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246 Comments
- freedomjoe, on 02/19/2009, -17/+163"So, nearly 80 percent of the current debt—about which conservatives now complain—was acquired on the watch of the three most recent conservative Presidents"
Try getting them to admit to this fact. - apastafarian, on 02/21/2009, -18/+119The GOP mantra, "it's always wrong unless we're doing it".
- GeographyJoe, on 02/19/2009, -28/+121as anyone who has been on digg for the last few days knows, the finger wagging moralists are on the march. don your rain jackets.This is a Must Read
- rolf, on 02/21/2009, -11/+93We haven't had true fiscal conservatives in the Presidency for a long time. Anybody claiming otherwise is full of it. Even Reagan, pretending to be libertarian leaning, upped the war on drugs and all that nonsense which means increased government and increased spending.
Show me a President that cut the size of government or at least froze it during his term, and I show you a fiscal conservative. The last 100 has been sparse.
Not including Obama, of the last 5 presidents, Clinton was the most fiscally conservative. Which is some type of bad joke. Anyway, I'm glad that the republicans are standing up now for it, although I'm under no illusion that its because they reformed rather than simply because the other guy is in office. - NoVABaller, on 02/21/2009, -14/+71*****. Any true "fiscal conservative" was and is objected to all the wasteful spending that all the neo-cons enacted these past years. Do you want to see how a fiscal conservative saw this situation? Go see if Ron Paul voted for ANY of the inane spending that got us here. THAT is a fiscal conservative, don't sling mud because you're not getting your way.
- MothBoy, on 02/21/2009, -12/+67Please don't confuse Bush Republicans with fiscal conservatives.
Ron Paul is fiscally conservative. Libertarians are fiscally conservative. Progressive Democrats are not. Bush Republicans are not. - Ne007, on 02/21/2009, -17/+63Why is it that the GOP wants to blame everybody but themselves?
Take responsibility and man up or get bitch slapped. I can't listen to them, especially Rush Limbaugh...it's like they are taking crazy pills, they don't remember that time didn't start with Obama. They criticize the dems for everything they themselves have done.
...at least the dems are acting like dems with their big spending. What's the GOP's excuse? - GeographyJoe, on 02/21/2009, -10/+45He was no liberal, my friend.
He ran like a Neo-con, and ran up a 3 trillion dollar debt for the war and trillions of dollars in debt for the tax cuts he gave the rich.
He's no liberal. A liberal would not start an illegal war, out a CIA agent, leave the Katrina victims to suffer without water or help for weeks, etc. Bush ran this place like a ***** Fascist country- using the flag and the bible to shove it down our throats, as all Fascists do.
I'm sure he embarrassed you, but the policies of tax cuts as a solution and free markets with NO regulation have failed and until you guys admit that and regroup, the brand is dead. - Ymeg, on 02/21/2009, -12/+46How the republicans claim they are the face of fiscal responsibility and working markets is beyond me.
- lexington86, on 02/21/2009, -18/+46Who among us would actually claim that Bush was actually fiscally responsible? The GOP is ***** these days and long ago lost its way. If you wanted to write an article about how the GOP sucks because of their hypocritical conservatism, don't waste your time; we already know this to be true. If you wanted a true small government, fiscally responsible conservative, you should have voted for Ron Paul.
Buried for furthering the "us vs. them" crusade. - hipnerd, on 02/21/2009, -2/+30"Show me a President that cut the size of government or at least froze it during his term, and I show you a fiscal conservative."
------------------------------------------------------
"During Reagan's tenure, the number of federal employees decreased by 29,000--a 2 percent drop. During Clinton's reign, the number of federal jobs plunged by 200,000--a stunning 13 percent slash.
All the others have presided over a steady expansion in the size of government. President George W. Bush has seen the number of government employees surge by a whopping 79,000."
-National Review
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_20_ ...
---------------------------------------------------
There you have it. Bill Clinton: Fiscal Conservative.
Next. - beprogressive, on 02/19/2009, -30/+58Hey, if you guys like this, please shout it out to your friends...this is what the next big battle is going to be over, so we need to get the public straight on the facts from the beginning.
Thanks! - Chompy, on 02/21/2009, -7/+32Indeed. I think the best way to sum up the whole thing is this:
Democrats: Tax and Spend.
Republicans: Spend and Spend. - DirtyVicar, on 02/21/2009, -5/+29How do you make a contribution to reduce the debt?
Make your check payable to the Bureau of the Public Debt, and in the memo section, notate that it is a Gift to reduce the Debt Held by the Public. Mail your check to:
Attn Dept G
Bureau Of the Public Debt
P. O. Box 2188
Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/resources/faq/f ...
If all us Diggers chip in a total of thousand bucks, we'll get that ***** down to $10,799,999,999,000. - ZenMojo, on 02/21/2009, -5/+28So...Carter was a fiscal conservative? He froze the growth of government. No wonder Republicans hate him so much.
Want bigger government and a higher deficit? Vote Republican! - StopTheLie, on 02/21/2009, -0/+22Just to clear things up a bit, I dug up a post I made to another message board back in 2003. Although I've never really considered myself a "Republican" I was definitely trying to splash some cold water on those in the party who drank the cool aid.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*Conservative Republicans: STRONGLY favor protecting our civil liberties - Truly American.
*NeoConservatives: See our civil liberties as an unnecessary restriction on government power.
*Conservative Republicans: STRONGLY favor a smaller, less intrusive government- American!
*NeoConservatives: Are willing to spend money (and expand government reach) without restraint, provided it helps them further their agenda.
*Conservative Republicans: STRONGLY favor Fiscal Responsibility and reducing taxes - GOOD FOR AMERICA!
*NeoConservatives: Fool the public into thinking a "tax cut" (paid for with printed money) is actually beneficial. -hiding the fact that it amounts to little more than a loan that the taxpayer (or their children) will have to repay WITH INTEREST.
****Side Note on current fiscal policy: Tax cuts on printed money are not tax cuts! It's like me saying I'm going to give you $1,000, but then I secretly add a 1,500 debt to your mortgage. ...Eventually, that money is going to have to be paid with interest and it is going to be taxes that pays it. To say nothing of the additional spending that has been passed on printed money by this administration-to say nothing of how that further reduces the value of the dollars in your pocket! If these were "democrats" in office, they would have (rightfully) been raked over coals by now!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Isn't it amazing (disgusting) how broad-based "principles" have returned to the majority of "Republicans" in power now that "Democrats" are back in the driver's seat? ....I sure hope the Democrats don't show the same level of hypocrisy by accepting things under Obama they screamed bloody murder over under Bush. (Uh, wait....nevermind.) - FTLJohnson, on 02/21/2009, -9/+31let's just jump right in REAL QUICK and correct the inaccuracy here...
This article is referring to "Conservatives"... when really it means "Republicans".
Socially Liberal, Economically Conservative Libertarians (Voluntaryists might be more apt of a term now that so many have departed from the mess of a political party right winger Bob Barr left behind) have been screaming about the economic policies of the government ALL through King George's reign of terror.... Don't lump all conservatives into this Republican idiocy backlash to Democratic irresponsibility.
Some of us have been aware for a VERY long time that "It's BIG GOVERNMENT stupid." - RonPauls, on 02/21/2009, -11/+30Bush was a neoliberal economically, he grew government. don't call him a conservative.
- Atomic05, on 02/21/2009, -4/+22What is now generally labeled as "conservative" is basically everything the GOP (neo-cons and all) stands for. We aren't talking about actual fiscal conservatives like Ron Paul, we're talking about all the self-righteous talking heads who apparently think the average American has the memory of a goldfish. I'm sorry if the labels don't match up the way you would like them to, but that's just the way it is.
Also, you're the one who tacked "fiscal" onto "conservative" there. The point of this article was to make clear that what passes for a conservative these days is anything but fiscally responsible. - beprogressive, on 02/20/2009, -4/+22I hope Obama (and other Democrats) take on our screwed up criminal justice system at some point--specifically ending the free reign of the box-'em-and-forget-'em prison industry. We have a big problem with our prisons in this country, and we are throwing good money after bad on our current course. I'd much rather tax money go into health care or alternative energy or education (or anything USEFUL), instead of just building more and more human warehouses. It just isn't smart public policy.
- ZenMojo, on 02/21/2009, -4/+21The "not a real Scotsman" argument is a logical fallacy, buddy. As long as conservatives keep voting for the guy who does exactly the opposite of what they want, that's what conservatism in practice becomes.
- Infowarsdotcom, on 02/21/2009, -8/+23The "fiscally conservative" Republican party cares as much about smaller government and reducing spending as the "socially liberal" Democratic party cares about legalizing cannabis and gay marriage.
- kd1s, on 02/21/2009, -4/+18Exactly. The article touches on two hot button issues for me. The first is military spending, the other universal or single payer health care.
Our nominal military budget is what, $550 billion a year. We could easily cut that in half and still have a very good defensive force.
Stop squandering our future in the Iraq debacle.
What would I do with the money cut from the military? Quite simple, implement the California Nurses plan for national health care ($104 Billion) and then take the remainder and re-invest in infrastructure in the U.S. Things like fixing crumbling highways and roads, bolstering education, things that affect the future. - 0ldmankdude, on 02/21/2009, -2/+16Yeah, this "don't worry, i'm a fiscal conservative" ***** is getting out of hand. less words, more actions.
- MothBoy, on 02/21/2009, -2/+16No, that is not quite it. The Republicans in DC also want to smoke dope and get laid (occasionally even with women).
The difference is that libertarians don't mind if you want to smoke dope and get laid as well and don't pass laws to prevent it. - mikeymondavi, on 02/21/2009, -1/+15I'm not sure how Bush is called a Republican in the first place. George Bush is about as Republican as Ted Kennedy is a lifeguard.
- Barackalypse, on 02/21/2009, -0/+14Except it wasn't Government spending that put us into this recession, it was the housing bubble and mortgage crisis which became a full on financial crisis which then seeped into the rest of the economy and it was caused by the Federal Reserve's decades long easy money policy, coupled with irresponsible home buys taking out mortgages that they didn't understand and couldn't pay, irresponsible lenders, and Government encouraging Fannie Mae and Freedie Mac to encourage home ownership by low income individuals.
However, I fully expect one of the next recessions to be because of reckless Government spending, probably sometime in the next 20 years when Social Security becomes insolvent and even increasing burden of Medicare and Medicaid consumes ever greater portions of the Federal budget. - rolf, on 02/21/2009, -5/+18Adopting and hijacking broad labels are the oldest political crap trick in the book. Bush hoists conservative values during an election season to win the primaries, he comes to represent them but doesn't actually govern at all by them. Almost none of the republicans do.
So what happens? Well, not only do the current set of republican retards gets rightfully demonized, but the conservative financial values as well, although they haven't actually be in play for many, many years. - rolf, on 02/21/2009, -1/+13Personally, I feel Carter is a very maligned man. I don't support everything he did (hardly), but he started a lot of alternative energy programs that Reagan promptly shot down (wonder if they would never have been cut, where we'd be now). He was also given a bad economy and his sin wasn't being able to handle it, but like a killer wave, sometimes you can't do anything other than ride it or be wiped out:(
- inactive, on 02/21/2009, -15/+27The GOP should get down on their knees and beg forgiveness for allowing Bush to drive us 5 trillion dollars further into debt, and for supporting his reckless and dangerous (and expensive) war in Iraq. They should also beg Ron Paul for forgiveness for mocking him during the GOP debates. It's funny how now, all of a sudden, all these GOPers are talking just like Ron Paul.
- busket, on 02/21/2009, -4/+16Nope, the answer is to with one hand whine up and down about how horrible the stimulus bill is and with the other hand reach out with your palm up for a cut of that sweet, sweeet stimulus money.
- bjornski, on 02/21/2009, -8/+18When the problem is Republican policies, who should we blame? PETA? George Soros? ACORN?
- sloppychris, on 02/21/2009, -3/+13"New Rule: neomercantilists, neoconservatives, and statists are no longer allowed to call themselves "free marketers." People who call themselves free marketers such as Bush, Paulson, Greenspan, and Bernanke are the primary threat capitalism faces. These false prophets of capitalism are the greatest friends that proponents of socialism have."
Great article from the Mises institute. Read the rest:
http://mises.org/story/3306 - ZenMojo, on 02/21/2009, -10/+19776 billion - tax revenue != 3 trillion dollars of debt.
In the first month of a Democratic Presidency, Lukas Smith has failed math. - thcobbs, on 02/21/2009, -8/+17When the solution to the Republican's policies are a clone of the Republican polices... who should we blame?
- mnocket, on 02/21/2009, -3/+11A slightly different take...
Republicans like to spend when they are in the majority, and complain about spending when they are in the minority. Democrats like to spend in either situation. - radu79, on 02/21/2009, -4/+12Burried as innacurate.
FTA "(and let's not even get started on handing Hank Paulson $700 billion, no questions asked) deserves to be made fun of for using words that are simply beyond its limited comprehension."
No, it was NOT the conservatives who gave Paulson 700 billion, it was both the neocon ***** and the liberal *****, Obama included. - Chompy, on 02/21/2009, -3/+11You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
- RonPauls, on 02/21/2009, -5/+13oh yeah, one more thing.
"The market can't solve everything, the market doesn't have morality and values profit over human life"
market is composed of people. hence your statement is "people dont have morality and value profit over human life" which makes no sense.
somehow you dont trust people to protect the environment, but you trust people who rule other people. Aren't the rulers just people themselves?
It boggles the mind. I can't believe it when people say things like, alright guys, the problem here is we have way too much freedom. - RonPauls, on 02/21/2009, -1/+9I think you have it pretty good, except
"irresponsible lenders"
they were just reacting to the incentive structure that was put into place by government - lightinggod, on 02/21/2009, -3/+10Everybody acts like the president is some sort of dictator. It takes an act of congress to appropriate money. For six years, the Republican Congress and Senate had themselves a real good time spending money (more earmarks than any time in history) and cutting taxes on their constituency ( the wealthy), and W never whipped out his veto pen. Now that the other party is large and in charge, they act like prostitutes pretending to be virgins on their wedding night, or Claude Raines character in The Maltese Falcon " I'm shocked that gambling is going on here". WTF. At least the Democrats throw some of the stimulus funds towards the people that work for a living, instead of throwing all of it to the trust fund babies.
- inactive, on 02/21/2009, -0/+7Bravo!
You are so right.
true conservative principles are just being lumped with neocons who gained power in Bush's first term in office and then sold to the American public as evil. Neocons are evil. Not conservative principles.lumping the good with the bad is good strategy for Democratic party election victories but it isn't reality. Both parties have their factions and cuckoo extremists. - rolf, on 02/21/2009, -2/+9Our system is set up so we can have partisan retards pick a side, scream how bad the other guy is, and try to get everyone else to choose sides. High school isn't as bad.
George Washington warned us in his farewell address about political parties. They seem to be like zombies, they eat your brain so you can join the collective. Thinking for yourself is a hard thing to do for some people. - Sanderson9009, on 02/21/2009, -9/+16Ron Paul '12
- hipnerd, on 02/21/2009, -0/+7Clinton only had a Republican congress for a portion of his term. He reduced spending and the size of government over his entire term whether he had a Republican Congress or not.
- gobbleplex, on 02/21/2009, -2/+9Assuming you actually own up to the conservative myth, sure.
- ssgordon, on 02/21/2009, -3/+10I love all the complaining about how free markets create a rich upper class that does whatever they want to hurt the lower class. It's so obvious that we should eliminate free markets, right? Like China, or Cuba, or all those other countries without free markets. Everyone is equal there...oh wait, no...There is a rich upper class that does whatever they want to hurt the lower class, but in those cases, the upper class has a name: Government! Just because the government does it, doesn't make it right. And I would much rather be a middle class citizen here than live in China. My wife and I have two cars, two tvs, two computers...but I guess that's not enough. I should be asking my government to give me more. Because $40,000 a year isn't enough to have a boat and house, and dammit, I am American and I should have a boat and house! Free markets obviously work, that's why we have the quality of life that we do. Quit thinking government control will make it better!
- cadmiumpaint, on 02/21/2009, -3/+10Fiscal Responsibility, Morality, Small Government and Personal Freedoms are the biggest talking points and coincidentally the biggest lies spoken by members of the Republican party on a daily basis.
- MelvinSchlubman, on 02/21/2009, -4/+11Yes, Lucas, pretend the world began on Jan 20, 2009.
- avengingturnip, on 02/21/2009, -4/+10Democratic president plus republican congress = fiscal conservative.
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