Tuesday, February 4, 2014

The Left and Right.............agreed?

The other day, on the COMMENTS PAGE of one of Mustang's posts here, there was (trumpets sounding!) agreement between a few of us who very rarely agree let alone refrain from some pretty nasty stuff in our political disagreements!  It went something like this:

Ducky:   "However, we weren't meant to see the entirety and if the original populist Tea party (before it was co-opted) could realize they had allies on many issues in #OWS, well, something positive might happen."

Z:    "Ducky, we agree on that. And, if WE could agree there are similarities in philosophies, ANYBODY would.!!"

Ducky:  "my, my, I'm in agreement with ed, z, and mustang."

To which we got Ed's response of "I'm screwed."  ;-)

Ducky also said "This issue sure does have legs."    (The issue was intrusive 'smart meters' on your homes)

SO, MY QUESTION IS THIS;   WHAT OTHER ISSUES 'HAVE LEGS' BETWEEN PEOPLE LIKE DUCKY AND PEOPLE LIKE ME AND ED AND MUSTANG?   WHAT MIGHT DEMOCRATS AND CONSERVATIVES AGREE ON?  LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT!

which obviously prompts me to post this, which I LOVE!

z

47 comments:

Constitutional Insurgent said...

We're so conditioned by the media to divide ourselves into left/right and to be at odds with the 'opposition'.....that you'd have better luck running around with a mason jar trying to collect unicorn farts.

One issue that doesn't get much media play, but that should get support from the "both sides" is fighting eminent domain abuse.

DaBlade said...

I appreciate the question Z, and I know I should try harder. But whether it be regarding the size and role of government, legalized infanticide, education, illegal immigration and amnesty, gun rights, culture issues, etc... "I gots nuthin." I can find no redeeming qualities in progressives, nor any issues worth compromising.

One Man Speaking said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ed Bonderenka said...

I see civil discourse here on some cultural issues: film, music, photography.
Ducky is opposed to Obama, but for ideologically different reasons than I am. He does not seem to believe Obama is a progressive.
I think he is, in the mold of Mussolini.
But we both think he's not a good president.

Ducky's here said...

Odd that you bring up state fascism, Ed.

Without much question there has been a merging of government and the corporate. In the interest of democracy that meld has to be broken.

But as CI mentions, without responsible media the populace will stay splintered while corporate/government stay merged.

sue hanes said...

Z - There are many issues that Democrats and Conservatives could agree on if they just put their minds to it. One thing they could do is be more civil to one another. Then the agreement would come from that - on lots of issues.

Ed Bonderenka said...

I'm screwed.
:)

Mustang said...

Politics is all about power: who wants it, who get’s it, who keeps it. In this quest for power, both parties have become adept at manipulating popular sentiment. Dividing Americans according to political platform is how the parties survive; if we ever find out what they are really up to, we will rise up and dismiss everyone en mass. Herein lies the problem: before any of us claim how repulsive these parties are, we need to acknowledge that WE are the problem. We are responsible for Washington’s depravity because we keep reelecting the clowns, whose only claim to power is by convincing us how much we hate one another. If we honestly measure where we are today against our founding principles, then we have absolutely no reason to think that this Republic can long endure what we the people have become.

Z said...

CI, pretty tough if eminent domain abuse is the one issue you think could be bipartisan. I hope you're wrong!

DaBlade...is it a question of trying harder, though?

Mustang..I'm probably naive, but I believe that fight for power is so they can further their ideologies..I believe some of the younger, less tainted senators and congressmen, and even some old timers, are so sure in their vision for America that that's why they want the upper hand.

Sue, name an issue. I hope you're right.

I TOTALLY, and constantly discuss, agree with the problem with the media.
As Ben Shapiro said last night "if the media was into exposing the truth as much for everyone as they've been on Christie, America'd be a better place."

I think he's right.

There ARE truths about the environment; there ARE truths about gun control; there IS a constitution to consider, there ARE so many things that are black/white, not gray.

WHAT? You tell me.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

Z - "pretty tough if eminent domain abuse is the one issue you think could be bipartisan. I hope you're wrong!"

I hope I'm wrong too, but that was literally the only topic I could envision getting little to no pushback on, from either side of the spectrum. Both sides play only selected civil liberties to their favor; economics and foreign policy is clearly out. Not much left.

JonBerg said...

"WHAT MIGHT DEMOCRATS AND CONSERVATIVES AGREE ON?"


How about Budweiser?

Bob said...

Yesterday, Z said, "Wouldn't it be something if we could ALL, about 30 of us, jam around one long table and talk politics in that setting? or any setting? :-) but, alas."

Why LA? Let's meet in the middle at, say, Atlanta. I am up for that.

BTW, I find myself in agreement with the consensus of the last blog, too.

Z said...

Bob, there is a lot of disagreement on the last blog; what do you think of the interview and did O'Reilly ask questions people want FINALLY answered?

JonBerg....maybe! good point

Jim at Asylum Watch said...

Ducky said :Without much question there has been a merging of government and the corporate. In the interest of democracy that meld has to be broken.

But as CI mentions, without responsible media the populace will stay splintered while corporate/government stay merged."


I can't believe that I wholeheartedly agree with you Ducky. Does this mean there really is hope for the world?

Ducky's here said...

I would say this.

Left/right, Dem/Rep spend a good deal too much time telling the other side what they think the other side believes and too little time finding their points of agreement.

It's about power most certainly as mustang writes and the power structure has us at each others throats to our detriment.

Thersites said...

I with the duck on crony corporatism.

Bob said...

"I with the duck on crony corporatism."

Gotta be careful or people will be accused of crony Ducky-ism.

Impertinent said...

@Bob:

" Let's meet in the middle at, say, Atlanta. I am up for that..."

The "middle", Bob, between the east and west coasts might be Oklahoma City...I'm up for that.

Ed Bonderenka said...

Bob said: "Gotta be careful or people will be accused of crony Ducky-ism."
That's what I meant by "I'm Screwed."

Mustang said...

An example of my disgust is the $1 trillion farm bill. Does anyone have any idea how many millions of this will end up in the pockets of elected members of the House and Senate, in the form of farm-aid grants? Why is there not a law the prohibits members of congress from benefitting from the laws they pass?

JonBerg said...

" Why is there not a law the prohibits members of congress from benefitting from the laws they pass?"

Because those @$$#0!e$ make the laws!

Anonymous said...

From Z of GeeeZ:

Mustang, in the pockets of elected officials or in the hands of their farmer constituencies?

Ed....exactly...!!!

Ducky, we all name call and insult but you take it to a new height and if you could leave out the 'stinky cheese' (which, by the way, I NEVER want to read again as it makes me sick!), and RayGUN and all the other nasties, maybe that would help people actually pay attention to your posts.
If YOU try, WE'll try?

EVERYBODY:

How about homeland safety? I'd hope we'd all agree on that. ??

I think we all agree in religious freedom? That everybody deserves to practice their faith?

How about ENGLISH AS THE LANGUAGE? There's no law on that and I'm beginning to see why that's been fought for so long, frankly...very sneaky; kind of ALinsky-esque? Planning for the multicultural future? (GOd forbid)?

Do we all agree American public schools can be better?

Do we all agree there's an AMERICAN CULTURE of clean(ish) streets, flags hung here and there, patriotism, basketball, football, baseball, great lobster, TexMex, etc (depending on where you live but it's still American culture)..etc?

What do you think?

z

Constitutional Insurgent said...

Z - Much of that sounds good, but vague notions and platitides won't bridge divides that exist.

Religious freedom already divides us in matters of marriage, property and activities.

Public schools already divide us in regards to funding and curriculum.

Culture is personal and subjective, and can never be truly defined....or agreed upon.

I don't like to be Debbie Downer, but I am a realist.

Impertinent said...

@Z:

"I think we all agree in religious freedom? That everybody deserves to practice their faith?"

Faith in jihad, perhaps? If in reality it's a political ideology masquerading as a "religion" and calls for the utter annihilation and / or destruction of any state or another religion...then no...I'm not for exercising that particular "freedom".

If, for example Nazism was referred to as a faith or a religion, with the same goals as another "religion"...would we allow it's practice too?

Z said...

Okay, Imp...let's just ban all religions...
The point isn't that Z makes the rules and we all get along...the point is to discuss how we can bring these things about.

CI..what I said about only double...we don't get anywhere calling them "vague notions and platitudes"..>no wonder we get nowhere, no headway.

We do have an American Culture; ever been to Bangkok? They've got a particularly Thai one.

So we can't discuss things because we disagree? That's the whole point of this exercise. ...to see how close we CAN get

Constitutional Insurgent said...

Z - I have been to Bangkok.

We discuss these issues incessantly, the problem is that when we move from vague notion...such as religious freedom....we move into the details, such as organized prayer in school, same sex v. traditional marriage, religious symbology on government property.

Therein lie the fundamental disagreements. The devil being in the details. These opinionated differences are debated ad nauseam, without reaching consensus.

Everyone [generally] can agree on religious freedom....Do you have any ideas in how to bridge the specifics?

Impertinent said...

@Z:

Did you completely misinterpret my statement? I didn't suggest for one minute that we ban religion. I suggested what 99% of us here already know. Islam is an ideology of conquest and violent subjugation as it's core tenets.

Do you disagree with that? Or...who disagrees with that since at last count of 76,000 attacks worldwide are made by that..".faith".

Kid said...

Great Tune Z :)

In my opinion, when libs agree on many issues with the conservatives, it will be too late. This will be end game and total government control.

I think the only time libs seem to agree with conservatives is when no one has yet given them the opposing talking point and they're at a loss to say anything else. The same way a sociopath feigns compassion or empathy at a funeral.

"If they understood conservatism" they would never be libs in the first place.

So it's an illusion.

From my reading the comments, duck completely canceled himself out the following day anyway.

Kid said...

Note on media. Michael Savage is the only one who had/has a bead on reality. They took him off the air here a few years ago.

Kid said...

JonBerg ! Budweiser !? Can't drink an ounce of that stuff friend.

Only 2 clicks above Iron City which everyone knows comes from the lower back end of horses.

Heineken or Stella, Or real belgium beers.

So there ! :)

Kid said...

Duck, fwiw, I get my views about the left from their actions. There is no ambiguity there. All it took was a total of 3 democrat presidents since 1962 to completely destroy America. lbj, carter, obama. clinton was and is an ass who gave the keys to America to China, but that was probably going to happen anyway because of union greed and lousy steenkin filthy trial lawyers, but outside of that he didn't do much but enrich himself and take credit for the Reagan economy, Y2k, and the build out of the internet based economy.

Kid said...

IMP, I'm not meeting anyone in Oklahoma for anything, anyway, no how.

Kid said...

Why can't we get back to Declaration of Independence and Constitutional Principle ?

Some one point me to any bias whatsoever in those documents regards social issues, or personal preferences.

There ain't may conservatives out there is my point.

Ducky's here said...

Ducky, we all name call and insult but you take it to a new height

---
Nah, I'm just a fairly good counter puncher.

Myself, it's usually set off by "libtard". That's my particular favorite and I don't respond well.
Basically anything lifted from hate radio.

Second would be calling Obama a communist. it's not that it's offensive in any way but if someone actually believes that it makes communication impossible. Just too much dissonance.

Ducky's here said...

Notice, z, that I'm on my best behavior with kid and his anthem to supply side (i.e. tinkle down) economics.

Once you assign blame to one side of the political spectrum exclusively it's just an invitation to a pointless insult contest.

Impertinent said...

@Ducky:


Maybe you should refrain from wing nut or fringe right or any other jab too?

That's a reach across the aisle solution.

Kid said...

"Notice, z, that I'm on my best behavior with kid and his anthem to supply side (i.e. tinkle down) economics."

You get points for that duck.

Now, if you want the brass ring, point us to any totalitarian government where the standard of living was even BEARABLE, let alone competitive to the USA.
See where I'm headed here?

Ducky's here said...

Kid, were you in the North End the other day?

Kid said...

Duck. So, Millionaires in America who aren't politicians 1% of the population.

Politicians, 50% ++ 50 is the advertized number but we both know thats BS. 50% of the political population are millionaires and the number is higher for dems than repubs.

SO, Just who is it you want in the position of making money?

If you want any credability at all, you have to answer at least one of the two questions in this or the last comment of mine.

Gee, lemme guess how this is going to run out.

Kid said...

duck, north end.... So this is how you feel you can gain some credibilty?

Bring it man. I'm hoping you have something on the ball here.

Ducky's here said...

Kid, first you have to ask a coherent question.

Baysider said...

Two instantly leap to mind. I wonder if smart meters particularly engage people across the spectrum because they raise both political and health issues. Two others that are just like that started more as health and have become hot political issues: GMO food and government mandating toxic pollution of the water supply by medication without prescription, aka fluoride.

Ducky's here said...

... or if you're in West Virginia, formaldehyde.

Z said...

Kid, re OKlahoma, that made me laugh. Hard. Don't like OK, huh?
Michael SAVAGE? Well....we used to listen a little and he got a little nutty there after a while.
Who's "THEY" who took him off the air? And are you sure he's totally off everywhere?
And ya..GREAT song. Pool table, pizza, beer, ZZ Top on the Juke Box? Yup,this erstwhile sophisticated jazz singing, classical piano-playing girl can go for a Sunday afternoon like that ANY day of the year! :-)


Imp; I will NEVER believe all muslims want us dead; or that all mosques are sheer evil.

I'm too pooped to read all the comments tonight. BIG night at work.

See y'all!
Thanks for commenting..great stuff.

JonBerg said...

Kid,

RE: Budweiser


"Only 2 clicks above Iron City which everyone knows comes from the lower back end of horses."

Yeah, you're right; that's why it doesn't sell. I guess that I should switch to a more 'snooty' beer!

Kid said...

Z, Oklahoma is an alien experiment.
They only took Savage off in Cincinnati. Reality is Nutty ! Which is why people who talk about it sound like they should be committed ;-)
Pool Table, Pizza, Beer !? Good GOD I'm in LOVE !



Kid said...

"Kid, first you have to ask a coherent question. "

Like:
-what's your favorite color?
-Ducky want a cracker?
-Would you like a cookie and milk before bedtime?

Give me an age range like they do on toy boxes and I'll take a shot.