<p>President Bush is the master architect (or pawnbroker) of policies that are neither compassionate nor conservative. There is nothing fiscally conservative about squandering a federal surplus by cutting taxes for the wealthy, thereby bestowing a huge federal debt on our children and grandchildren, while at the same time fighting a misbegotten war. </p>
<p>And compassion is missing when the social safety net is made more threadbare by wanton disregard for the plight of the poor and most needy. </p>
<p>How interesting that this president’s right-wing base of evangelical Christians, who fervently extol “intelligent design,” would countenance policies that are Darwinian in their “survival of the fittest” outcomes.</p>
<p>Faith Based Initiatives…right. I am reminded why I won’t donate money to some shelters for they require people seeking food and warmth to attend a chrisitan religious service before they can get food and warmth. That is selling Jesus anyway I look at it.</p>
<p>Many attribute the recovery from the recession to the combination of tax cuts and low interest rates. Would you have preferred economic decline?</p>
Which charity are you referring to? I’d love to hear the name of the meanies. Or is it good enough to simply believe this to be the case in the abstract?</p>
<p>A religious charity sent hungry people away because they refused to attend a service prior to being relieved of their hunger?</p>
<p>That is a very wicked accusation. Which charity is it that caused you to hold back your money?</p>
<p>Oh Barrons…Really. We’ve ended recessions before without only using tax cuts to the rich and a deficit the size of the universe. Pleeeeease. Right now the middle class is disappearing, the rich are filthy rich and the poor are starving and having their benefits cut. There are other ways to end a recession. Also, although the job market is picking up a bit, it’s not really the higher paying jobs for middle America returning. </p>
<p>Woodwork, they don’t turn away people and I don’t know of any starving people who WILL NOT attend a service if there is food attached. That’s the point…they must listen to prostheletizing with their food. That should make them nauseous. That is just not right. Oh that’s right, it is “RIGHT” wing that is. Believe like me or get no food. Nice. AND sick. Compassionate conservative…my point. There is NO compassion in a conservative!</p>
<p>Tell that to John Kennedy.
My little office (10 now) hired five people in the last few years and they all make over $100,000/yr and they are all under 30 and not working 80 hours a week.</p>
<p>I suppose the Atheist Society could volunteer, fill the gap and offer their own charity…but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that particular kind of compassion–they will however offer verbal encouragement.</p>
<p>I suppose the Atheist Society could volunteer, pony-up, fill the gap and offer their own charity…but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that particular kind of compassion, most especially not in those areas where the need is greatestI suppose they will, however, offer cascades of verbal encouragement to those in need and bucket-loads of criticism at those who will actually attend to that need in the manner that they can.</p>
<p>Have you ever actually been to one of these charities? I have been to many, and I recall no proselytizing at any of them, from Unitarians, to The Friends, to Methodist, Presbyterian, Islamic, Jewish and Catholic Charities.</p>
<p>I was the (volunteer) director of just such a charity in Montreal for 5 years, dealing mainly with refugees and immigrants though not exclusively so. My children ate breakfast and dinner and slept in the same house with these people for yearsate the same food and slept in similar beds. My family has a little experience with these things and the kind of people who do volunteer and give, and give of themselves to these charities, driven by their love, compassion and belief in something better.</p>
<p>They all deserve better than your derision and caustic remarks.</p>
<p>Re the JFK quip. That was 40 years ago when everything was different, no offshoring…manufacturing and the middle class existed. Most families had one wage earner. You obviously are a fat cat and you just showed why you are a “conservative”. No more needs to be said! You’re not giving back your tax cuts!!!
Woodwork…the government should be giving out the food in an emergency and we all, through the government, should be helping those who need a hand up. You like that the religious groups do it, so your tax dollars don’t need to be spent. How much do YOU give to charities??? BTW many of us non religious people give to charities that have no ties to holding people hostage for food, unless they repent and become religious converts! God…You are all so religious, but have not a truly spiritual stitch of decency in your bodies.</p>
<p>As I wrote two months ago, it will be easy measure the “compassionate conservatism” of the Administration. To what degree will GWB propose HUD money for permanent housing of 750,000 displaced New Orleans residents, most of whom are low-income, who ar never going back, and most of whom are now living in cities where waiting lists for low-income housing already ranged from 1-5 years. </p>
<p>It’s a very simple measure, and I invite folks to try it for themselve.</p>
<p>As I wrote two months ago, it will be easy measure the “compassionate conservatism” of the Administration. To what degree will GWB propose HUD money for permanent housing of 750,000 displaced New Orleans residents, most of whom are low-income, who are never going back, and most of whom are now living in cities where waiting lists for low-income housing already ranged from 1-5 years. </p>
<p>It’s a very simple measure, and I invite folks to try it for themselves</p>
<p>Oh, and by the way - the Democrats, the so-called “liberals”, haven’t proposed anything either…</p>
<p>Montreal is not exactly where the problems exist…We, I believe, were talking about the right wing religious charities not regular religious ones in other areas. I can assume if Bush is giving government money to charities he is not giving it to Jewish groups up north, or Muslim ones etc. It’s government money going to them, instead of our goverment running it. (Mind you, the way our goverment runs anything now, maybe they were right to give it out to others…Fema comes to mind!)The Canadian goverment is not like ours and your religious group probably was not like the ones he is giving to in the south! I don’t think Canadians give their government money to groups like that either, but I might be wrong.</p>
Laura,
I was referring to the above remark, which seems unbounded by political borders, but is rather defined by ones belief. It seems, moreover, to include me, amongst any others you directed it at.</p>
<p>You have, in the past, made these sorts of remarks to my daughter (she posts on these boards from time to time) who as I say, spent a good deal of her childhood helping strangers when she woke up in the morning and before she went to bed at night, my son was born into these circumstances–I think they and others are better for it.</p>
<p>It seems hateful, but perhaps Im too sensitive to the critique.</p>
<p>Yes Laura, I am a fat cat because I put myself through college and graduate school even though neither of my parents graduated from HS and never made more than an hourly wage of around $3.00 an hour. They did give me a respect for the value of hard work and education. I was able to find a profession I enjoy that is virtually layoff proof and pays well. But we work pretty hard for the money too.</p>
<p>I just wrote a long note which was lost I’ll try to recreate it. I wasn’t talking about regular religious groups, just the right wing Bush religious groups who are taking over the country’s politics. Do I take it you are Canadian? Then i don’t mean you! Nor your more liberal country and probably very normal religion!</p>
<p>Re; why I’m mad as hell. Yes I am…My country has been hijacked by mean and nasty lying people who believe torture is fine, science is useless, unqualified cronies can be appointed to any position, who believe any way to justify a war that is politically motivated is aok, the justice system needs to be decimated, intelligience is not needed and a minority group (the american taliban) should rule EVERYTHING. The poor should figure things out on their own and the rich should not have to spend any cash on anyone but themselves. Why should I not be mad as Hell?? I went to my first candelight vigil since the 1960’s and 1970’s to protest the continued war. Most people have woken up and know what we have in the admin now, why are you all still supporting them??
Also Driver,. I can only say that Dobsen is not my savior, nor are the very disgusting views by the far right religious leaders. They ARE caricatures, i don’t need to invent them! I didn’t vote for them!
…Also, Driver, please start reading <a href=“http://www.mediamatters.com%5B/url%5D”>www.mediamatters.com</a> and see what lies are around.</p>
<p>And Barrons, Myth number 42. You can easily pull yourself up by the bootstaps if you try…just like you did _____ years ago.
I happen to work 7 days a week and own a business and am doing well, But I know that most people who have less money are finding it harder and harder to go to a good school. Hey just read this site! The majority, especially the poorer among us can’t get a good enough HS educaiton to get into a good college, nor can they afford it, with the government cutting back. We’re losing middle class jobs. It is not the way you remember it and our government is making class warfare a fact of life. Hey, I happen to be a fat cat, who cares…and so should you. The French revolution wasn’t pleasant.</p>