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Originally Posted by stevo
I think your view of the 'republican agenda' is a tad skewed and mostly wrong. but keep on keepin on brotha'.
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Hey Stevo - "Keepin' on" is all I know!
Let me ask you just a quick couple of questions about how my view is wrong. I grew up in a generations deep republican family. Military all over my father's side, midwest working-class on my mom's. I hated Carter, loved Regan (mostly), and was ok with Bush I. To keep this brief - the 3 reasons I was Republican were:
1. Small Federal Govt. - this to me was the base idea for Republicans. A large fed meant laws and budgets would be managed by people who had never stepped foot in my state. Inneffective, "Big Gov't" wasting my tax dollars. Push the power and money to the states.
2. Conservative Fiscal Policies - Conservative doesn't mean spend little, it means you don't influence monetary cycles. The Fed makes small adjustments infrequently to prevent inflation and to ensure the value of the US currency worldwide. Regan used to joke that he had only one lunch with Greenspan in 8 years - the day he appointed him. Since the election in November, Greenspan has had to raise interest rates 6 times because he wasn't allowed to raise them slowly over the last 2 1/2 years like we should have. We can't even give away T-bills on the world market because everyone knows they will lose 20% over the next year out of the gate. Add in our money supply issue and even Japan won't return our calls.
3. Corporate Protection - I admit it, I bought into "Trickle Down Economics". I thought unions were whiners and doomsayers. "The corporations don't have your interests at heart, don't trust them, they will dip into your pension funds, they will do mass layoffs, they will move operations overseas, and they will do it with the government's blessing." It sounds so naive now - The tax breaks go to the corporations so they can re-invest in the future, nay, YOUR future! See, kid... we give the money to the wealthy 1% and than when they spend it, it will trickle, trickle, trickle, down to the rest of you.
Eh, I was young.
I still think I am right about the first 2 points though. I have just been waiting for a Republican to walk me through how either 1 and 2 are no longer ideology of the Republican party, and when that changed. OR, that 1 and 2 are what being republican is all about, and here's what you, chickentribs, are missing that is going on.
I hope that this comes across sincere, because it is. And, Stevo, I hope that you reply and point out what I misunderstand. In lieu of Stevo I would be interested in your opinions Ustwo, or Moosenose, or Powerclown, or anyone... Thanks!