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twitterLetter to the editor:
Size of government is driving populist rage
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 | 2:01 a.m.
Frank Rich’s Sunday column in the Las Vegas Sun (“Populist anger on the right is about a lot more than racism”) came close but couldn’t break through his personal prejudices regarding the motivation behind the tea party in Washington and his animosity toward Glenn Beck.
Columnist David Brooks got it right. The demonstration was Jeffersonian and was in opposition to the two major political parties and big government.
Both the Republicans and Democrats in Congress have but one goal — to get reelected. For that to happen, they need money, so they kowtow to those who have money. A populist cannot run for public office because of the tremendous price to campaign.
Unless you are from one of the two established parties, you cannot raise enough money to compete. The result is two parties that share a goal of rewarding their supporters and growing government.
Just about the only organization hiring today is government. Big government strangles initiative and creates bureaucracies whose sole purpose is preservation and growth.
That government that governs best is the government closest to the problem. But the federal government has imposed itself in many areas that a lower layer of government should be handling and has, in so doing, violated the restrictions placed on the federal government by the Constitution.
It is time for the states to assert themselves. It is past time for the federal government to return to its constitutional duties and not just stop the geometric growth of government employment, but also eliminate those departments that impinge on states’ rights, i.e., the Education Department.
“Power to the people” had a different meaning in the ’70s, but it does seem an appropriate slogan today. Perhaps it could be modified to “Power to the states.”
Discussion: 56 comments so far…
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hey bill...
a swing and a miss..
the states simply can not handle all of the crises created by w the scum bag liar loser clown...
the states could not have saved wall street from complete collapse...
got that skippy...
and another thing...
there weren't that many the tea baggers in washington...
only 65,000...
not the 1 - 1.5 million reported by cluster fox...
and 3/4's of those were probably paid to be there...
got that skipster!!!
The federal government is not the only one that is too big. State and local governments continue to invade personal space and freedoms. As each group gains control they want to fix life for everyone by shaping new laws to push their agenda.
It's time to shrink all levels of government. The recession is shrinking some but we have to stop the federal government to get our individual rights restored.
Vote Liberterian, the party of the people and of freedom for all.
Frank Rich is an obvious racist and why the LVSun continues to regurgitate the racist rantings of NYTimes writers is beyond me.
"The demonstration was Jeffersonian..."
Bwahahahahaha!
George Jeffersonian is more like it. They don't like them uppity types
movin' on up...
to that deeelux apartment in the sky...
gettin' a piece of the pie!
States Rights, indeed.
Government is not the problem. The problem since Reagan has been the massive growth in government borrowing. Just go to "The National Debt", "The 14 points of Fascism" by the Old American Century, also--www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/09/14/resentment. Go to the library and read "The 12 Year Reich" by Richard Grunberger. Have an objective day!
Size of government is driving populist rage - William F. Brennan, Las Vegas
Kudo's to William F. Brennan of Las Vegas for telling it like it is.
Why, do you ask?
Because, with a few reservations it is how I also view the TEA party movement.
Yet, believe me when I say that I do understand that persons with other world views will attempt to rationalize the thoughts of Mr. Brennan in an effort to integrate what was said with their own personal beliefs.
I have a suggestion for all, take off your partisan shoes, and walk in the shoes of another for a day. I am not suggesting that anyone needs to change their political views; I am just suggesting that in order to understand a conversation one needs to learn how to listen and comprehend what is being said.
Take what Mr. Brennan said at face value, and don't interject the talking points of some dishonest left or right winger into his arguments.
You see, the TEA parties are not a fringe movement of any political party; they are a grass roots non-partisan Jeffersonian movement of people, which are inspired by the principles of individual freedom and a Constitutional Government. That is not to say; that those in power on the far right are not involved . . . they are, as they are attempting to harness that movement for their own political gain.
And it is not to say these TEA party people are against Socialism, as socialism has been with us since the beginning of recorded history. But, where Socialism existed and worked was within the family, the church and the private sector community. It is only when Government attempted to replace the Church, community and family in the role of provider that Socialism failed. We do need Socialism, but we also need to keep the Government out of Socialism for it to work.
Ghostcommander,
Read this http://users.stlcc.edu/rkalfus/PDFs/026....
and then stop talking about Nazis
PS ghost, a large chunk of the deficit spending has been BECAUSE of poorly designed welfare programs. So yes, it has been the government's fault.
Hey Birdie; How do you know how many demonstators were in DC? Were you there lib bag?
Another subject--Frank Rich is overwhelmed by Glenn Beck. Rich doesn't know how to fathom Beck--if you read Sunday's NY Times ed by Rich "Even Glenn Beck is right two times a day" it was clear that Rich is enomored by Beck, paying Beck the back handed compliments by devoting an article to Beck. Beck has been zooming up the charts, and he has a best selling book--"Common Sense".
Go To/Google: The Bush Tax Cuts" and scroll down to crook and liars and you will get a very good picture of who are the really big spenders. Also, How many agencies of the Federal government were privatized by the cheney/bush Criminal Enterprise and did it cost the taxpayers less or more? What about the no-bid and inflated contracts in Iraq/Afghanistan that were paid even though they did not perform the work? Stop being a Brownshirt pawn for the right wing extremist that created the economic problems we now face. Do you have the capacity to face up to the cold hard facts or do you let the "Big Liars" form your opinion for you?
Frank Rich: "Glenn Beck is right twice per day" refers to a stopped clock that is right twice per day.
You mention Glenn Beck, don't forget to catch him at 2:00 or if you miss him, he is on again at 11:00.
Yes he has passion and yes he has grit. You just might learn something by listening to him.
Oh the channel, just in case you forgot is, the FOX NEWS channel which is one of the best.
Patrick: I'm not sure why the reference to the Nazi Party platform? It was, at the time, mere political rhetoric that was, except for its antisemitism, never implemented. But what is interesting is that it was designed to appeal to both the left (nationalization of wealth and education reform) and the right (anti immigrant and militarism). I'm not sure if you are suggesting that liberals who are for education reform are really Nazis or if you are being facetious?
As to the suggestion that Tea Party is really a grass roots movement, I'll believe that when its not funded by medical industrial complex PAC's.
Because the demagogue known as Ghostcommander keeps bringing up fascists. I just posted the Nazi Party Platform so he could see that he's wasting his time bringing them up, owing to the fact that he agrees with their economic preferences.
Republicans have been corporatists for a few years...but so have Democrats so he's not making a point worth laboring on for very long.
Now anyone who keeps thinking that grassroots activities on the right don't occur unless a corporation says its ok needs to get their egos checked.
PS, militarism IS NOT the sphere of ONLY the Right Wing. Progressives in America were once very militaristic and very much into nationalism.
Besides what on earth defines Right Wing anyway.
We should probably do away with the right and left flat spectrum...try this instead: http://www.nolanchart.com/
You'll find Nazis very much in the Statist Camp with other Fascists and with Communists.
Most Fascist/Nazi brownshirts always attack the messenger of the truth because it is easier to do that than look for the truth. As adults we are supposed to look for the truth, not hide from it!
and so did you actually read the 25 points or are you just going to continue speaking without knowing what you're talking about?
Hey Pat-
I agree with you and also, I don't remember hearing a conservative state anytime recently:
"We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded."
Usually a dictatorship follows when a "civilian" security force" is created. Does the name Castro ring any bells?
Ok retarded people who do not know what Fascism means should stop using it because we all know you use it as a code for the N word. So just stop.
Go to the library and read up about it. The Neocons and fascist trio of evil (Cheney, Rumsfeld,Wolfowitz) acting on the behalf of corporations and behind GW's back are a perfect example of fascism. Corporations ran this country by proxy through Dick "The Torturer" Cheney for 8 years. Starting with the oil company summit that they will still not release the details on.
I mean for the love of God get educated or GTFO of the forums.
Yes I remember when Obama said that. That was a bit shocking. Considering Nazi Germany had the SA (Stormtroopers) and the SS, I think Obama backed down on that front after he remembered his history.
Angry, you're a demagogue and you don't know what you're talking about. Both Republicans and Democrats are highly influenced by the special interest of corporations, often at the expense of everyone else. This is why we get so many bailouts, subsidies, big (easily manipulated) anti-competitive regulations and anti-free trade measures.
While we have lots of corporatists in power, they aren't complete fascists yet. So it is you, sir (or ma'am) who needs a bit of an education.
I think that some of you geniuses should turn around and look forward. The past is important, but can not tell the future. Bush, Chaney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and a whole herd of others are players of the past. As you waste your time paying attention to them, you are being used by the new players who will take your freedom along with your money.
So, turn around and take a look what is going on today, before you become history just like the ones you hate.
Those who do not remember the negative history are not necessarily doomed to repeat it, but they may let others repeat it because of their ignorance. Ignorance may be bliss, but it is no virtue. Knowledge is virtue. Form your own opinions and form them as true as you can. The internet is a library of the world--use it!
You're all talk and no substance. You have not proved you have knowledge or are capable of discovering it. All you do is say "Fascist" and then throw in the word "truth" without even defending your claims.
One truth that I have found out about the right wing brownshirt bloggers is they never use facts or statistics and they always try to insult or intimidate those who put forth the cold hard facts. Do they not realize they are showing the world how ignorant they really are? Are they afraid to click on the truth?
PS, some of you on the left are simply being dogmatic about this, and others are simply letting liberal talking heads do the thinking for you. This is why you get so upset about tea parties and Republicans.
But think about this for a moment.
Democrats control 59% of the seats in the house and 60% of the seats in the Senate.
It's not the Republicans that are stopping this. It's the People. Those grassroots movements are as real as you can get and they are full of people who want to stop the government from making a bad (and expensive choice).
Democrats aren't being stopped by the Party of No; they are being stopped by the People of "No More!"
Ghost, I haven't done a single personal attack, merely pointed out the fact that all you do is name call (which, ironically is a personal attack) and refuse to defend your own points (like use statistics for example).
Again, you're all talk and no substance.
Just go to the sites that I mentioned earlier for some facts. Another good site to go to to get facts is: www.census.gov/prod/2009 pubs.
Patrick: The health care bill isn't being stopped by people, its being talked down by people on the payroll of or encouraged by the corporate interests who get fat off the status quo. You want facts, the CEO of a med company invented "death panels" out of thin air as a pure scare tactic. The CEO of Cigna earned nine figures in tax deferred stock options and there are memos showing how he directed CIGNA support for tea party movement.
That being said, you are absolutely correct that the Dems are as responsive to their corporate masters as the GOP is to theirs, and as the "national socialists" were in their time. But rather than throw the baby out with the bath water, lets figure out a way to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. And today that is health coverage for all, without bankrupting either the economy by staying with the status quo or the government by adopting a program that doesn't restrain costs. Lets not talk about "government is bad" or "death panels" or the big bad trial lawyers.
The problem is that the status quo doesn't save money, doesn't reduce overall costs and provides no efficiencies. Counties like Clark are going broke providing ER care to uninsureds (including some illegals) when those costs shouldn't be incurred because of wellness care and early treatment and covered by some form of universal health care funding mechanism.
How about a "springing" public option that doesn't go into effect unless a reform program doesn't produce the necessary cost savings? There is a solution out there other than the status quo.
So any time a rich person makes a donation to something they control it?
Does that mean UNLV is controlled by Brian Greenspun and all the professors do his bidding?
What about Soros? Did all those people who opposed the wars serve as mindless proxies for his will?
That is a bit naive. The grassroots on the right are as real as any grassroots on the left.
Furthermore, it is known that Democrats have in their camp major corporations of their own, including the giant Wal-Mart, which is in support of their plan. I've heard from others Democrats also have the support of the AMA and some major pharmaceutical companies. Insurance companies are also excited about the mandate democrats are pushing (they just don't like the public option part).
Please stop moaning about corporations, as you have agreed, both sides have their own friends pushing their agendas, but independent of that, we the people can have and can formulate our own opinions.
The reason the dems haven't rammed "reform" down our throats is simple...A politicians job is to get re-elected. These Dems know if they ram this garbage down our throats they will be out of a job come 2010. They also know the Dems will not regain power in the executive or legislative branches for a great length of time. Health care/insurance/it is a fine not a tax although it meets the definition of a tax if you reach a little reform is D-E-A-D. Hopefully the masses vote in Pelosi's district and get rid of her too, just like the good people of Nevada are going to do to Harry Reid.
Some more sites that you can go to for the facts: www.mediamatters.org, www.factcheck.org, and www.trueslant.com/matttaibbi
There are 47,000,000 people in the USA that do not have health care. Ten million of those are children. Every year 27,000 people die because they do not have health care. Solve the problem!
It took leftists seventy years of deficit spending to put the nation a trillion dollars in debt. It took Obama less than six weeks in power to quadruple that number while killing off any hope for a free market recovery of the economy. Obama will grow every aspect of the government to ensure no free market recovery will occur.
Obama and clan are evil sadistic people. They support and are trying to cram their policies down our throats. If we don't vote them out in 2010 and 2012 they will force feed us, Marxism, Black Liberation, and Socialism.
All one has to do to check the facts on the National debt is Go To or Google; "The National Debt". One can also go to: www.crooksandliars.com/node/31096/print. The cheney/bush misadministration doubled the national debt. At present it is over $11,000,000,000,000
Ghost, I already dismantled this chart. Care to defend your other points?
Look how the picture changes when you go back further in time: http://www.preemptivekarma.com/archives/...
Look what happens when you look at the inflation adjusted debt: http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/inflat...
Now think of what happens when you realize the Congress, not the President, controls the purse...
For those of you that are interested about the National Debt go to: www.lafn.org/politics/gvdc/Natl_Debt_Cha....
Go to: www.bushwatch.com
Goto: www.ourfuture.org
Patrick and its2hot, you're being disingenuous again. The first of all you are pretending that deficits are created by the president at the time incurred instead of based on the legislation and economic growth pattern in place at the beginning of his term. Blaming the current deficit on Obama is the kind of silly rhetoric I'd expect from Sarah Palin, not from a scholar. The Bank bailout was in place before the election (with the help of democrats but based on very specific proposals from the Bush43 SecTreas. And the dramatic downturn's impact on revenues is clearly not an Obama caused phenomenon. And for all the hoopla that the stimulus bill wouldn't work, we've now had 5 consecutive months of increase in leading indicators so the stimulus bill sure didn't hurt (but then I'm an unapologetic Keynesian).
The principal causes of the growth in the debt has been decreases in revenue or increases in entitlement programs which aren't self funded. The big increases in the second half of the 20th century are a result of Reagan/Bush41, and their modification of Social Security with concurrent increases in defense spending while adding the social security "surplus" to revenue for purposes of hiding their deficits. (And all this debt was despite Weimar Republic levels of inflation to "monetize" the resulting debt.) The next big chunk of debt flows from funding the Iraq war not out of budgeted funds but as "extraordinary" appropriations, again so that "conservatives" could pretend to have a smaller deficit. The coup de gras for Medicare is the 2003 Drug Benefit which was in reality a subsidy of the Drug industry and is the principal reason for the likely insolvency of medicare in 2016 or so.
I am not going to pretend that Democrats don't play a role. They absolutely do. Just that on this issue its a smaller role.
Go to: www.alternet.org/world/74715/
OK, so 47,000,000 in this country have no healthcare. 10,000,000 of them children. All that means is that a lot of children have lousy parents. I provided healthcare for my single child that I have. I did not blow the money on gambling, drinking or anything else. Before we had our son, we made sure we had everyhing we needed to care for him. If someone else decides not to be resposible why should I bail them out. They brought the child into the world not me They are responsible for the child's well being, not me. If the child dies, I will not feel it is something I did wrong, I will rightfully blame the parent. Their child is their responsibility not mine.
HSS,
I didn't blame Obama, if you read my post carefully you would notice that.
Second, I don't think the evidence is clear AT ALL that the stimulus is working. The available evidence suggests that it is just as likely that the stimulus as nothing and the economy is recovering on its own.
As for the rest I had already mentioned that the primary driver of our national debt had been entitlement programs, many of which escalated during the Reagan years.
As for the Drug benefit in 2003, it was a horrible and expensive program. One Democrats would have loved to push through (Just like NCLB) but are now playing partisan politics about the issue.
PS, there is also no evidence to suggest that Democrats wouldn't have taken additional revenue that had been apart of the tax cuts and saved the money or reduced debt. Most of the time, government regardless of party tends to spend the money in good times. These tax cuts tend to come when government is rolling in dough and they can pretend to give a little back.
Nevada is no exception: our legislature blew all the extra money it raked in which sunk us in this current hole http://npri.org/publications/legislature...
Brennan, neiman1, a few others -- you guys are right on with this. Let the herd moo on.
"Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
I looked at www.alternet.org and I'm sure Bush did not always tell the truth but Obamma has lied ten times as much since he took office as Bush did in eight years. "You will have your own choice of health care". LIE! "This plan will be paid for by savings of fraud and abuse". LIE! "This will not increase the national debt". LIE! "This will not require any increase in taxes". LIE! "The government is your friend". LIE! "This plan will not pay for abortion". LIE! "Illegals will not be eligable for this government program". LIE! "This will not affect Medicare". LIE! If this fool in the White house were Pinochio his nose would be so long he could not get it onto Air Force One and if he could the airplane could not get off the ground. Obama is a serial liar.
hss46:
The stimulus bill has done nothing but grows government that enables their lazy followers not to work. The so called growth you're speaking of is public employees. The private sector is stagnant and the current administration has no desire to see this change.
I do agree that the Iraq war drained tax payer funds and is a waste of funds. To-date this is still a waste along with the Afghanistan war. Obama is continuing the spending on these two wars and he says they'll continue to spend.
Obama and clan have no desire to slow the welfare role down instead they're increasing by design a system where people become co-dependent on the government. This is how Obama and clan work and they'll stop at nothing to shut businesses down for profit and replace with welfare baby making crack heads.
The sad part is that democrats don't know any better. They've told the big lie for so many years they really believe it is true. When Obama was told "You Lie" it was said in good faith. He is a liar as far as I am concerned and he and his clan are absolutely worthless.
Mr. Brennan got it right. The outrage is due to the hugely bloated size of our government and the ridiculous, unchecked and irresponsible spending being done by the current congress/administration at a time when citizens are scrimping, if they even have jobs. It is impossible to see a way out of our deficit and they keep piling it on.
Most of you actually believe there is a difference between the dems and repubs. I'm sorry, there isn't. What's sad is that so many people believed the hope and change this con man preached. You elected George W. Obama, suckers.
I can't picture liberals doing anything to protect personal liberties and limit the size of government. They seem bent on throwing away everything that many generations of Americans have given so much to protect, all for the sake of the next election.
Keep this in mind - The revolution that brought this nation to life was started by gun-toting right-wing extremists. I don't recommend pushing them much further.
Libertarians are hardly the party of freedom.
They want a church state. They are anti gay, anti abortion, anti hate crime.
It is a white rule party advocating one religion.
Livrtyatians are the worst.
Nick -- I'm a Libertarian. You're wrong.
Make a state by state referendum to establish term limits for U.S. House of Representatives & the U.S. Senate; that is how Prohibition was passed as an Ammendment to the Constitution. Make it Six Term Limit for the House, Three Term Limit for the Senate. We have a Two Term Limit for President, why not make it for the other elected U.S. Officials.
No offense Killer Bee. Most libertarians are far right religous wacks, not you.
In fact my BFF is a recovering libertarian. The Bob Barr nomination proved too much for him and he left the party.
The platform is decent but libertarians let the bible crowd destroy the party. Add the homophobes and racists and it is not an attractive group.
Nick -- none taken.
Wackos are in everywhere. To some here I'm one. But I have a low tolerance threshold for the types you mentioned. But what the party itself stands for is quite the opposite of all that. Check it out at http://www.lp.org/
or the locals
http://www.clarkcountylp.org/
larry-fox news is the best-hey buddy, please get a brainscan to see if there is activity going on.