How About “Yes You Can”?
From Fred Thompson.
And to lead this effort they apparently have nominated a man who keeps repeating, “Yes we can.” Well, America now knows what he means by that and our response is, “No we won’t!” Our vision is an entirely different one.
Our vision is extremely different. When Barack and other neo-Marxists use words like “we”, what they are talking about requires coercion. In other words, whether you want to be a part of the “we” or not, you are going to, thanks to the point of a gun.
A conservative approach would be to empower the individual and to look at each individual and say “Yes you can.”
Collectivism is the enemy of freedom because it goes against human nature, and anytime something goes against human nature, force is required to implement it. That’s why the notion of a left wing libertarian is foolish. You can’t support big government and also support individual rights. It just doesn’t work that way.
Ronald Reagan was most definitely, as Barack Obama himself pointed out, a “transformative figure”. Reagan brought about real change. He inspired the people to believe that, they as individuals, could achieve. Obama, in spite of his constant references to change, is actually selling the same old crap sold by every other modern liberal. It’s called more government and less freedom. Just like them, he wants to weaken the individual, in favor of the state. It’s a very attractive message, especially for those that lack ambition and feel they are owed something that somebody else earned.
[…] Glen Dean argues that the Obama motto “Yes, We Can” is inherently Marxist: When Barack and other neo-Marxists use words like “we”, what they are talking about requires coercion. In other words, whether you want to be a part of the “we” or not, you are going to, thanks to the point of a gun. […]
heh
So, this whole notion of the United States (ahem “United”) as a collective is just silly Marxist rhetoric? When has the peaceful promotion of individuals with very similar goals expressing a nearly identical will led to a gun-toting junta in this modern world?
You talk about conservative empowerment and freedom, but rely wholeheartedly on an incoherent assessment that those ideas which are not “conservative empowerment” are Marxist. Liberal empowerment, that is the empowerment of the greatest number of individuals, is absolutely antithetical to Marxist rabble-rousing.
In your “Yes, you can” opinion, Marx said so himself, “The rabble is a truly revolutionary class.” The employer or the government offers you freedom and opportunity. In the populism that Obama espouses, this sort of classism does not exist. And your McCarthyism is shameful.
Sounds like you have read Marx thoroughly. Perhaps several times.
Yes, and what’s wrong with that. I have also read the Bible and the Koran. I am a conservative Christian minister.
Conservative in the mold of Mike Huckabee, I presume.
Maybe not overtly gun-toting, but, when the details of some of these (universal health care) plans come out, and jail time becomes a reality for those who choose not to participate, then there might as well be a gun pointed at them.
Yes, I know jail isn’t explicitly spelled out in any universal health plan, but what happens if I don’t pay the fine? Will the .gov simply say “Oh, that’s OK”. I don’t think so.
Well, Huckabee carried Tennessee. And with the exception that I am for limited growth in government (and I do not wish to deny evolutionary theory), I am somewhat like Mike Huckabee. Though he does have that charming wit . . .
I don’t think someone who is a regular internet blogger, or has a current health plan, would be in such a dire situation wherefore they could not participate in a health care plan. Under several options, the price tag would be very manageable for those of us who are financially more fortunate. Personally, I think your argument goes to the very heart of parking tickets and license revocation as well. I believe health care is more intrinsic of a government operation than traffic decongestion.
Why wouldn’t anyone read Marx or The Little Red Book? Or The Federalist Papers or Capitalism and Freedom by Friedman? I could safely assume that one’s personal philosophy that is forged out of a narrowly educated mind is not the most solid of philosophies.
“So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will fight without danger in battles.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.“- Sun Tzu, The Art of War….also a pretty good read.
Cameron, what I said to Don was “Sounds like you have read Marx thoroughly. Perhaps several times.”, which means that Don probably reads Marx as much and as passionately as one reads the Bible, like a handbook of truth. Kind of thought that was clear.
I wasn’t being rude, I’m just sayin’….
I can quote the communist manifesto as well, but I’m no communist. For instance:
Chairman Mao called for a “continuing revolution”. His idea was a chicken in every pot, as for me, I like the revolution we started in 1776. We can raise and kill our own chickens without the government’s help. It’s possible here in America. Different people and places may need a different kind of government.
As for health care, we are in changing times. The State of Tennessee gives out tickets for not carrying auto insurance, thus to not financially injure another party or The State in any undue way for damages one might cause.
Glen, if you disagree with that particular practice, your grievance is perfectly valid. However, someone else looking to decrease their tax burden quickly might not adhere to a “governmental philosophy” readily identifiable, but just maintain whatever puts more money in their pocket is better. That’s seems to be Don’s type of conservatism. That’s perfectly valid as well, although it may not fit into a neat box of true “conservatism”.
That’s all. I don’t think you’re a McCarthyist though, Glen. I wasn’t necessarily agreeing with everything he said.
Be optimistic, like George, forget about what they say.
“And so the fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there’s jobs at the machine-making place.”
— GW Bush, Mesa, Ariz., May 27, 2008
Cameron, I don’t think you’re rude and I’m sure Don’s a nice guy. It scares me though to think that Mike Huckabee is percieved to be a conservative. Sorry Ned
Just like them, he wants to weaken the individual, in favor of the state.
I trust then, Glen, that you are against the Patriot Act, right?
Actually, I think the more apt conservative slogan would be “Yes you can, if you happen to have enough money, which the overwhelming majority of you don’t.” And even then, it’s a pretty selective “yes you can,” given that it excludes such things as having an abortion, marrying someone of the same gender, etc.
NC, parts of it, yes.
Well, at least that helps a little… but really, almost all of the act itself is statist, and as a fellow conservative who favors the individual over the state, I don’t see why you won’t want to just get rid of the whole thing. Just a thought.