New book by John Dean

[airfrogusmc]

Interesting book by John Dean. It will be my next read.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_john_dea_060710_how_conservatives_ha.htm

 

[Lincsong]

Mo' was a hottie back before unleaded gas.lol

 

[Katt in Hat]

What in God's Green Earth has Maureen Dean got to do with this?

Mo' was a hottie back before unleaded gas.lol

The title of the book is "How Conservatives Have Become Authoritarians and What it Means".

"Contemporary conservatives have become extremely contentious, confrontational, and aggressive in nearly every area of politics and governing. Today they have a tough-guy (and, in a few instances, a tough-gal) attitude, an arrogant and antagonistic style, along with a narrow outlook intolerant of those who challenge their extreme thinking. Incivility is now their norm. "During the Father Bush period, there was a presumption of civility," Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute observes, but "we lost it under Clinton," when conservatives relentlessly attacked his presidency, and "then the present President Bush deliberately chose a strategy of being a divider, rather than a uniter."

 

[Lincsong]

The title of the book is "How Conservatives Have Become Authoritarians and What it Means".

"Contemporary conservatives have become extremely contentious, confrontational, and aggressive in nearly every area of politics and governing. Today they have a tough-guy (and, in a few instances, a tough-gal) attitude, an arrogant and antagonistic style, along with a narrow outlook intolerant of those who challenge their extreme thinking. Incivility is now their norm. "During the Father Bush period, there was a presumption of civility," Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute observes, but "we lost it under Clinton," when conservatives relentlessly attacked his presidency, and "then the present President Bush deliberately chose a strategy of being a divider, rather than a uniter."

The title itself is hilarious. He doesn't describe conservatives, but Liberals like Ron Dellums, Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, Charles Shumer. Except it should read; "today they have a sissified (and in a few instances, whinning gal) attitude.

As for Mo' keep reading down that long winded introduction. I'm thinking white '71 Corvette on a beach.

 

[Katt in Hat]

Truth, You Want the Truth? You Can't Handle the Truth!

"I'm not one, you're one..."

"No, You're one..."

"No, You..."

"Nayh..."

It is reported that approximately 25% of the population can be categorized as;

Authoritarian Followers.

(gasp!) Do a Google...

 

[Lincsong]

"I'm not one, you're one..."

"No, You're one..."

"No, You..."

"Nayh..."

It is reported that approximately 25% of the population can be categorized as;

Authoritarian Followers.

(gasp!) Do a Google...

Actions speak louder than words;
Liberals always want more regulations, Conservatives don't. Liberals want to tax you for everything you do, Conservatives don't. Want to see authoritarian dictatorial politicians?; New York, New Jersey, New England, Los Angeles, and San Francisco Bay Area. Want to see undictarorial, anti-authoritarian; Wyoming, Arizona, Texas. Let's see, 6-8 years for a developer to get approval to build homes in California, Florida and Texas 6 weeks at the most. Massachusetts; illegal to pick up a natural gas appliance at a store unless you're a contractor.

 

[airfrogusmc]

Man you have really bought into the marketing hype haven't you. Actions do speak loader than words. Government has grown by over 30% since 2000. Spending is up even more and we have an adminastration that hasn't seen a spending bill yet worthy of a veto. But hey we have both the house and the senate and still can't get anything done. Even our supreme court has been ruling against us. But we're right (pardon the pun).

But what does any of this have to do with the book?

 

[Pilgrim]

Judging by the excerpt from Dean's book, it might be worth reading!

fftopic: fftopic: fftopic: fftopic: fftopic: fftopic: fftopic:

Here is a vaguely non-sectarian comment: from my point of view, both parties are acting like they are made up of staff-and-elected idiots. They are so polarized that there is little effective discourse or policy making, which serves no citizen, nor does it serve either party.

The Republicans seem to have decided that they have a direct line to gawd, and that the antichrist gawdless Dems should have no role in governing. This attitude has reached its peak in the behavior of the White House over the past few years. Never mind facts; just act as if the world is actually the way you've made up your mind it should be, and act accordingly. The answer to budget problems is to cut internal programs for citizens in order to fund a war that is politically unsupportable within the US as well as overseas.

The Democrats are doing their best to demonize the Republicans (who are making it easy to do) as brainless war supporters and anti-immigrant bigots, and the Dem Party Chair (Howard Dean) seems capable of inventing new levels of rhetoric and idiocy every time he opens his mouth. The Dems are now doing to Bush what the Repubs did during the Clinton administration - blocking every initiative and appointment of the other party. They are missing out on every opportunity they have to score points while the other party fumbles the ball repeatedly.

I feel like crying "a plague on both your houses"!

There seems to be no effort to govern jointly, to find workable compromises, or to act in a "statesman-like" manner, demonstrating that elected officials can have both party ties and a conscience.

Harrumph, harumph.

 

[airfrogusmc]

fftopic: The ones really running our gov. and it should outrage each and every one of us is big business. They seem to have both parties in their pockets.

But has anyone read the book?

 

[Tomasso]

fftopic: The ones really running our gov. and it should outrage each and every one of us is big business. They seem to have both parties in their pockets.

There is no question that the business lobby runs this country. There is little difference between Democrats and Republicans.

 

[Brad Bowers]

fftopic: The ones really running our gov. and it should outrage each and every one of us is big business. They seem to have both parties in their pockets.

But has anyone read the book?

I saw it at Borders the other day and was interested. If it is still on sale next week, I might pick it up.

Brad

 

[scotrace]

This one became instantly contentious. It's just a book.

And a closed thread.