I love Lakoff's latest article from Rockridge Institute titled "Bush is Not Incompetent." He explains that Bush and the Republicans are simply being true to the Conservative Doctrine (and as he calls it their "Golden Calf" of the Free Market). What a perfect metaphor. 

Since government is only supposed to be there to provide protection (military and police) and support for business, any regulations are unacceptable. Core truth is that regulations hinder Robber Barons. And, of course, they try to de-fund any social programs because they don't support business. (unless they are paying Halliburton or other companies for cleanup.) 

Anyway, with this understanding, Lakoff lets us see why the Conservatives can't admit Global Warming, don't want environmental protections and couldn't deal with Katrina. They couldn't even heed the warnings of the worsening hurricanes before Katrina because if they did, they might have to do something about it, i.e., regulate. That might be bad for business (especially the fossil fuels they are married to.) 

All this is why they just have to have the strange optimistic beliefs that everything will work out all right if they do nothing to help anyone other than business, stay true to that Golden Calf and grit their teeth till it does. They actually may think they are saving the country while they are destroying it.

They are not crazy, just indoctrinated to a foul, un-American framework. And they have convinced a good part of the country to their beliefs (partly because we have kept joining them in their metaphors). We should certainly have a chance to point out that the Emperor who really has no clothes is the conservative doctrine that is based on old myths of Feudalism. These leaders have always wanted to have the power in their (or their friends or family's) hands. It is a struggle that this country was founded fighting. 

Speaking of fighting, we certainly need to stop any reference to a "war" in Iraq. It is simply: When is the occupation going to end? Every occupation has to end and forces withdraw. It is just a matter of when. And you can't have any slogan of "cut and run" with it. That was the only thing wrong with the otherwise wonderful film of "Peace Takes Courage" that's on the East Cobb Democratic Alliance website. We are not in any war and haven't been for 3 years. Whenever we echo the term "war" we help hold our forces there.

Thought on Immigrants. I hear some Democrats saying "We need undocumented immigrants to do the work no one else will do." This is simply going for the Conservative metaphor again (a lot like the earlier justification for slavery). We must keep hammering that the real reason they flood in here is because their own economy (supported by the right) has destroyed their livelihoods. And we do not need to have a permanent underclass that will take jobs at the disgraceful minimum wage and lower. If it weren't Mexicans, then it would be another group they could abuse. We must go back to "a living wage". Then we would have plenty of people here wanting those jobs. 

Remember, it was Tom Delay (and the Conservative leaders) who supported the slave trade "guest workers" for the garment industry in the Mariana Islands for ten years. Besides being abused with the work, the workers were also helpless against sexual exploitation. The women they used (and I imagine still use) there, never had children because of forced abortions. All from the Right Wing leaders who used to have plush junkets to go there. They blocked the Clinton Administration when it tried to shut it down, and continue to block any investigation of Delay and even what is going on now. It will always be "support business" over any religious beliefs (or human values) for them. It is nauseating that they have conned religious groups to support them. Of course, we know they have no shame as we see that Ralph Reed has the nerve to run for Lt. Governor after having the truth of his crooked immorality exposed. 

Finally, we must remember that our Constitution is founded on liberty principles and the protections of personal liberties. Each encroachment against any individual diminishes all of us.

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