The Apparent Affront of Conservatism

Political satirist and television host Bill Maher recently asked why conservatives are mad. Having already expounded upon some of the reasons in a previous post, allow me to again retort. At the core, it is the hypocrisy. Unlike his predecessor George W. Bush, President Barack Obama gets a pass at almost every turn from mainstream media and political lackeys on controversial policy. In particular, economic and foreign policy issues. Likewise, members of the Bush Administration constantly were held vociferously in contempt for alleged failings in their duties. Meantime, Obama’s current Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, and Attorney General, Eric Holder, still have jobs, despite an abysmal record in their respective positions.

Domestically, the president’s fiscal policies are offered as beneficial to free-market capitalism, but are in actuality socialistic threats in implementation. President Bush was repeatedly lambasted for bailouts to Wall Street, even as it stemmed the tide from a worse crisis. Yet, the MSM-anointed Savior-in-Chief has been portrayed oppositely despite a larger, taxpayer-funded bailout – ironically, directed by Secretary Geithner, who, as the former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, had a direct role in the economic collapse in the first place – that did little more than to further bankrupt the country and expand, rather than limit, the role of government. From Obamacare to Solyndra, the Obama Administration has attempted to inject governmental control over every facet of the economy against every reasonable free-market principle. This has rendered little effect other than to undeniably increase government spending and impel rising prices as productivity and employment continue to plummet. No matter which of the varied reports on the economy one chooses to believe, there are also the taxes and so-called “reforms” that have hurt small business, entrepreneurial investment and genuine job creation at the worse possible time. Quite possibly prolonging the collapse, such measures have stifled any remedy for the nation's still-lingering economic ills. But, all of it is still – almost four years later – the fault of his predecessor. 

On the international scene, the Apologist-in-Chief cannot keep quiet enough in appeasement as our armed forces end combat operations notwithstanding continued threats against our existence. All of which has alienated allies and emboldened enemies, weakening our national defense and international clout that only a few years ago perched from a position of strength. As President Theodore Roosevelt said, “speak softly and carry a big stick.” (Or the Roddy Piper version – “I’m here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubble gum.”) Then there are the questionable, if not unverifiable and unjustifiable, drone attacks against SUSPECTED terrorists. No body, no war crime? Yet, the Bush Administration still faces domestic and international inquisition for spying on and detaining KNOWN terrorists captured as enemy combatants in a war they started with us.

There is also the selective attack on the First Amendment, and the outright assault on the Second. Freedom of religion? Yeah, as long as you keep it to yourself and not be insensitive to other’s religious views…especially Islam. Don’t want to upset our enemies were trying to defeat through appeasement and strategic drone surgical strikes. Or better yet, just be an atheist. Even from the perspective of my self-professed, fence-sitting agnosticism, that way, in your higher-than-thou smugness, you can disparagingly infringe upon the religious views of others as an infringement on your chosen right not to believe. As for gun rights, lawful U.S. citizens have come under increasing governmental scrutiny and stricter regulation, even as Attorney General Holder continues to deny knowledge of, obstruct investigations into and not take responsibility for operations like “Fast and Furious” that put guns into the murderous hands of known drug cartels.

What are conservatives mad about? Though only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, succinctly it is liberals who apparently lack any understanding of American conservatism.

©2012 Steve Sagarra