politics] 🙂
Well stated! It makes you wonder what side the liberals are on, certainly not for Freedom or the betterment of America!
I do not want to pay higher taxes! I don’t believe they are distributed to the appropriate most beneficial groups. I am not interested in paying for people that do not want to work, I believe in the old fashion way âyou earn itâ?.
In regard to the statement of;
“Conservatives saw what happened to us on 9/11 and said: we will defeat our enemies. Liberals saw what happened to us and said: we must understand our enemies.”
Liberals – What do you not UNDERSTAND?
Definition of Enemy;
1.One who feels hatred toward, intends injury to, or opposes the interests of another; a foe.
2.
a. A hostile power or force, such as a nation.
b. A member or unit of such a force.
3. A group of foes or hostile forces.
4. Something destructive or injurious in its effects: âArt hath an enemy called Ignoranceâ? (Ben Jonson).
Of, relating to, or being a hostile power or force.
Definition of Ignorance;
The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.
Understanding what made someone your enemy is the first step in turning them (hopefully) into a friend. The US has had a long history of exploiting the Middle East; it’s no surprise that they’re tired of it. HOWEVER, acts of terrorism are not a good way to fix that problem. I’ve yet to meet a self-identified liberal who didn’t want to pound al-Quaada’s collective head into mush. I, personally, would take great pleasure in kicking bin Laden’s head in, and I’m not a violent person.
Iraq is not al-Quaada. We had no business going there. Now that we are there, though, we have to clean up our mess.
al-Jazeera has not been broadcasting Durbin’s words. For the most part, they’ve ignored what he said (cite: an expatriate I know who reads both al-Jazeera and al-Arabiyah (in Arabic, so it’s not the possibly cleaned up English version) says there has been nothing about it either at the time or since). Frankly, even if his speach had made an impact in MENA, I don’t see how it put our soldiers in more danger. Rove’s statement that it did is fallacious.
For a political philosophy that believes in lower taxes, less government, and fewer regulations, the Bush administration has been awfully good at expanding the government and instituting more regulations. They may have provided us with a “tax cut”, but their policies have lead to the biggest deficit in US history, which obviates the claim of fiscal responsibility. Their tax cut also didn’t benefit the middle class all that much; mostly it benefited the really rich people who can more easily afford to pay taxes.
Finally, understand that a different viewpoint is not the same thing as ignorance or wrong-headedness. Too many people in this country have polarized to the point where anyone who disagrees with them is automatically stupid, willfully ignorant, and possibly traitorous. That ain’t the case, and it’s rude, inconsiderate, and discourteous to imply that it is.
My reaction was exactly the same as Sarah T’s. This passage:
“Conservatives saw what happened to us on 9/11 and said: we will defeat our enemies. Liberals saw what happened to us and said: we must understand our enemies.”
struck me as 100% accurate. No matter whether you think the goal is to defeat your enemy or to turn them into your friend, I don’t believe you can do either without understanding them first.
I doubt that Rove doesn’t get that, either. I think he’s cynically playing against Middle America’s perception of liberalism, and most of the time when he does that, he’s right. That’s kind of frightening and worth thinking about.
I’m pleased that there’s this much chatter going on on this thread. I wonder if it can be summed up, as I see it, as:
Conservatives see things in absolutes.
Liberals see things in shades of gray.
I don’t think any Liberal is saying ‘we should not attack anyone! Just kiss them!’, but from my perspective, the decision to attack Afghanistam was indeed appropriate, and any president in power would have made that choice.
Liberals think, then act. Conservatives act, then justify.
Conservatives see things in absolutes.
Liberals see things in shades of gray.
Yes – that’s absolutely right. Er – I mean, that’s mostly right for most instances. Yeah – that’s what I mean.