Just Say Why

The Latest Conservative Talking Points
by
David Schlecht

This comment from my recent post, Harold Estes, is such a fine example of conservatives’ talking points that it warrants a post of its own. We are at a critical time in America’s history and some people really believe that parroting their talking points constitutes discussion, or scores one for their team. Why isn’t America their team?

Chuck writes:

DAVID IS CORRECT — Progressives are always right because facts, history and reality are adjustable so listen up:
1. Fair taxes – If you make too much (a floating number based on government need), Uncle Handout takes the rest. If you make less, we “spread the wealth”; oh that’s right we’re broke and it’s Bush’s fault.. Not-with-standing that the top one percent currently pay over 40 percent of all individual taxes and the top 25 percent pay over 87 percent (IRS for 2007), but, they don’t deserve to keep the fruits of their labor like under that foolish old capitalistic free market system.. However, all be be solved soon with the new Cap and Tax Bill, Medical Bill, Chris Dodd’s new financial control legislation, expiration of those silly Bush tax cuts — but no fear, these things won’t affect YOU!!!!!

This isn’t some elementary school spelling bee. These are important issues and should be addressed seriously. How can anyone just take a set of numbers and not look at all sides? My gosh, you mean the ultra rich are paying 87% of our taxes? Oh, cry me a river. Let’s see, that is what percent? Well, since the top 25% make 98% of America’s income and it’s still increasing, that is 11% (98 -87) of those taxes that must be paid for by the middle class and working poor along with paying our own taxes. If they’re making 98% of the wealth shouldn’t they be paying at least 98% of the tax? Why should they get welfare from America’s working class?

Obviously Chuck wasn’t alive eight months ago when Obama dropped the tax on the working people of America, because he’s still wetting his pants worrying that Obama will ask him to pay his fair share. Yes, I do expect them to affect ME. I expect things to get back to being fair like it was before we started subsidising the wealthy.

2. Health Care — Of course we should have manditory Obama government health care to control costs, raise taxes and surpress another private industry.. We need another bloated govt. agency that has the budget and fiscal success like USPS, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Amtrac, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid (oh, thats right, these three would have been OK but uncle stole the money for other “needs”), etc., etc.. But hey, we’ll all get healthier walking to government clinics, standing in lines and learning to deal with pain while awaiting for our lottery number for that surgical procedure like our socialist country friends.. Besides, if you are over 65 and retired you don’t “contribute” enough in taxes or to the “public good” so of what use are you!!!

I am quite sad to see how little you think of America. Yes, we have some problems that we could clean up, but all in all I think America is a great nation. I wish you did, too. Someone has been nurturing some real hatred in you for your country.

I’m guessing Chuck has been nursing on the crap that Fox spews and the rest of the corporate media repeat. These are all lies and misconceptions. In fact, go to one of the many websites that try to set straight the lies. Any of these, these, these, or these would be a good place to start educating yourself.

The fact that this information is so freely available from the US government, I’m guessing Chuck hasn’t even tried finding the truth from the lies.

And, who do you think is going to pay for the national health reform? How about if the rich start paying their fair share, like Obama wants? Oh, that’s right, we can’t expect the rich to pay their own way, can we?

And, lastly, I bet we would all prefer any of these troubled organizations writing out my medical checks rather a billionaire CEO denying our claims so they can make more money but I’m sure that’s obvious.

3. Christian Nation – Of course we are not.. The 86 percent of the population that thinks we are just “cling to their bibles and guns” in times of stress anyway.. Therefore, ignor [sic] all those laws and rules in our judicial system, Constitution and Amendments because they have a basis in “morality” which comes from religion — bad!!!!

“Clinging to Bibles and guns.” You mean like McViegh and the Oklahoma City bombing by Christian radicals or others that have been discussed here, before?

If you think you get morals from religion, you’re sorely mistaken. Open your eyes. Are these the Christian morals you find in our constitution? No, you’re probably ignoring these. Please start naming them.

4. Immigration Control — Why?? You can’t be the Leader of the World until they are all here – “Come on Down” as they say on the game show..

This is another topic that we all agree on. Let’s find some common ground. Nobody wants illegal immigrants taking our jobs. Obviously we can’t build a big enough fence or murder enough to discourage them. The only way to discourage illegals from taking our jobs is to shut down the businesses that hire them. No jobs? They’ll all go home.

5. Military — Unnecessary… They just cause trouble, scare my friends and take money from our progressive agenda!!!

Our founding fathers would be horrified to know that we had a standing army during times of peace. That’s what the well-trained militia was supposed to be. Now we are controlled (more than half of our tax dollars spent to feed it) by the industrial military complex. We spend more on military than the rest of the world COMBINED!  Know that every dime spent there is a dime that isn’t being spent to make America a better place.

6. Pelosi Recommendation – Move the Capitol to San Fran. so I don’t have to wasted my time flying back and forth at least twice every week in my customized private Air Force jet!!!! The auto exec’s used to do that but we fixed them and are working on Wall Street and the finanical industry!!

Oh, please! Can you be serious?

6. Bowing and Apoligizing – We’re bad, really bad, and “I” know how to tell everyone that you greedy freedom and liberty loving capitalists are sorry… Ignor [sic] that as a nation, we have contributed more aid of every type, both foreign and domestic, than all other contries [sic] combined but YOU can do more and WE will arrange that!!!!

Please try to stay focused. Bowing and contributions and arrange for me, all in one breath? Nobody is saying we’re really bad. Can we and should we improve? The majority of American believe we can and should.

As for us being great contributors, this is so misleading. Americans spend most of our donations paying for million-dollar churches and paying the pay checks of billion dollar con artists. However, we, as a nation are the stingiest of the industrialised countries.

Etc., etc., etc…..
Comrade, I know these “truths to be self-evident” (because my Czars, tax evading appointees, lobbists [sic] and Chicago thugs told me so)!!!

Ah, yes, I believe this is another area where we can all agree: our broken government. Lobbyists are destroying our representative government. We need to get money out of our election process and corporate lawyers out of our Supreme Court. You know, the Supreme Court is soon to be deciding if multi-billion dollar corporations and international corporations should have freedom of speech by buying as much political advertising as they see fit. We need to get the lobbyists out of our government, we need to get money out of our elections and we need to get corporate lawyers out of our Supreme Court.