Conservatives: Do You Really Enjoy Being Hypocrites? Part 1

The question I ponder toward my conservative counter parts: Are you stupid or just a hypocrite? I try to inform, but most of the time I'm met with "You and your 'lame stream' media!" So- I lean towards not that bright when it comes to government & economics, but hey- maybe I'm wrong. "Less Government" is one of the right-wing slogans. Within the slogan "less government" is the whole conservative set of assumptions about the nature of the "free market" and government's role in that market. In fact, the whole "public sector/private sector" distinction is an invention of the conservatives. They say that the "private sector" exists outside and independently of the "public sector". The public sector, according to conservative ideology, can only "interfere" with the "private sector", and that such "interference" is "inefficient". Using this ideology, the conservative paints herself as a defender of "freedom" against "big government tyranny". In fact, the whole idea that the "private sector" is independent of the public sector is completely bogus. In fact, "the market" is created by public laws, public institutions and public infrastructure. But the conservative isn't really interested in "freedom". What they want is privatized industrial serfdom. For proof, you need only look at exactly what constitutes "big government tyranny" and what doesn't. It turns out that conservatives are BIG supporters of the most oppressive and heavy handed actions the government takes.

• Conservatives are consistent supporters of the generous use of capital punishment. Although the "government can't do anything right" - apparently, the government can kill people in a very good manner. Indeed, they exhibit classic conservative unconcern for the very possibility that the government might make a mistake and execute the wrong man.
• Conservatives support the "get tough" and "lock 'em up" approach to virtually every social problem in the spectrum. In fact, it's the only approach they support. As for the millions of people we have in jail today - a higher percentage of our population than any other nation on earth - they say our justice system is "too lenient".
• Conservatives - you know, the ones who believe in "freedom" - say our crime problem is because we're too permissive. How exactly do you set up a "free" society that isn't permissive?
• Conservatives want all the military force we can stand to pay for and have never seen weapon systems they didn't like.
• Conservatives support every right-wing authoritarian tyrant in the third world including Saddam Huessein, Qaddafi, and Ayatollaha Khomeini.
• Conservatives who believe in "freedom" think it's the government's business if you smoke a joint or sleep with somebody of your own gender.
• Conservatives support our concentration camp down at Guantanamo Bay. They also support these "secret tribunals" with "secret evidence" and virtually no judicial review of the trials and sentences. Then they have the audacity to say liberals are "Stalinists".
• Conservatives want to "protect our national symbol" from "desecration". They also support legislation to make the Pledge of Allegiance required by law. Of course, it is they who desecrate the flag every time they wave it to support their agenda.

Sounds to me like the conservatives have a peculiar definition of "freedom". I mean, just what do these guys consider to be "tyranny". Let's take a look:

• "Social spending" otherwise known as "redistribution". While they don't mind tax dollars being used for killing people, using their taxes to feed people is stealing.
• Minimum wage laws.
• Every piece of legislation ever proposed to improve working conditions, including the eight hour day, OSHA regulations, and even Child Labor laws.
• Labor unions, who "extort" employers by collectively bargaining.
• Environmental regulations and the EPA.
• Federal support and federal standards for public education.
• Civil rights legislation. Apparently, federal laws ending segregation were "tyranny", but segregation itself was not.
• Public broadcasting - which is virtually the only source for classical music, opera, traditional theater, traditional American music, etc. This from the people constantly braying about the decay of our culture. (By the way, the average cost of Public Television for each American is one dollar a year.)

See the pattern? Conservatives support every coercive and oppressive function of government, but call it "tyranny" if government does something for you - using their money. Even here, conservatives are complete hypocrites. Consider the following expenditures:

• 150 billion dollars a year for corporate subsidies.
• 300 billion dollars a year for interest payments on the national debt - payments that are a direct transfer to wealthy bond holders, and buy us absolutely nothing.
• That's all in addition to the Defense budget - large chunks of which go to corporate defense contractors.

This list could go on and on, but I think the point has been made. It seems that America's ultra nutty far right has completely brainwashed most conservatives. Slick...convincing people to vote against their best interests, and blame it all on the black president (yes race is an issue) and the "communist socialist" liberals. Conservatives: Educate yourselves or can your hypocrisy. It's better to admit you are a corporatist tool who favors the wealthy and elite than to be a hypocrite.