Conservative Contradictions

If you’re on Facebook, you’ve probably already seen it. You might even have friends who have joined it. There is a group “praying” for Obama’s death and it is over a million members strong. It’s a joke, we’ve heard. It’s an expression of how frustrated some people are with the state of current affairs. But I find it fascinating (amongst other things). When did insulting the President to such a degree become acceptable? Remember the days when disagreeing with our President was deemed unpatriotic? Conservative contradictions are full steam ahead these days in current politics. And I feel like it’s time we point a few of them out.

So we have established that during the days of the previous administration, we should not insult our President. If we disagreed with the decisions made during the “W” years, we might as well join the terrorists themselves. God Bless America, either get on board or you’re not American enough.

So am I now allowed to question how patriotic those million plus are for laughing at a prayer for Obama’s death? I won’t do it. Sure, I’m all for freedom of speech but I wouldn’t judge a person’s patriotism based on personal beliefs. (Nor would I want to contradict myself.)

But there are more significant contradictions irking me than some Facebook group joking about the President’s death.

Conservatives continue to hammer this administration for excessive spending and big government. It’s curious we hear complaints about the money we are spending now to save our country when only a few years back, billions of dollars was sent abroad and into a war that had nothing to do with us or the terrorism we experienced on our own soil. Big government sure made some fanciful and expensive decisions back then.

How about the Tea Party itself? Bob Cesca at the Huffington Post wrote a fascinating piece mapping out the contradictions of the new Tea Party movement:

“The tax cut was viewed by colonial patriots as another example of British tyranny against smaller merchants whose business would be severely undercut. Consequently, political activists and, most famously, the Sons of Liberty, organized a boycott against the East India Company’s tea…

It turns out that that the tea baggers… are politically more in line with the tax policies of King George than the views of the Sons of Liberty and the colonial patriots. The tax baggers emulating a protest against a corporate tax cut — but, oddly, in support of tax cuts for the rich and corporations.”

And while he certainly doesn’t argue their right to protest, it’s their misinterpretation of a bit of fascinating American history which begs some reconsideration.

But regardless of the misinterpretation of their own name, there can be no argument that Tea Baggers protest taxes and big government. Picking and choosing where big government is allowed is a tricky thing. After all that anger over healthcare reform, so much of current useful government is conveniently forgotten. Public schools are ok. Roads and highways – yes please. 911, a police force, EMTs and fire and rescue – but of course. Public Universities, federal financial assistance – certainly fine for my kid. Home short sales in place of financial ruin – obviously (and we won’t ask who you voted for). Free legal representation, town halls, libraries, museums, garbage pickup, parks and recreation. All of it a-ok.

But taxes? Well that’s plain old un-American. Socialist even.

Oh and immigration. All these people crossing our borders, contributing to our economy and hoping to become American citizens – well that can’t possibly be what our country was founded on, right? Disregard that whole Statue of Liberty bit or where my great grandfather was from originally – if a person has brown skin, they better go back where they came from. They just aren’t American enough.

And finally, our environment. We have no problem packing up our big family truckster, with a full tank of gas we chose to pay for with our tax refund, after insisting we drill off the coast rather than consider cleaner energy alternatives. Cleaner alternatives won’t fuel that truckster right now or get us to the Gulf Coast by Friday. Be warned, however. You might want to check the status of that oil slick in Florida before you gun the pedal to the metal. Surf’s up.

Caroline writes about parenting, politics, pondering and panicking about it all at her own blog Morningside Mom.

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4. Definition of a Conservative
5. Conservative Message to Our Newly Elected Liberal President