Here is a rant I chickened out of posting as a comment on a newspaper website in my home town

[LuckyTheDog]

But I HAD to post this somewhere...

The basic aspects of patriotism – national loyalty, concern about the future of one’s country, a basic interest in the well-being of fellow citizens and the strength of the culture – don’t even exist in the thinking of today’s conservatives. They believe that the decline of the United States is not only inevitable, but desirable, if that’s where a devotion to laissez-faire capitalism leads us.

Conservatives were not always this way. They used to believe in America and what it stands for. Now, their priority is whatever serves the interests of the most rich and powerful – those conservatives look at as the “natural” leaders of society. Democracy, to them, is a now seen problem to work around, and not a thing to be admired and cherished.

To the modern conservative, even American greatness is not an end in itself. To the extent the U.S. can maintain a massive military able to “project force” in a way that protects corporate interests, the government seems useful to them. But the very idea that our resources should be used to build a better society is anathema to them. Priorities like maintaining a strong middle class, supporting education, funding basic research, maintaining infrastructure, promoting artistic achievement, reducing poverty and providing decent health to citizens – those are not even on their radar screen.

The dream country of the modern conservative is one full of uneducated people who don’t expect much, don’t complain and do what they are told by the One Percenters. And THAT is why they wanted the U.S auto industry taken down. It was a chance to put a stake in the heart of the American working middle class once and for all. They will never forgive Obama for taking that away from them.

OK... I feel better now... Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

[annabanana]

1. Go ahead.. send it.

Every thing you've said is absolutely truthful, verifiable and righteous!

[LuckyTheDog]

2. Naaah ... I have to live here

But, thanks.

[madrchsod]

3. i know how ya feel...

my paper posts our full names...no thanks. yesterday a guy wanted to kill "government education" and replace it with private schools or state run schools. i really think he does`t grasp the concept of the UNITED states of america.

[annabanana]

4. Aw nutz

Your profile gives no hints..

Are you in a small red place? No allies?

[LuckyTheDog]

6. I am in a big place where I know a lot of prominent people...

... and where I already am seen as a kind of a loose cannon.

The place is Detroit. It's a big small town in a lot of ways.

[annabanana]

8. OMG Michigan.. You poor thing. I understand

that you've all lost your democracy up there.

Do people just not understand the ramifications of unilateral dissolving of elected bodies? Or do they just not care?
Are people too scared to fight back or what?

You options are getting smaller every day.

[zbdent]

5. Don't forget ... the "conservatives" were screaming at how FDR was trying to draw

us into that European snit that became WWII, and gave us the Holocaust ... traditionally, conservatives were against involvement in foreign wars ...

Which they now try to claim that "liberals" would have had the entire world speaking German ...

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. I say ...

go ahead and send it ... with one small change (boldfaced below):

The basic aspects of patriotism – national loyalty, concern about the future of one’s country, a basic interest in the well-being of fellow citizens and the strength of the culture – don’t even APPEAR exist in the thinking of today’s conservatives. They SEEM TObelieve that the decline of the United States is not only inevitable, but desirable, if that’s where a devotion to laissez-faire capitalism leads us.

Those changes make it clear that it is your opinion and blunts the "false fact" denial that conservatives will attack with. For example: If I say "you ARE this way or that way", your counter-argument is "No I'm not." But if I say, "You appear to be this way or that way", you beg them to address/defend their appearance.

[annabanana]

9. What HE said, Lucky.. . . (good edit). . .n/t

[lunatica]

10. You make an excellent point

And I think President Obama actually has them on the defensive because they're trying to explain themselves, albeit by attacking what he says.

If we can control what everyone is talking about we've won.