The United Socialist States of America?

The Times has a nice article picking up on the Conseratives' struggle to regroup, choosing the hobgoblin of socialism to fire up the base and to try to scare the middle class:

Washington — Conservatives might be seeking a spiritual leader, organizing principle and fresh identity, but they at least seem to have settled on a favorite rhetorical ogre: socialism.

As in, Democrats are intent on forcing socialism on the “U.S.S.A” (as the bumper sticker says, under the words “Comrade Obama”).

It seems that “socialist” has supplanted “liberal” as the go-to slur among much of a conservative world confronting a one-two-three punch of bank bailouts, budget blowouts and stimulus bills. Right-leaning bloggers and talk radio hosts are wearing out the brickbat. Senate and House Republicans have been tripping over their podiums to invoke it. The S-bomb has become as surefire a red-meat line at conservative gatherings as “Clinton” was in the 1990s and “Pelosi” is today.

“Earlier this week, we heard the world’s best salesman of socialism address the nation,” Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, said on Friday, referring, naturally, to a certain socialist in chief.

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas decried the creation of “socialist republics” in the United States. “Lenin and Stalin would love this stuff,” Mr. Huckabee said, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference here over the weekend, a kind of Woodstock for young conservatives.

Of course, Conservtives had a golden opportunity to demonstrate their ideological purity when they effectively controlled the national government for much of this decade, with a Republican in the White House and Republican congresses, when they chose instead to pile up debt like drunken soldiers. And they did start the 'socialist' dance when they started the whole bailout business. It surely didn't help either when they gave full vent to crony capitalism rather than sound governance.

In the end, I think Americans are indeed more pragmatic than ideological, and if the economy is looking only worse in 2011, then they will vote for change, and I frankly like the Republicans' odds, as they are doubtlessly betting that we are not coming out of this downturn in the next few years, though they really do need to promote a more comfidence-inspiring leader, as I don't think Palin or Jindal will give the G.O.P. its best chance - or at least I hope America cannot be that unfortunate. After suffering Dubya for a full eight years, history would be too cruel to saddle us with such holy wonders again so soon after.

The United Socialist States of America?

The Times has a nice article picking up on the Conseratives' struggle to regroup, choosing the hobgoblin of socialism to fire up the base and to try to scare the middle class:

Washington — Conservatives might be seeking a spiritual leader, organizing principle and fresh identity, but they at least seem to have settled on a favorite rhetorical ogre: socialism.

As in, Democrats are intent on forcing socialism on the “U.S.S.A” (as the bumper sticker says, under the words “Comrade Obama”).

It seems that “socialist” has supplanted “liberal” as the go-to slur among much of a conservative world confronting a one-two-three punch of bank bailouts, budget blowouts and stimulus bills. Right-leaning bloggers and talk radio hosts are wearing out the brickbat. Senate and House Republicans have been tripping over their podiums to invoke it. The S-bomb has become as surefire a red-meat line at conservative gatherings as “Clinton” was in the 1990s and “Pelosi” is today.

“Earlier this week, we heard the world’s best salesman of socialism address the nation,” Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, said on Friday, referring, naturally, to a certain socialist in chief.

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas decried the creation of “socialist republics” in the United States. “Lenin and Stalin would love this stuff,” Mr. Huckabee said, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference here over the weekend, a kind of Woodstock for young conservatives.

Of course, Conservtives had a golden opportunity to demonstrate their ideological purity when they effectively controlled the national government for much of this decade, with a Republican in the White House and Republican congresses, when they chose instead to pile up debt like drunken soldiers. And they did start the 'socialist' dance when they started the whole bailout business. It surely didn't help either when they gave full vent to crony capitalism rather than sound governance.

In the end, I think Americans are indeed more pragmatic than ideological, and if the economy is looking only worse in 2011, then they will vote for change, and I frankly like the Republicans' odds, as they are doubtlessly betting that we are not coming out of this downturn in the next few years, though they really do need to promote a more comfidence-inspiring leader, as I don't think Palin or Jindal will give the G.O.P. its best chance - or at least I hope America cannot be that unfortunate. After suffering Dubya for a full eight years, history would be too cruel to saddle us with such holy wonders again so soon after.

The Health Care Debate and Canada Again

In the health care debate, Andrew Sullivan quotes a reader who is a Canadian living in the States who has a strikiing observation to make:

As a Canadian living in the States, it's been interesting to watch as more and more Americans become aware of their deteriorating healthcare system. For me, it's meant an ever-increasing trickle of people (of broader and broader political perspectives, I might add) who come to me to talk about Canada's system. I begin every conversation the same way: Both systems have their flaws. You'll find unhappy people in both systems. The truest non-empirical test I have is to point out that I have known many people who have lived in both systems (i.e., Canadian and American), and I still have never met a single person who preferred the American one.

That might not be convincing to the Republicans since the people who have lived in Canada can't be counted as true Americans, but the pressure for change seems to be only building. These are interesting times.

The Health Care Debate and Canada Again

In the health care debate, Andrew Sullivan quotes a reader who is a Canadian living in the States who has a strikiing observation to make:

As a Canadian living in the States, it's been interesting to watch as more and more Americans become aware of their deteriorating healthcare system. For me, it's meant an ever-increasing trickle of people (of broader and broader political perspectives, I might add) who come to me to talk about Canada's system. I begin every conversation the same way: Both systems have their flaws. You'll find unhappy people in both systems. The truest non-empirical test I have is to point out that I have known many people who have lived in both systems (i.e., Canadian and American), and I still have never met a single person who preferred the American one.

That might not be convincing to the Republicans since the people who have lived in Canada can't be counted as true Americans, but the pressure for change seems to be only building. These are interesting times.