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Vanity Fair: 30 Years of Conservative Nonsense, An Explainer
If those calls to close the borders over Ebola are giving you déjà vu, you might not be wrong.
Kurt Eichenwald
Nov. 6 2014

Are conservatives ever right?

 

The question isn’t meant to suggest that liberals are never wrong. But reviewing the last few decades of conservative policy initiatives—or their objections over that timespan to policies they hate—shows a consistent pattern of failure: predictions never pan out, and intended results turn to catastrophic flops.

 

Given the G.O.P.’s midterm victories this week, the question is of particular import. Come January, conservatives will have control of both houses of Congress, and hold a considerable legislative advantage in the last two years of the Obama presidency. Yet not a week ago, conservative politicians and commentators were screaming out batty ideas as they demanded that President Obama close the borders over Ebola, ignoring the advice of infectious disease specialists who know that shutting borders against a disease leads people to make travel by means that aren’t easily tracked, escalates danger, and harms the ability to stop the infection at its source. Conservative know-nothings dismiss the professionals as know-nothings themselves, despite their training and expertise.

 

And that could be the problem. Too often, it seems, conservatives have scorned experts as incompetent, biased, or otherwise worth ignoring because they came up with answers that didn’t fit their politically desired answer. Often, they proclaim experts have a liberal bias. Of course, plenty of Democrats have voted for conservative ideas, but that is beside the point. The question is whether policies proposed by conservatives failed, not whether they were passed into law. And this question is all the more important now, with the Republicans having re-captured control of the Senate. Will they govern based on a knowledge of history and the analysis of experts? Or will they resort to faith-based, sure-we’re-right policies—like trying to impose a border ban to stop Ebola—that may lead the ignorant to cheer but will leave turn the experts’ hair white with fear.

 

Before venturing through the rogues’ gallery of past disasters, an exception that proves the rule: the 1983 decision by the Reagan Administration to deploy missiles in Europe to counter Russian SS-20s was a success, ultimately contributing to the Soviet collapse. But otherwise, there is not a lot in the last three decades to give conservatives bragging rights, and with almost every fiasco, they blame someone else. So let’s look at the record of the last 30-some years:

 

(Snip)

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

I Read DU so you don't have to.

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Shameless Detroit squatter....convicted of felonious assault...on gubmint disability (which she won't reveal)...gets arrested. Check this out...it's justice served with a dollop of humor:

 

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/11/198471-shameless-squatter-served-heaping-pile-justice-getting-busted-reporter-whos-enough/?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=%7BCAMPAIGN_ID%7D&listID=%7BlistID%7D

 

Detroit has certainly seen better times. Economic and cultural devastation has plagued the once-great city that used to be known for soul music and a booming auto industry.

 

Reporter Charlie LeDuff refuses to let his beloved hometown slide deeper into degradation without a fight. While many in the crime-ridden city seem to have given up, LeDuff expects more from the citizens of this once-proud city.

 

His latest exposé takes on the issue of squatting in the Motor City — something that seems to have become somewhat commonplace according to his report.

 

He fearlessly confronts a shameless squatter with a felony record on behalf of the rightful owner, Sarah Hamilton-Gilmer.

 

The squatter, Lynn Arthur Williams, had Hamilton-Gilmer arrested — claiming the landlord tried to run her over with her car. Williams was then free to move all her stuff into the home.

 

Williams — who is on probation for felonious assault, and receives social security benefits for a condition she refused to disclose — justifies her actions when LeDuff asks her if she thinks what she’s doing is right:

 

I’m not the only one that is squatting. It’s a lot of other people on the block if you want to be technical. And a lot of people encouraged me to do what I am doing now.

 

LeDuff also uncovers what appears to be an illegal power hookup Williams has installed on Hamilton-Gilmer’s home through which she steals power from other neighbors.

Scissors-32x32.png

IndependentJournalReview via MyEmail

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OK! Just when you're thinking, things cannot possibly get any weirder, turns out YOU'RE WRONG

 

wacko.png

ohmy.pngblink.png

 

 

 

Russia has a problem (well more that one)...they're not making babies.

 

Hmmm. Maybe someone should tell them how that workstongue.pngblink.png

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OK! Just when you're thinking, things cannot possibly get any weirder, turns out YOU'RE WRONG

 

wacko.png

ohmy.pngblink.png

 

 

 

Russia has a problem (well more that one)...they're not making babies.

 

Hmmm. Maybe someone should tell them how that workstongue.pngblink.png

 

 

Vlad! Have your people call my people...we'll do lunch.

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OK! Just when you're thinking, things cannot possibly get any weirder, turns out YOU'RE WRONG

 

wacko.png

ohmy.pngblink.png

 

 

 

Russia has a problem (well more that one)...they're not making babies.

 

Hmmm. Maybe someone should tell them how that workstongue.pngblink.png

 

 

Vlad! Have your people call my people...we'll do lunch.

 

 

Don't think Vlad instills this type of ardor:

 

funny-handsome-guy-like-eggs-overly-atta

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I must Share The Pain

 

Vanity Fair: 30 Years of Conservative Nonsense, An Explainer

If those calls to close the borders over Ebola are giving you déjà vu, you might not be wrong.

Kurt Eichenwald

Nov. 6 2014

 

Are conservatives ever right?

 

The question isn’t meant to suggest that liberals are never wrong. But reviewing the last few decades of conservative policy initiatives—or their objections over that timespan to policies they hate—shows a consistent pattern of failure: predictions never pan out, and intended results turn to catastrophic flops.

 

Given the G.O.P.’s midterm victories this week, the question is of particular import. Come January, conservatives will have control of both houses of Congress, and hold a considerable legislative advantage in the last two years of the Obama presidency. Yet not a week ago, conservative politicians and commentators were screaming out batty ideas as they demanded that President Obama close the borders over Ebola, ignoring the advice of infectious disease specialists who know that shutting borders against a disease leads people to make travel by means that aren’t easily tracked, escalates danger, and harms the ability to stop the infection at its source. Conservative know-nothings dismiss the professionals as know-nothings themselves, despite their training and expertise.

 

And that could be the problem. Too often, it seems, conservatives have scorned experts as incompetent, biased, or otherwise worth ignoring because they came up with answers that didn’t fit their politically desired answer. Often, they proclaim experts have a liberal bias. Of course, plenty of Democrats have voted for conservative ideas, but that is beside the point. The question is whether policies proposed by conservatives failed, not whether they were passed into law. And this question is all the more important now, with the Republicans having re-captured control of the Senate. Will they govern based on a knowledge of history and the analysis of experts? Or will they resort to faith-based, sure-we’re-right policies—like trying to impose a border ban to stop Ebola—that may lead the ignorant to cheer but will leave turn the experts’ hair white with fear.

 

Before venturing through the rogues’ gallery of past disasters, an exception that proves the rule: the 1983 decision by the Reagan Administration to deploy missiles in Europe to counter Russian SS-20s was a success, ultimately contributing to the Soviet collapse. But otherwise, there is not a lot in the last three decades to give conservatives bragging rights, and with almost every fiasco, they blame someone else. So let’s look at the record of the last 30-some years:

 

(Snip)

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

I Read DU so you don't have to.

 

 

And I thank you for that.

  • Like 1
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I must Share The Pain

 

Vanity Fair: 30 Years of Conservative Nonsense, An Explainer

If those calls to close the borders over Ebola are giving you déjà vu, you might not be wrong.

Kurt Eichenwald

Nov. 6 2014

 

Are conservatives ever right?

 

The question isn’t meant to suggest that liberals are never wrong. But reviewing the last few decades of conservative policy initiatives—or their objections over that timespan to policies they hate—shows a consistent pattern of failure: predictions never pan out, and intended results turn to catastrophic flops.

 

Given the G.O.P.’s midterm victories this week, the question is of particular import. Come January, conservatives will have control of both houses of Congress, and hold a considerable legislative advantage in the last two years of the Obama presidency. Yet not a week ago, conservative politicians and commentators were screaming out batty ideas as they demanded that President Obama close the borders over Ebola, ignoring the advice of infectious disease specialists who know that shutting borders against a disease leads people to make travel by means that aren’t easily tracked, escalates danger, and harms the ability to stop the infection at its source. Conservative know-nothings dismiss the professionals as know-nothings themselves, despite their training and expertise.

 

And that could be the problem. Too often, it seems, conservatives have scorned experts as incompetent, biased, or otherwise worth ignoring because they came up with answers that didn’t fit their politically desired answer. Often, they proclaim experts have a liberal bias. Of course, plenty of Democrats have voted for conservative ideas, but that is beside the point. The question is whether policies proposed by conservatives failed, not whether they were passed into law. And this question is all the more important now, with the Republicans having re-captured control of the Senate. Will they govern based on a knowledge of history and the analysis of experts? Or will they resort to faith-based, sure-we’re-right policies—like trying to impose a border ban to stop Ebola—that may lead the ignorant to cheer but will leave turn the experts’ hair white with fear.

 

Before venturing through the rogues’ gallery of past disasters, an exception that proves the rule: the 1983 decision by the Reagan Administration to deploy missiles in Europe to counter Russian SS-20s was a success, ultimately contributing to the Soviet collapse. But otherwise, there is not a lot in the last three decades to give conservatives bragging rights, and with almost every fiasco, they blame someone else. So let’s look at the record of the last 30-some years:

 

(Snip)

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

I Read DU so you don't have to.

 

 

And I thank you for that.

 

 

Do you need a rain coat or some anti-venom?

 

 

atf.jpg

 

 

Makers46.jpg

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I must Share The Pain

 

Vanity Fair: 30 Years of Conservative Nonsense, An Explainer

If those calls to close the borders over Ebola are giving you déjà vu, you might not be wrong.

Kurt Eichenwald

Nov. 6 2014

 

Are conservatives ever right?

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

I Read DU so you don't have to.

 

 

And I thank you for that.

 

 

@SrWoodchuck

 

 

So I'm reading this article and the question keeps poping up...Do Kurt and I live on the same planet? Like you I lived through and vividly remember this stuff, and that is not what really happened! wacko.png

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